Texas Rangers fans losing faith as team drops fourth straight in loss to New York Yankees: "This season was fun while it lasted"

The Texas Rangers' losing streak hit four games with a 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees Thursday night in the opening matchup of a four-game series.

After being swept out of Great American Ballpark with three straight losses to the lowly Cincinnati Reds, the Rangers returned home to more of the same against a struggling Yankees squad that lost superstar Aaron Judge to injury after just two at-bats.

A three-run second inning boosted by solo home runs by DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres gave the New York Yankees an insurmountable edge in the contest. Texas got back into the game with a two-run sixth inning, but a solo homer from Jose Trevino put the visitors up by the eventual final score of 4-2.

The fourth straight loss dropped the Texas Rangers into a second-place tie with the surging Houston Astros as both teams now share a 14-11 record. The Los Angeles Angels, buoyed by a three-game sweep of the moribund Oakland Athletics, lurk just one-half game behind.

While losing to New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole isn't nearly as ignominious as dropping three straight to one of the worst teams in the National League, Texas Rangers fans are in full panic mode that a precipitous fall through the AL West standings could be on the way.

The Seattle Mariners are 11-14, just three games behind the Rangers. Only the Oakland Athletics — at 5-21, on pace to challenge the 1899 Cleveland Spiders for the worst record in MLB history — appear out of reach at this point.

Of course, Astros fans were merciful and comforting to their in-state rivals upon catching the Rangers in the standings before the month of April was through.

Maybe not.

Houston, on a roll after a cold start to the season, are heading into the weekend after taking five-of-six games on the road against two of the best teams in the MLB — the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays — and their fanbase was all-too ready to rub it in after another Texas loss.

I mean, come on now, Yankees Nation. That's just uncalled for.

But yes, the Rangers did just allow Aaron Hicks his first hit since April 11.

Texas Rangers get three more vs. the New York Yankees

Jonah Heim #28 of the Texas Rangers hits a RBI single against the New York Yankees

The Rangers and Yankees play three more times through the weekend. Friday night, Texas sends staff ace Jacob deGrom to the mound to face Clarke Schmidt.