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The Texas Rangers came away with the first win of their Wild Card series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers got an excellent performance out of their starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery who pitched seven shutout innings. The Rays were a mess on the defensive side of the ball, allowing a franchise playoff record-high four errors. The final score was 4-0 at the end of the night.
The Rays offense being completely stymied by Montgomery was not what anybody expected coming in. They got some good hard hits off him but were unable to translate it into runs. This is a huge boost for the Rangers, whose greatest weakness at this phase is the bullpen.
The Tampa Bay Rays shared the final score of their playoff loss to X, formerly known as Twitter.
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It is hard for Rays fans to see this loss as anything other than self-inflicted. They gave the Texas Rangers a rather large lead built off their errors, and couldn't get their offense rolling. They were once the hottest offense in MLB, but couldn't carry that into the postseason.
This series is far from over, as many can find comfort in the fact that the Tampa Bay Rays can't play worse than this. They can only be more polished and explosive in the next game. The fear would be this slump extending just one more came and getting them knocked out early.
The Texas Rangers could not have had a better outcome, saving their bullpen from overextending themselves and claiming the win. The intense playoff race with the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners at the end of the regular season doesn't seem to have exhausted them too much. This is little comfort for Rays fans who came into the playoffs with high expectations.
The Rangers are now just one game away from advancing in the postseason, and they have all the momentum.
The Tampa Bay Rays need to start Game 2 against the Texas Rangers strong
The Rays are now in a do-or-die situation for their season. They have been one of the most explosive teams in MLB in 2023, and need some of that energy immediately. Randy Arozarena and the other Rays leaders need to find a way to generate some offense.
Given the Rangers will be starting Nathan Eovaldi, that will be no easy fit. Coming back from a shutout is never easy, but a quick start would prime them for success.
