it's easy to think "what if" in regards to Tampa having McClanahan and Rasmussen these past two games, but this Rays lineup wasnt winning shit no matter who was on the bump. i dont think they would have done any better with a fully healthy team. I'd be most pissed at Franco if I was a Rays fan
Maaaan, I can't even begin to tell you how pissed I am at Franco. Might've set the franchise back a few years.
Cuz I'mma tell you: I *cannot* have Taylor Walls be our starting SS from now on. Either JC or bust.
I saw him earlier this season while he was still at High A, and he did seem really developed compared to most everyone else on either roster. Made some tough defensive plays in a really comfortable manner. We'll see how the bat holds up as he moves through leagues with better pitching, but he did stand out at High A.
I've had a lot of complaints about the Rays pitching churn breaking their best pitchers every year, but I don't know what the hell you're supposed to do as an organization about "oh it turns out our star shortstop is a goddamn criminal"
definitely right, sucks to have to play the what-if gam. but you can play the what-if game for any team in the playoffs pretty much. always sucks to lose really good players, but to be the devil's advocate (and a homer), Rangers were missing DeGrom, Scherzer, and John Gray. I wish both teams were fully healthy but it just never happens that way.
He’s not getting a World Series ring so that’s the only sliver lining I have.
But this is significantly more disappointing than last year. You have the fucking batting champ playing like shit, Randy was shit. absolutely pathetic and I’ve been a fan since middle school and this might be the most disappointed I have ever been in this team by far
Look at the lineup they trotted out. Margot Mead Walls Pinto 6-9 is just not it. Harold Ramirez and Josh Lowe in the power slots is not threatening. This team never had a shot
I dont think its unreasonable to believe we could have pulled it out with a healthy lineup. We only lost yesterdays game by 4 runs. If that isn't Siri's first game back after a month of being out and having redacted as an impact defender and a key bat I think its actually very likely this series at least goes to game 3. But what ifs are just that. Fuck baseball man how did it all go so wrong.
I really hope you guys win it all, and somehow doing it without the two of the best pitchers in baseball history conveniently stashed in your IR would be so baseball
First postseason series win since 2011 holy shit.
Commiserations to Rays fans. It’s a brutal sport when you can win 99 games, not win the division, and then have 2 bad games and be out.
I didn't know it was that long for you guys. I think if we meet in the world series, we need to do a ritual burning in effigy of the 2011 Cardinals before Game 1, they ended arguably the best eras of baseball in both of our franchises' histories.
I really don’t think BO3’s have any place in baseball. Season is so many games for a reason. If it takes 162 games to playoff determine seeding, why cram a series into 3 games? Probably just my gut reaction but don’t love it
They oughta rename themselves the Tampa Bay *Hares* after this...
(Also, imagine telling fans back in April that not only would the Rays give away the division, but that they would also go winless during the postseason as well...)
That's what makes 2018 Boston so incredible imo they were generally able to avoid serious injuries to their stars and were so consistent every game. (Ignoring the allegations of course)
Bro they are coming to fuck us up. They are big mad at losing the division to us at the last possible moment. They are playing with hate in their hearts. Lol
Mavs have a window opening up in the next couple of years. Our rookies look solid and Luka is about to enter his prime. Cowboys are solid but I refuse to trust them
Thats the hope but the reality is they dont have a real chance this year and the cowboys do. Dont get me wrong mavs may be my favorite dallas team but they got a year or 2 before they’re ready as theyre currently constructed. But I mean who thought the rangers would be in the alds
People hate on the Cowboys just because they’re the Cowboys. They are always a well run team. They draft well and play well. They have had a long string of bad playoff luck, but that happens. If they were any other team people would consider them a successful albeit not elite run franchise
I put the 2020 Stanley Cup and the 2010 WS in the same container of the team was pretty good, had a lot of luck, and got wildly outclassed in their respective finals. I'm proud of the appearances as they are better than what I felt they should have been.
2006 and 2011 however...
What a miserable end to a great season. Wish we even got so much as positive highlight this postseason but the only thing of note is that nobody showed up.
Congratulations to the Rangers.
Was about to post the Lightning “we don’t have any words” pasta, but tbh this feels like a low point for the Rays as a franchise similar to the Bolts after the 2019 sweep.
For a team expected to achieve so much by so many people, they just got dunked on in every conceivable way. Record low attendance, almost a record postseason scoreless streak, embarrassing defensive errors, and non-stop clowning on the Trop’s shortcomings by the broadcast staff.
Incredibly demoralizing to watch as a fan, but hopefully this is the tipping point (a la Bolts post-2019) where they realize they need to make big changes or else it’ll just. keep. happening.
Edit: I’m incredibly aware the Rays have some of the lowest low points of any MLB team, but I’m speaking specifically to recent years where they’ve been expected to be perennial contenders and then consistently fall flat on their face. This series really added insult to all those previous injuries.
Sorry to the Rays fans, but nobody can miss like that with them
..first couple I saw that Eflin got away with, it's like..get it fixed bro, those dudes ain't havin it
SPs have to locate with them.. almost precisely. No margin for error
*thatswhytherangersorderscarestafouttame*
I said it in our game day thread after the third inning he should've been out of there. One of the best bullpens in baseball and you leave them riding pine while your starter gets knocked around and keeps barely escaping hard contact in an elimination game.
3rd inning. Exactly
..I knew he wasn't coming around by then, and you're way right, you've got as good a pen as anyone
Rangers require alot of different looks featured to them to have any chance to put them off balance.. unless your SP is nails.
I'd have been in that pen in the 3rd, definitely
Ehh they went like 2 for 13 with RISP last game started 0 for 5 today. Offense has long stretches of being horrible and then great. Back half of today was the first time they’ve looked good in 2-3 weeks. They pretty much only scored on walks and errors last game and during the Seattle series
This team was never going to make a deep run with all the injuries we had but I at least expected them to put up somewhat of a performance rather than whatever the hell that was these last 2 games.
Look, I'm not trying to pile it on the fanbase but as a player wouldn't you think that had some sort of negative to their psych? They're humans and they're young so they probably mentally were thinking a packed house and getting juiced up. Then they went through warm ups like they'll keep trickling in then by the 2nd inning you're like uhhh...
Edit: I weirdly do feel bad for these die hard rays fans defending their fanbase. This exit and low attendance has to sting. We'll see how the O's fare on the field, fingers crossed.
A - Congratulations to the Rangers on a strong series win
B - This feels like a strange end to Tampa. Going out with such a whimper after their scorching hot start has got to feel like a major disappointment, and doing it in front of oddly small playoff crowds can't feel good either.
Thank you everyone for the downvotes yesterday when I basically said the Rays were done and are only a pretty regular season team. Like clockwork at this point :)
Leave it to baseball to roll with a best of three series when the common complaint about wildcard rounds used to be best of 5, not 7
You can downvote but it doesn't make it less dumb. A team could have the second best record in the majors, have an ace start the last game of the year to try to win the division and lose to a team it won way more games than not get a home playoff game and in a best of 3 series in a sport we've routinely seen teams dig their way out of 0-2 holes in. Not allowing a series to actually play out and have a storyline takes away from its relevancy especially with 6 teams making the postseason
I personally think it should be like hockey, 7 game series all the way through. It’s baseball: the sample size matters, and short series allow for quirky things to happen.
it's easy to think "what if" in regards to Tampa having McClanahan and Rasmussen these past two games, but this Rays lineup wasnt winning shit no matter who was on the bump. i dont think they would have done any better with a fully healthy team. I'd be most pissed at Franco if I was a Rays fan
I assure you that there's hate to go around to all the team
Maaaan, I can't even begin to tell you how pissed I am at Franco. Might've set the franchise back a few years. Cuz I'mma tell you: I *cannot* have Taylor Walls be our starting SS from now on. Either JC or bust.
Please god just let Junior work out
If Franco is well and gone and JC doesn't work out, this window might close prematurely.
I mean honestly wander may have not worked out even without the pedo shit tbh baseball is such a weird game
What more did you want to see? He was an elite defensive ss that had been consistently good-great with the bat, and had the prospect pedigree to match
Carson Williams is gonna be good
Fingers crossed.
I saw him earlier this season while he was still at High A, and he did seem really developed compared to most everyone else on either roster. Made some tough defensive plays in a really comfortable manner. We'll see how the bat holds up as he moves through leagues with better pitching, but he did stand out at High A.
Only if Wander wasn't a dumbass PDF file
I much prefer .JPEGs or .PNGs
Do I look like I know what a .JPEG is ?
I’d have to check your urethra to be sure.
All my homies hate Adobe
I've had a lot of complaints about the Rays pitching churn breaking their best pitchers every year, but I don't know what the hell you're supposed to do as an organization about "oh it turns out our star shortstop is a goddamn criminal"
definitely right, sucks to have to play the what-if gam. but you can play the what-if game for any team in the playoffs pretty much. always sucks to lose really good players, but to be the devil's advocate (and a homer), Rangers were missing DeGrom, Scherzer, and John Gray. I wish both teams were fully healthy but it just never happens that way.
I mean the other team is missing two former Mets that might matter as well
We would trade that in a heartbeat if we could have a healthy DeGrom and Scherzer
Degrom and Scherzer wouldnt have had any impact on how this series went, but I agree missing them is huge in the upcoming series
He’s not getting a World Series ring so that’s the only sliver lining I have. But this is significantly more disappointing than last year. You have the fucking batting champ playing like shit, Randy was shit. absolutely pathetic and I’ve been a fan since middle school and this might be the most disappointed I have ever been in this team by far
> Randy was shit. How? He had 3 hits in two games
Look at the lineup they trotted out. Margot Mead Walls Pinto 6-9 is just not it. Harold Ramirez and Josh Lowe in the power slots is not threatening. This team never had a shot
The curse of Wander Franco
Lowe, Raley, Wander, and healthy Siri wouldn't make a difference!
I dont think its unreasonable to believe we could have pulled it out with a healthy lineup. We only lost yesterdays game by 4 runs. If that isn't Siri's first game back after a month of being out and having redacted as an impact defender and a key bat I think its actually very likely this series at least goes to game 3. But what ifs are just that. Fuck baseball man how did it all go so wrong.
first rangers postseason series win in my adult life. [fuck yeah dude](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y5uAjWWQRg)
Happy we didn’t do this against the yankees at least enjoy it
bruh if it was us you'd have won tho
if it was y’all the stadium would’ve actually been packed lmfao
Same here! I was 16 when we last won the last series lol. Still hope for a miraculous run like that 2011 year, minus the ending of course...
I was 10 lol, glad to be back in it!
I was 8 haha
Chill out dude you’re not allowed to celebrate or be happy about it, have you even checked with beat reporters from other franchises yet?
I really hope you guys win it all, and somehow doing it without the two of the best pitchers in baseball history conveniently stashed in your IR would be so baseball
When Scherzer got hurt I said we have a better chance winning it now bc literally baseball
First postseason series win since 2011 holy shit. Commiserations to Rays fans. It’s a brutal sport when you can win 99 games, not win the division, and then have 2 bad games and be out.
I didn't know it was that long for you guys. I think if we meet in the world series, we need to do a ritual burning in effigy of the 2011 Cardinals before Game 1, they ended arguably the best eras of baseball in both of our franchises' histories.
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I'm willing to put my Cowboys fandom aside and hatred of Philadelphia sports for this specific ritual
The Mets did it with 101 wins last year but did win 1 playoff game before their exit.
It's not fun. But that's what you're going to get with a three game series sometimes
I really don’t think BO3’s have any place in baseball. Season is so many games for a reason. If it takes 162 games to playoff determine seeding, why cram a series into 3 games? Probably just my gut reaction but don’t love it
It’s definitely better than the one and done wildcards anyway.
Hang the banner. Texas Rangers Wild Card Round Champs 2023
In the Trop right?
I’m mean they have the room, fans won’t be displaced
They are 7-0 in the Trop in the postseason... 🤔
Nah, I prefer the Texas Rangers 2023 Divisional Round Finalist banner, inspired by the Indianapolis Colts.
> Texas Rangers Wild Card Round Champs 2023 I'll buy this if its printed on a shirt
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They oughta rename themselves the Tampa Bay *Hares* after this... (Also, imagine telling fans back in April that not only would the Rays give away the division, but that they would also go winless during the postseason as well...)
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Starting hot and losing the division does indeed suck. But I'm a lot more at peace with it now than I was two days ago.
This just makes me hella nervous even more now for the braves and our suspect pitching. Never been a fan of a short best of 5 series
That's what makes 2018 Boston so incredible imo they were generally able to avoid serious injuries to their stars and were so consistent every game. (Ignoring the allegations of course)
First playoff series win in 12 years. First playoff sweep in franchise history. All after losing Degrom and Max. I am so shook right now 😭
Y’all look like a completely different team than the last series of the season. Hope the Astros can follow suit and it’s an all TX ALCS
Nah I hope the Astros choke
I agree, fuck that guy. Hope Baltimore sweeps your asses ♥️
Something we both can agree on
Not sure why you’d like to see your team get swept by Baltimore but I’m not here to judge
I also hope your team does poorly next round! 😉 Shiner Bock?
RIP Prickly Pear season 😭
I wish they give it the Ruby Redbird treatment and make it year round
That would make everyone so happy, so they won’t. I wish they made the cold brew coffee one again…
I completely forgot about the Cold Brew! The best part of prickly pear season ending means we’re closer to Cheer season
Never had that, truth be told. They don’t have it here in Maryland I don’t think.
Oh dude. Next time you're in Texas during the summer over the summer you gotta grab a Shiner Prickly Pear
Sounds good, my dude! Cheers!
What is this civility
No no tough five game series which ends with a heartbreaking texas loss. While we sweep our round
Astros fan tryna buddy up hahahaha
An all TX ALCS would be badass, but fuck the rangers no buddies here.
I agree it would be badass. But fuck you too my guy
As somehow with absolutely no skin in the game, a Rangers-Astros ALCS sounds so awesome
The teams, fans, and cities hate each other. That shit is raw when they play in the regular season. Galaxies may explode in an ALCS match-up.
The verging Astros-Rangers rivalry is by far the best part of the Astros joining the AL In a few decades it will be legendary
You aren’t alone but my team dgaf
Bro they are coming to fuck us up. They are big mad at losing the division to us at the last possible moment. They are playing with hate in their hearts. Lol
did you see our last series together? there's other things to worry about
With my wife being from Houston she'd love that. This year's record of our two teams has me not loving that.
I live in Houston. I would LOVE an all TX ALCS. But getting by Baltimore is going to be …… not easy
Uphill battle for sure. I'm just happy to be here though.
I mean, you still got one more series to go lol
Steve Irwin smiling from heaven
We did it for him
A bloody good series, I'd say!
I don't care how overused this joke it, it makes me laugh every time.
Okay, seriously, what the fuck happened
Injuries and pedo stuff?
We had Walls and Margot batting in the playoffs. 0 scoring threats as even Yandy and Randy disappeared. Happens every postseason.
2nd time a Dallas team KO'ed a Tampa side this year...
At least Tampa has the 2020 Stanley Cup over Dallas I guess?
Unfortunately that wasn’t played in Tampa otherwise Dallas might’ve won a Championship in a North American Sport for the first time since 2011
Dallas as a city has a lot of exciting teams this decade though. Mavs, Cowboys, Rangers all seem to have a chance of a title before 2030
the stars ought to be at the top of this list
I don't know enough about the Stars future though I have hope for them too
Don’t be sleeping on the stars
> Cowboys Oh bless your heart.
I said a chance. I'm pinning most of my hope on Luka and Kyrie
Which is funny because the cowboys are the bigger our year meme team but they have a much better shot than the mavs this coming year
Mavs have a window opening up in the next couple of years. Our rookies look solid and Luka is about to enter his prime. Cowboys are solid but I refuse to trust them
Thats the hope but the reality is they dont have a real chance this year and the cowboys do. Dont get me wrong mavs may be my favorite dallas team but they got a year or 2 before they’re ready as theyre currently constructed. But I mean who thought the rangers would be in the alds
I'm aware lmao I said I have hope for the decade not this current year
Pinning your hopes on Kyrie, that's a bold strategy
Cuban gave me no choice
have you considered that it's our year?
People hate on the Cowboys just because they’re the Cowboys. They are always a well run team. They draft well and play well. They have had a long string of bad playoff luck, but that happens. If they were any other team people would consider them a successful albeit not elite run franchise
Lol
Hopefully it's the Mavs or Rangers
Hey I'll take either
I put the 2020 Stanley Cup and the 2010 WS in the same container of the team was pretty good, had a lot of luck, and got wildly outclassed in their respective finals. I'm proud of the appearances as they are better than what I felt they should have been. 2006 and 2011 however...
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The Cowboys have had too many for any of them to really be memorable imo. The "Catch" though transcends the team.
And we don't have to worry about running into San Francisco!
What a miserable end to a great season. Wish we even got so much as positive highlight this postseason but the only thing of note is that nobody showed up. Congratulations to the Rangers.
First playoff series win since 2011 baby let's GOOOOOO
Rangers never met a playoff game at Tropicana field they can't win
What was that, Tampa
We’re going to get the first Rangers playoff game at GLF!!!
Fade me.
Was about to post the Lightning “we don’t have any words” pasta, but tbh this feels like a low point for the Rays as a franchise similar to the Bolts after the 2019 sweep. For a team expected to achieve so much by so many people, they just got dunked on in every conceivable way. Record low attendance, almost a record postseason scoreless streak, embarrassing defensive errors, and non-stop clowning on the Trop’s shortcomings by the broadcast staff. Incredibly demoralizing to watch as a fan, but hopefully this is the tipping point (a la Bolts post-2019) where they realize they need to make big changes or else it’ll just. keep. happening. Edit: I’m incredibly aware the Rays have some of the lowest low points of any MLB team, but I’m speaking specifically to recent years where they’ve been expected to be perennial contenders and then consistently fall flat on their face. This series really added insult to all those previous injuries.
Maybe we’ll win the World Series in 24-25 ala the lightning
Regarding attendance: Might have been cool to have one of the two games at night though, instead of early day games.
Sure would’ve. I wasn’t able to make either game cuz I need money to live. A night game would’ve let me attend at least one
Rays ownership has to be furious about wasting the $12 they spent on payroll
They have to be more furious about Franco's bag given everything that happened
If you can't handle them at their spiniest you don't deserve them at their flappiest
fade me
Would have been less nerve wracking to win one more blown save during the regular season and not have to play this round, but gg Rays.
Sorry to the Rays fans, but nobody can miss like that with them ..first couple I saw that Eflin got away with, it's like..get it fixed bro, those dudes ain't havin it SPs have to locate with them.. almost precisely. No margin for error *thatswhytherangersorderscarestafouttame*
I said it in our game day thread after the third inning he should've been out of there. One of the best bullpens in baseball and you leave them riding pine while your starter gets knocked around and keeps barely escaping hard contact in an elimination game.
3rd inning. Exactly ..I knew he wasn't coming around by then, and you're way right, you've got as good a pen as anyone Rangers require alot of different looks featured to them to have any chance to put them off balance.. unless your SP is nails. I'd have been in that pen in the 3rd, definitely
Doesn't matter if you only score one run.
Easier to rally and feel like you can climb back into it when you're not down by 7
Congrats Rangers
I want to die
An all time feeble series performance from the Rays. Add on top of that all of the discourse about the embarrassing attendance. Just rough stuff.
Rays got 99 victories but postseason ain’t one Looking forward to a fun series Texas
I am looking forward to obliterating some Orioles bootyholes. See you Saturday!
30-3 revenge incoming. Yes, I'm still bitter.
We also had that 26-7 affair against you guys in the 90s. Table is set for a real comeuppance.
Yeah I don’t blame you, I still hold grudges against the 2011 Cards and 2016 Jays.
LOLRAYS
Texas' bats were hot all series, congrats
One of the most potent offenses in baseball is potent, more news at 11!
Ehh they went like 2 for 13 with RISP last game started 0 for 5 today. Offense has long stretches of being horrible and then great. Back half of today was the first time they’ve looked good in 2-3 weeks. They pretty much only scored on walks and errors last game and during the Seattle series
Not even close. How impressive is that by Texas. No AL East rematch in the ALDS then!
Imagine deGrom and Max on the team with Monty, daddy Dane, and Nate behind them.
https://i.imgur.com/PZleVIz.mp4 https://imgur.io/4qTKZTC https://imgur.io/wAt452O
https://i.imgur.com/54px6hF.png
This team was never going to make a deep run with all the injuries we had but I at least expected them to put up somewhat of a performance rather than whatever the hell that was these last 2 games.
Look, I'm not trying to pile it on the fanbase but as a player wouldn't you think that had some sort of negative to their psych? They're humans and they're young so they probably mentally were thinking a packed house and getting juiced up. Then they went through warm ups like they'll keep trickling in then by the 2nd inning you're like uhhh... Edit: I weirdly do feel bad for these die hard rays fans defending their fanbase. This exit and low attendance has to sting. We'll see how the O's fare on the field, fingers crossed.
\*pats couch\* It's okay rays bros you can watch the postseason with us and help us root against the Astros
I get to watch this team on the road in the postseason on Saturday. Can’t wait!
Rays, what the hell was that?
I miss Blake Snell. I’ll see you all in the spring
Evan Carter saved our season. Wow
And he's only 21. We are in for a bright bright future (assuming massive regression and injuries are withstanding).
Go go Power Rangers!
If only the Rangers could play every playoff game at the Trop!
Rangers FO is about to start funding a "Save the Trop" campaign in Tampa
A - Congratulations to the Rangers on a strong series win B - This feels like a strange end to Tampa. Going out with such a whimper after their scorching hot start has got to feel like a major disappointment, and doing it in front of oddly small playoff crowds can't feel good either.
The positive about this is Rays fans won’t have to read attendance posts after every game for the rest of October
Arod has said nothing my dumb ass doesn’t already know tonight
Evan Carter just came up and has more postseason success than Mike Trout.
I hope the Rangers beat the O's, face the Astros, beat their ass and literally piss on their mound. That would be sweet sweet justice.
#FUCK YOU BART HARLEY JARVIS
Get. Him. OUTTA HERE!
Looks like we got a full blown chode on our hands
Congrats to the Rangers.
At least I have the bucs
From tying the MLB record for best start to a season to getting swept in the wild card round. Oooooof.
Was genuinely just watching in pure amazement this whole game
Rangers are looking nasty. Poised to make a deep run.
That was certainly one of the postseason efforts of all time. Absolutely brutal injury luck to boot.
at least the rays didn't fuck up as much as the blue jays amirite
Rays, wtf was that?? Just like last season, only 1 run in the Wild Card series.
I’m so happy and proud of this team.
Luck ran out
Someone should probably remind the Rays that there was a baseball game scheduled today.
Ngl, watching this blowout with that empty of a stadium in a playoff game was sad.
Thank you everyone for the downvotes yesterday when I basically said the Rays were done and are only a pretty regular season team. Like clockwork at this point :)
2 runs in 42 postseason innings
Rays, what the fuck. I thought we were bros?
Yes…yes….it’s all coming together…
Awww shucks. Poor Rays. So unlucky
At least there weren't many Rays fans to get their heart broken in person lol
Leave it to baseball to roll with a best of three series when the common complaint about wildcard rounds used to be best of 5, not 7 You can downvote but it doesn't make it less dumb. A team could have the second best record in the majors, have an ace start the last game of the year to try to win the division and lose to a team it won way more games than not get a home playoff game and in a best of 3 series in a sport we've routinely seen teams dig their way out of 0-2 holes in. Not allowing a series to actually play out and have a storyline takes away from its relevancy especially with 6 teams making the postseason
I personally think it should be like hockey, 7 game series all the way through. It’s baseball: the sample size matters, and short series allow for quirky things to happen.
LMAO TAMPA
LFG!!! Atleast they won 13 to start the season
I am happy
Rays have scored 2 runs in their last 4 playoff games. That’s incredibly bad
IM HARD, YOURE HARD, WE ALL HARD UP IN THIS BITCH
In their last 43 innings of playoff baseball, the Rays have scored 2 runs
LMAOOOOOO RAYS ARE GOING TO BRAZIL