Plus, given all that the team has overcome so far, I think they will rise to the challenge of their tough September.

But let’s look at the home/road issues:

Angels
Total games left: 37
Home games left (counting today, since it has yet to be played): 20
Road games left: 17
Home record: 37W-24L (0.607 win %)
Road record: 38W-26L (0.594 win %)

Rangers
Total games left: 35
Home games left (counting today): 15
Road games left: 19 (today already ended)
Home record: 41W-24L (0.631 win %)
Road record: 30W-31L (0.492 win %)

At present clip, Texas wins 9 home games and 10 road games. 19-16 overall.
At present clip, the Angels win 12 home games and 10 road games. 22-15 overall.
Halos win the division if things continue as they have.

If Texas scalds at a 0.700 win percentage, they win 25 games.
If the Angels go a pedestrian 0.500 the rest of the way, they win 17/18 games and the Rangers win the division.

Can they Rangers do it? Let’s break down each series in a “figurative model” I whipped up.

Angels
8/27 to 8/30 vs A’s 2 wins – 2 losses
8/31 to 9/2 @ Mariners 2 wins – 1 loss
9/4 to 9/7 @ KC 2 wins – 2 losses
9/8 to 9/10 vs Mariners 1 win – 2 losses
9/11 to 9/13 vs White Sox 2 wins – 1 loss
9/14 @ NYY 1 loss
9/15 to 9/17 @ Boston 1 win – 2 losses
9/18 to 9/20 @ Texas 1 win – 2 losses
9/21 to 9/23 vs NYY 2 wins – 1 loss
9/25 to 9/27 vs Oakland 2 wins – 1 loss
9/28 to 10/1 vs Rangers 2 wins – 2 losses
10/2 to 10/4 @ Oakland 2 wins – 1 loss
Angels Total 19W – 18L FINAL W-L 94W – 68L

Rangers
8/28 to 8/30 @ Twins 2 wins – 1 loss
8/31 to 9/2 vs Blue Jays 2 wins – 1 loss
9/4 to 9/6 @ Baltimore 2 wins – 1 loss
9/7 to 9/9 @ Cleveland 1 win – 2 losses
9/11 to 9/13 vs Mariners 2 wins – 1 loss
9/14 to 9/16 vs Oakland 3 wins
9/18 to 9/20 vs LAA 2 wins – 1 loss
9/21 to 9/24 @ Oakland 2 wins – 2 losses
9/25 to 9/27 vs Tampa Bay 2 wins – 1 loss
9/28 to 10/1 vs LAA 2 wins – 2 losses
10/2 to 10/4 @ Mariners 2 wins – 1 loss
Rangers total 22W – 13L FINAL W-L 93W – 68L (why the heck do the Rangers only have 161 games? I’ve looked on MLB.com and yahoo sports and they both show Rangers with 35 games left yet the Rangers are 71-55).

Anyway, we may be headed to a 1-game playoff by my estimates…

You’re obviously saying the Rangers have a playoff shot, and they’re 4.5 games behind us. So, in their schedule, they play us. We have a playoff shot, so there’s one team. They also play the Rays, and they’re 4.0 games behind. So, that’s two teams with a playoff shot.

@Royals (4), Mariners (3), White Sox (3), @NYY (1), @ Boston (3), @ Texas (3), NYY (3)

This is freaking brutal (minus really the Royals, all others dangerous). That’s the stretch that will determine whether or not we make the playoffs. If we do make the playoffs, then we will definitely be battle-tested.

this problem takes care of itself

every day that goes by in which Texas doesn’t gain ground on us, is one day closer to them being thoroughly fucked.

And if things are like tonight more often…they’re double-fucked.