The Rangers are 63-93, avoid 100-loss season

There was a time, and it wasn't really that long ago, where a 100-loss season seemed like one of the only guarantees the 2014 season would bring. It was only 10 days ago -- before this magical late-season run -- when I wrote this: 

To relinquish [the #1 pick] will require an abundance of W's in their final 16 games, and as it stands they will have to finish the year 9-7 just to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1973, a herculean task for a roster depleted of most of its relevant talent. 

Since then, the Rangers have already covered the 9 wins they needed, and still have six games remaining on the schedule. Weird. But mostly crazy. 

Derek Holland allowed 3 runs (2 earned) in seven innings of work, more or less in line with how he's thrown over his first five appearances. Since baseball is one great stream of worthless, meaningless statistics, Anthony Andro tweets that Holland is just the third Ranger starter in the last 21 seasons to open a season with five straight quality starts. Derek has been damn impressive. 

In other news, Guilder Rodriguez earned his first major league hit after nearly 1,100 minor league games, and his parents were there to see it. Really cool. 

The Rangers won't lose 100 games in 2014, which is a minor consolation I suppose. With the Diamondbacks win in Minnesota, Texas still trail Arizona by a half-game for the #1 pick in 2015 draft.