Four reasons behind the Texas Rangers’ late-season collapse that has them outside the playoff bracket

1. The bullpen has been a disaster

Disaster is a strong word but it is appropriate here. The Rangers held a lead in eight of the 15 losses during this 4-15 stretch. Four times they had a lead in the seventh inning or later and four times they blew a lead of at least three runs, including in three straight games at one point. In two of the four wins, the Rangers blew a lead in the sixth inning or later, and had to come back.

Turn even four of those eight leads into wins, and we’re talking about a tolerable 8-11 stretch and the Rangers being in a wild-card spot, rather than a disastrous 4-15 stretch that has them on the outside of the playoff bracket. The bullpen has been a liability all year and it has been especially bad in the second half…

Meltdowns are a fun little stat based on win probability. A meltdown is a relief appearance that decreases the team’s win probability at least 6%. In the first half, the Rangers were middle of the pack in meltdowns, which is neither good nor bad. In the second half though, they have the seventh most meltdowns, stacking up costly relief appearances that typically blow games.