The Texas Rangers fell to 10 games under .500 on Tuesday night.

It’s the first time their record has fallen this far in 2024, and the first time they’ve had such a bad record since they finished the 2022 season 28 games under .500.

For the defending World Series champions, it is a stark reminder of how far they have fallen.

The Rangers are trying to salvage Wednesday’s series finale in Boston. They have lost six series in a row.

Another surprising reminder is how well the Houston Astros have been playing. The Rangers are 9.5 games behind the first-place Astros in the American League West. Even the once-struggling Seattle Mariners have won six of their last 10 games and are 1.5 games behind Houston. Since starting 10-19, the Astros are 54-36.

The Rangers have now lost 13 of their last 17 games and now face a deficit in the AL West that is almost as insurmountable as the wild-card race. Texas is 10 games back in the wild-card standings, eight teams fewer.

How bad have things gotten for the Rangers? They are now just four games ahead of the last-place Oakland Athletics and three games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.

The Rangers have 42 games left to play on equal terms in 2024. A postseason berth seems impossible, but it is not a more fitting record for a defending champion.

Of the 42 remaining games, 19 are against teams competing for the playoffs, including seven against the Mariners. There are also seven games against the Angels, six against the Athletics and three more against the historically bad Chicago White Sox.

You can follow Stefan Stevenson on X @StefanVersusTex.

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