The Rangers are still just two games from first place, but four straight losses and a brutal road slide have turned every remaining game into a playoff fight.

The Texas Rangers playoff race hasn’t slipped away yet. That might be the most frustrating part.

Texas woke up Sunday at 66-70, only two games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West and still within striking distance of Cleveland for the final American League Wild Card spot. Yet instead of charging toward October, the Rangers are stumbling into September after a four-game losing streak that’s made every remaining game feel considerably heavier.

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Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers was another missed opportunity.

Cal Quantrill gave Texas a chance despite surrendering first-inning home runs to Jackson Chourio and William Contreras. Quantrill settled down dramatically, retiring the final 14 hitters he faced while striking out a season-high eight over six innings. He fell to 6-5, but his ERA sits at a strong 3.01.

The offense simply couldn’t do enough with it.

Cody Freeman supplied a solo homer in the fifth, while Brandon Nimmo blasted a 426-foot two-run shot in the eighth that briefly gave Texas some life. Corey Seager scored on Nimmo’s homer, but Jake Burger and Danny Jansen followed by grounding out, killing the comeback.

That’s becoming an uncomfortable theme.

Texas is now 30-41 away from Globe Life Field and has lost 14 of its last 17 road games. Even worse, the Rangers have dropped seven consecutive road series after once owning a winning road record this season. Manager Skip Schumaker didn’t sugarcoat the frustration afterward, saying his club is tired of losing away from Arlington.

And yet, incredibly, the Rangers remain alive.

Houston is just 68-68, meaning the AL West leader isn’t exactly running away with anything. Seattle has also stumbled to 64-72, leaving Texas squarely in the middle of a division race nobody seems capable of controlling.

The Wild Card remains another path, but Cleveland’s hold on the final spot means Texas can’t afford to keep wasting opportunities while Baltimore and Toronto hover nearby.

Sunday’s series finale in Milwaukee suddenly feels bigger than an ordinary August game. Kumar Rocker, 5-10 with a 4.41 ERA and 117 strikeouts, gets the ball against Dustin May.

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The Rangers don’t need to calculate magic numbers yet.

They need to start winning.

Because being two games out in late August sounds manageable — until a four-game skid becomes five.