Are the Rangers for real - we need to wait to see.

It is a day after Memorial Day and the Rangers are sitting in first place in the American League West, but it is to early to start thinking that Texas can really have the staying power and make a run in the playoffs.
Texas continues to have one of the better offenses in the league and the Rangers have hit more home runs than anyone else in baseball. Ian Kinsler is turning into a super star at second base, even though he has been in a slump that dropped his average from mid 300 to ,278. Michael Young continues to just keep on hitting no matter what position he is playing, Nelson Cruz is turning into a big-time power threat and Hank Blalock is striving in the DH spot. And all this without a healthy Josh Hamilton, who has been in and out of the line up during the early part of the season.
The downfall of the Rangers – the pitching - even looks better this year. The Rangers have been bottom dwellers in the ERA category, but Texas is in the middle of the pack so far in the AL in ERA (4.57).
Kevin Millwood has became the Ranger ace with a 3.12 ERA and the Rangers are getting strong outings from others on the staff including Matt Harrison and Brandon McCarthy.
While it has been looking good for the Rangers, who took the lead in the AL West by sweeping the Mariners and Angels, there are some troubling signs. The Rangers have struggled against the better teams in the league. They have lost all six games to first-place Detroit, including being swept last week. They lost 2-of-3 to Toronto earlier this year and got creamed by the Yankees 11-1 on Memorial Day. Not the kind of games you want to have if you believe you are a postseason contender.
And the Rangers have several games against top teams coming up. Starting tonight against the Yankees, the Rangers play 15 of their next 19 games against teams that have a combined winning percentage of .600 (Five against New York, three vs. Boston, four vs. Toronto and three vs. Los Angeles Dodgers). The Rangers also have a four-game series this weekend in Oakland.
We will know a little more about just how good the Rangers are come mid June when they get through this stretch.