A team can only limp into the postseason if they get their first.
The Texas Rangers are finding that out the hard way.
Texas missed out on a golden scoring opportunity early against Detroit's Justin Verlander and the Tigers missed very little of anything Colby Lewis threw as the Tigers topped the Rangers 7-4 Monday.
The loss was the third-straight for the Rangers, who cut their magic number cut to five in Houston Friday but are winless since. It's the first three-game losing streak for the Rangers since Aug. 8-12.
"Worry doesn't do anything," said Prince Fielder, who had all four the Texas RBI Monday to push his season total to 95. "It just makes everything seem bigger than it is. All we can do is come out tomorrow and try to win."
The Rangers will have the benefit of Cole Hamels on the mound for the Tuesday game and also a break from facing aces after going against Dallas Keuchel Sunday and Verlander Monday.
Monday's game turned in a one-inning span. With the game tied at 1 in the bottom of the fourth the Rangers loaded the bases against Verlander with no outs. But Verlander got a pop-up from Elvis Andrus for the first out and then struck out Rougned Odor and Chris Gimenez to keep the game tied at 1.
It didn't stay there though as the Tigers chased Lewis but scoring five runs off him in the top of the fifth. Three-straight hits opened the inning, with Tyler Collins hitting a three-run homer to right to put the Tigers up 4-1. A James McCann two-run single later in the fame pushed the lead to 6-1 and Verlander was in control from there.
Lewis, who was going for his 18th win, looked good in the first two innings but things went downhill quickly. By the time he exited after 4 2/3 innings he had been tagged for six runs on 10 hits.
"I felt like a couple of pitches didn't work and that's what they took advantage of," said Lewis, who had allowed two earned runs or fewer in his last three starts. "It's still a big-league club regardless or records and everything else going on. They went out there and did their job when then needed to, especially with runners in scoring position. It is what it is."
The Rangers didn't have many chances against Verlander outside the fourth inning. That frame started with Prince Fielder tying the game with a solo homer. The Rangers had three hits off Verlander in that inning but just three other singles against him in his six innings of work.
Texas did make things interesting in the ninth, cutting a 7-2 lead to 7-4 after Fielder collected his third and fourth RBI. But Neftali Feliz ended the game by getting Adrian Beltre to ground into a double play.
While the rally late gave the Rangers hope, it was the missed chance in the fourth that cost them.
"Probably the biggest part of the ballgame really when you look back on it," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "Not being able to put a run or two across in that opportunity is crucial. You can think of it what you want but Verlander has been there before. He's a special pitcher. He's done that to a lot of guys."
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