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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Tuesday, July 28, 1998 Rangers watching their backs in AL West ARLINGTON (AP) - Texas Rangers designated hitter Lee Stevens says it's not good to look in the rearview mirror. The Rangers, losers in 15 of their last 25 games, need to focus on their sloppy play of late instead of worrying about the Seattle Mariners, who have pulled within 81/2 games of Anaheim and 8 games of Texas in the AL West. "We can't worry about that," Stevens said after the Rangers were swept in a three-game weekend series at Minneapolis. "We've got to take care of our own house first. We're not playing well right now. We need to tighten this up right now." That won't be easy for the Rangers, whose poor defense again proved costly in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Twins. The loss dropped Texas to 7-9 since the All-Star break. Fortunately for Texas, Anaheim is playing just as poorly. "In this division, all four teams are fortunate that one team hasn't played well, or it would be over," said manager Johnny Oates. "Just pick any of us. The other three are fortunate that we haven't played well, or they'd be gone." Pitcher Rick Helling, who took the loss on Sunday, said Texas simply hasn't put together all facets of its game yet. "We've had spurts of good pitching and spurts of good hitting," Helling said. "But I don't think we've had it together yet. Once we do, when we do, we should do it for a good streak of wins." They also need some attention to defense. "We're losing games right now," Stevens said. "Teams aren't beating us." One big problem is that Texas starters Helling and Aaron Sele aren't as reliable as they have been. In the first half, the Rangers were 27-9 when they started. That has dropped to 3-4 in the second half. "They can't do it themselves," Oates said. "They're going to need some help." The Rangers will try to rebound today, when they open a three-game series at Toronto with Sele on the mound. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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