OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Rangers were long-ago practically eliminated from the playoff hunt, though, in fits and spurts they've lunged back into the fringes of the picture every once in a while. The official end will come early this week, perhaps as soon as Monday.

When it does, and the post-mortem on the long list of issues to attack begins for real, it will be important not to overlook this:

They were an awful hitting team on the road.

Like, historically awful.

After one final little lurch towards contention earlier in the week, Oakland snuffed the Rangers hopes out with a three-game sweep in the season's final road series of the year. Fittingly, the offense failed. The Rangers scored two runs in the series, one Friday and one in Sunday's 8-1 loss.

They were hitless with runners in scoring position for the weekend, though they didn't even have an RISP at-bat Sunday. They went 21 innings from Friday until the seventh inning Sunday without a run. It was the season's longest shutout streak.

And, when it was all done, the Rangers finished the year with a .224 road batting average.

It is the worst by an AL team since the DH came into existence in 1973. Their .293 road OBP was the seventh-worst. They simply didn't give themselves many chances on the road and, thus, their all-or-nothing hitters were left to hit solo homers. They don't do much damage.

"I don't know what it is," interim manager Steve Buechele said. "At home, yes, guys are comfortable, but to point any one thing out, I would probably struggle. When you struggle to score runs, I know this: Every batter wants to be the guy that gets the big hit. Guys can try to do too much."

Add in youth, and the lack of experience that goes with it, and the struggles multiply.

If there was one thing that stood out in particular about the offenses road struggles, it was the young core players who were caught up in them. Rougned Odor (.168), Nomar Mazara (.206) and Joey Gallo (.208) - all of them 23 or younger - will have the three lowest road batting averages among league qualifiers. Mike Napoli, at .198, will fall just short of enough plate appearances to qualify.

"I feel like I've hit the ball OK on the road," said Mazara, who provided the only offense with a two-out, bases-empty homer in the seventh. "At our place, I feel so comfortable and confident. I see the ball so much better. I've definitely go to do better. It's got to improve."

The difference, obviously, is that Mazara has piled up at-bats at home. On the road, every stadium is still a bit new and requires a round of adjustments for seeing the ball and recognizing pitches. For example, he's got 510 plate appearances in Arlington; the stadium in which he's had the most road plate appearances is Seattle's Safeco Field with 72.

"The biggest thing is these are three young guys," Adrian Beltre said. "You just have to learn you're your mistakes."

In the meantime, the Rangers come home for the final seven games with something at stake. It is last place. They are now closer to last place in the AL West than to the playoffs. The loss Sunday dropped the Rangers 5.5 games back of Minnesota for the wild card spot. They lead cellar-dwelling Oakland, which has won seven straight games, by four games.

After the Rangers host Houston for three to start the week, Oakland comes to Arlington for four games that will close out the season.

It may be a battle to avoid last place. The biggest thing the Rangers have going for them is at least they won't be on the road.

Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant

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