Run support

Nelson Cruz suspension can't stop Rangers' impressive offensive surge

You know how Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington kept telling us and telling us that the offense would finally come around? Well, here we go.

At perhaps the best possible time this season, the Rangers, collectively, have generated the kind of offense that we expected from them all season, even with the departure of Josh Hamilton. It also comes at the oddest possible time, as the Rangers’ most critical power source, outfielder Nelson Cruz, has been out of the lineup for more than two weeks due to his 50-game Biogenesis suspension.

One would have expected the relatively quiet Rangers bats to go completely silent. I mean, Cruz just led the Rangers in home runs and RBI all season. That’s all.

The Rangers are back in first place in the AL West, though Oakland shows no signs of letting up.

From June 1 to July 28, a span of 51 games, the Rangers scored 3.51 runs per game. Only the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros scored fewer runs per game during that span.

Starting July 29 (when Cruz was still active) and going through Monday’s eye-popping 16-5 win against Houston, the Rangers averaged 6.35 runs per game. During that 20-game span the Rangers scored nearly a run per game more than the next-closest team in baseball.

As you might expect, that offensive resurrection has led to victories, in the form of a 17-4 record since July 29, including Tuesday’s 4-2 win over Houston. The Rangers are back in first place in the AL West, though Oakland shows no sign of letting up. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers – who are on a two-month streak of historic proportions – are hotter than the Rangers.

Cruz’s suspension certainly left a power vacuum. Consider this – Adrian Beltre’s home run in the sixth inning Tuesday night made him just the third Ranger to hit at least one home run in the past seven days. Beltre’s homer also snapped his 13-day streak without a home run.

So … what on earth is going on here? From where I sat Tuesday night, three things.

First, let’s go back to Beltre. Sure, he hadn’t hit a home run in 13 days, but he’s hitting nearly everything in sight. Entering Tuesday’s game Beltre was hitting .422 since Cruz took a seat on Aug. 5. The Astros respected him so much during Monday’s game that they intentionally walked him on two straight at-bats to start the game.

That hadn’t happened to a Ranger since 1979. Without Cruz’s protection in the order, Beltre has raised his game to an MVP level. Too bad there’s that Miguel Cabrera guy in Detroit.

“He’s been getting it done in situations in which we’ve needed him to get it done,” Washington said. “That’s what Beltre is about. It seems like every time we go down the stretch he’s right there to do it. We certainly needed him tonight.”

Second, there’s the runnin’ Rangers. The Rangers wanted a power bat at the trade deadline and couldn’t pull off a deal. They managed to snag Alex Rios instead. When they did they had three of the top six base-stealers in the AL – Rios, Elvis Andrus and Leonys Martin.

Plus, there’s Ian Kinsler, Jurickson Profar and Craig Gentry. The Rangers had stolen 24 bases in Cruz’s absence entering Tuesday’s game and have become a team that generates runs in various ways. The days of waiting for the three-run home run are long gone, but what the Rangers are doing now is taking it to a whole new level.

Third, clutch hitting. Finally. Beltre’s home run gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead Tuesday night. A.J. Pierzynski, who seems to be emerging from some mid-summer struggles at the plate, has nine hits with runners in scoring position this month and 15 RBI. Gentry’s bat is coming around. Martin is warming to hitting leadoff and is a true table-setter.

Timing is everything in sports. It’s just hard to believe that this time, of all times, would be when the Rangers would finally get it going on offense.

No Cruz, no problem? For now, at least.

Oddly, the Rangers are on an offensive hot streak with the help of Nelson Cruz

Texas Rangers Facebook

Oddly, the Rangers are on an offensive hot streak with the help of Nelson Cruz

unspecified

for the win

Cheer on these Texans competing for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Amber Glenn, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater from Plano

teamusa.com/

Plano's famous figure skater Amber Glenn is on the roster.

The XXV Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Milano Cortina 2026, are right around the corner, running February 6-22 in northern Italy. Out of the 2,900 athletes who will participate in this year's Games, 232 will represent the U.S., with four hailing from the Lone Star State.

North Texans will recognize two local athletes in particular: Ice hockey player Hannah Bilka, who grew up in Coppell, and Plano's record-breaking figure skater Amber Glenn. Another figure skater, Emily Chan, also has ties to Dallas-Fort Worth.

To catch these Texas-born athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympics, viewers can tune in to NBC and its affiliate networks, websites, and apps (like Peacock).

Without further ado, these are the Winter Olympians competing for Team USA with roots in Texas. (Note that there are other athletes with Texas ties, like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who are competing in the Olympics but aren't considered Texans.)

Hannah Bilka, 24
Sport: Ice hockey
Texas tie: Bilka grew up in Coppell and is the youngest of four children. At age six, she followed in the footsteps of her older brother, Anthony, and started playing hockey. Due to a "lack of girls’ hockey teams in Texas," she grew up playing hockey with boys.
Fun facts: She won the 2024 National Championship in women’s ice hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the same university where she earned a master's degree in sport management. Her two older sisters, Christina and Stephanie, were figure skaters.
When to watch: The women's ice hockey preliminary round begins on Thursday, February 5. The women's bronze and gold medal matches will take place on Thursday, February 19.

Hannah Bilka, 2026 Winter Olympics hockey player Hannah Bilka is one of two North Texans competing in this year's Games.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Emily Chan, 28
Sport: Pairs figure skating
Texas tie: Chan hails from Pasadena, a Houston-area suburb in Harris County, but she also calls Dallas home. She graduated from Texas Online Preparatory School as the valedictorian.
Fun facts: She loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and dreams of opening her own café in the future. Her longtime skating partner, Spencer Akira Howe, is from Los Angeles. They both relocated to train at the Skating Club of Boston in 2019, where Chan now coaches young figure skaters. Chan is also pursuing a family and marriage counseling degree from Grand Canyon University.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The pairs figure skating competition begins on Wednesday, February 16.

Emily Chan, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater In addition to being a top-notch figure skater, Emily Chan is also trained in Chinese modern dance and ballet.teamusa.com/

Amber Glenn, 26
Sport: Singles figure skating
Texas tie: She was born in Plano, and started skating at just five years-old.
Fun facts: Glenn is a mental health advocate and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She came out as pansexual in 2019. She loves to play Magic: The Gathering, and her dog, Uki, is named after stalking shadow card Ukkima. She also enjoys anime and Star Wars. On Friday, May 29, Glenn will visit Allen during the 2026 Stars on Ice Tour.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The women's singles free skate competition begins Thursday, February 19.

Amber Glenn, figure skating Plano's Amber Glenn will have the Dallas-Fort Worth crowd on its feet. Facebook/ISU

Boone Niederhofer, 32
Sport: Bobsledding
Texas tie: Niederhofer grew up in San Antonio, and later became a wide receiver at Texas A&M University. His father, Dan, played football for Abilene Christian University. Niederhofer and his family previously lived in Midland .
Fun facts: Niederhofer has a degree in petroleum engineering and worked in Texas' oil and gas industry while competing in bobsledding competitions.
When to watch: The bobsled competition begins on Sunday, February 15. The men's two-man heat will take place on Tuesday, February 17, and the men's four-man heat is scheduled for Sunday, February 22.

Boone Niederhofer, 2026 Winter Olympics bobsledder Boone Niederhofer is a former Texas A&M University football player.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

winter olympics olympics texas amber glenn figure skating