ARLINGTON — Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young sat inside the home dugout at Globe Life Field six days ago and acknowledged that, while recent trends had been positive, the week ahead was set to “determine a lot” about the team’s trade deadline directions.

Josh Smith hit a two-run home run, Wyatt Langford had a bases-clearing double and the surging Texas Rangers piled up eight runs in the first three innings in an 8-1 victory over the struggling Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Michael Harris II hit a dinger to break the drought in the seventh and then he scored one of two runs for the Braves in the ninth inning. By then, the game was well in hand for Texas after they smacked Rafael Montero for four runs in the eighth inning. Blah.

Langford, stuck in a swing-happy scuffle for the last month, hit a bases-loaded double in the first inning to kickstart an offensive outburst that anchored a 8-1 sweep-clinching win vs. the Atlanta Braves Sunday at Globe Life Field.

Josh Smith hit a two-run home run, Wyatt Langford had a bases-clearing double and the surging Texas Rangers piled up eight runs in the first three innings in an 8-1 victory over the struggling Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Kreider will play for Joel Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015). Anaheim finished sixth in the Pacific Division (35-37-10), missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season and fired coach Greg Cronin on April 19 after two seasons.

Chris Kreider speaks out for the first time since the Rangers sent him to the Ducks in an offseason trade. What does he think of Anaheim?

The Texas Rangers activated designated hitter/first baseman Joc Pederson from the 10-day injured list on Sunday.

Rangers will host League 1 side Alloa Athletic in the second round of the League Cup. Third-tier Alloa scored a late winner as they came from behind to win 3-2 and overtake Championship hosts Airdrieonians at the top of Group C on Saturday.

It isn’t exactly Sidney Crosby reuniting with Mike Sullivan on Broadway. But the fact that the New York Rangers reportedly