Rangers relying on 'grit and grind' on offense

With Saturday’s 6-4 win over the Rockies, the Rangers have won seven of their past eight games, pushing them over .500 and into second place in the American League West.

However, Texas is also hitting .225, the fifth-lowest team batting average in the AL. Its .302 on-base percentage ranks fourth-lowest, and its .355 slugging percentage is the second-lowest. The Rangers' 14 home runs are the fewest.

All this points to Texas no longer being the offensive powerhouse that was the heart of its postseason teams in past years. The reality is the Rangers must work hard every night to find different ways to score runs, rather than just overpowering the opposition.

“I don’t think our offense resembles what it is capable of,” manager Chris Woodward said. “I also don’t think it’s the powerhouse we have had in the past.”

The new Globe Life Field is a factor. The Rangers have a .314 slugging percentage at home as opposed to .394 on the road. Woodward said the new ballpark should still help the club.

“We don’t have a lineup that crushes 30 homers up and down the lineup,” Woodward said. “We do like to steal bases and pressure on the basepaths. Two-strike approach, all those things are factoring into today’s game, use the grit and grind to use the whole field, and our ballpark will help that.”

With the Rangers relying less on power and home runs, it could help them if they reach the postseason.

“You are not always going to get the home runs ... when you start getting into the postseason,” Woodward said. “I want to make sure our team understands we have to play well to get to the postseason, but what kind of style are we going to have to play to win in the postseason? To expect a three-run homer every time in a playoff game, it’s not going to happen.

“You are facing elite pitching most of the time, guys who are not going to give up homers. We have to find ways, even if we were hitting 30 home runs up and down the lineup. I would still like us to play small ball, work the counts, make sure we are swinging at strikes, take our walks when we need to, steal bases, keep putting pressure on them in different ways.”

Veteran infielder Todd Frazier called it a “high-school mentality.” The go-ahead run in Wednesday’s 7-4 win over the Mariners scored on a wild pitch. On Friday night, in the Rangers' 3-2 win over the Rockies, the go-ahead run came across when Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a double play.

“I don’t care if we win on a passed ball, I don’t care if we win on an error,” Frazier said. “We just have to win. We don’t worry about the home runs, or anything else. It’s a mentality to have when you are younger -- understanding how to win ballgames.”

Frazier chats with Gallo
Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo struck out four times on Friday. Afterward, Frazier and Gallo walked together back from Coors Field to the hotel.

“For the 15-minute walk, we had a really good conversation,” Frazier said. “I just tried to tell him, no matter what happens, have as much fun as possible. He's a guy where he wants to do so good, so badly. And it kind of reminds me of myself when I was young, too, that if I'm not helping the team, even though we're winning. I feel like there's 1,000 pounds on my shoulder. I feel like that's how he feels right now.

“All eyes are on him. He's an exceptional player. I want him to understand and be as confident as possible, and know that this game is tough. It's very tough, man. He's got the support from me and all our teammates as well.”

Rangers beat
• Frazier was out of the Rangers' lineup on Saturday for the second time in the past three games. Woodward said Frazier has been dealing with a sore quadriceps muscle, although he did not ask for the day off.

• After Lance Lynn’s complete-game win Friday, his ERA is now 1.11, second lowest in the AL behind only Minnesota's Randy Dobnak (0.90).

• Lynn’s nine-inning complete game was only the third in the Majors this season. The others were by the Cubs' Kyle Hendricks and the Angels' Dylan Bundy.