It's really not hard to believe that the Texas Rangers are effectively just playing out the string, starting on Thursday. After all, there aren't many teams that would be able to withstand the loss of a Cy Young candidate pitcher, their starting shortstop and second baseman (who are two of their best hitters), and their starting center fielder all in the span of a couple of weeks and expect to stay in the playoff race.
Then throw in the three bid trade deadline acquisitions being some variation of bad and/or injured, and that the Rangers started the week just two games out of the Wild Card and AL West race is amazing.