What is the story about?
Rangers
6, Twins 2
- On Saturday, we got a reminder of what the Rangers can look like when they are playing well.
- Nathan Eovaldi making his first start since early August, giving the Rangers 4.1 with just one run allowed. The bullpen preserving the lead over 4.2 innings. The offense putting up a big inning early, then adding in a couple of homers to pad the lead. The defense making big plays.
- The Rangers kept their playoff hopes alive with the win, have pushed it to the final game of the season. They no longer control their own destiny — that went by the wayside in the loss to the Mets on Tuesday — but they have nonetheless hung in. The last game of the regular season will matter for Texas.
- And I sit here and think of Saturday’s performance, and ask, why couldn’t they have done this a couple more times this year, have played well enough in just a couple more games that would have meant a win instead of a loss, have clinched the division already and soaked the visitor’s clubhouse in Minnesota in champagne and be able to relax and treat Sunday’s game as an exhibition of sorts and prepare for the Wild Card series next week.
- Amusingly, it was Nicky Lopez who got things started in the second inning when the Rangers took the lead. The Twins had scored a run in the bottom of the first, on the heels of Bailey Ober needing just six pitches to set down the Rangers in the top of the first. Jake Burger and Ezequiel Duran went down swinging to start the second. It wasn’t feeling great.
- And then Nicky Lopez doubled, giving the Rangers a runner in scoring position. Danny Jansen singled him home to tie the game. Evan Carter, Alejandro Osuna and Brandon Nimmo followed that up with doubles, and suddenly, it was a 4-1 Ranger lead, fueled by the bottom of the lineup.
- Eovaldi didn’t allow a run after the first, in no small part by a diving catch by Brandon Nimmo on a two out line drive by Kody Clements with two on and two out in the third, a play that, if not made, would have made it a 4-3 game with the Twins still batting.
- Instead, Minnesota’s rally was shut down, and Danny Jansen punctuated that with an upper deck homer into the left field stands.
- Jake Burger added a homer in the fifth, making it 6-1, and the Rangers’ lead was never really threatened after that.
- The win was punctuated by Jacob Latz striking out the side in the ninth, in what I’m hoping wasn’t the last appearance Latz will make in a game this year.
- And so here we are, season on the line, the Rangers — of course — being one game under .500, a mark they’ve seemingly been at for half the season.
- Win, and the Rangers are a .500 team for the season, and give themselves a chance at the postseason.
- Isn’t baseball fun?
- Nathan Eovaldi touched 94.0 mph with his fastball, averaging 93.2 mph. Robert Garcia touched 94.9 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s fastball reached 93.9 mph. Tyler Alexander hit 92.6 mph with his sinker. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 96.7 mph.
- Brandon Nimmo had a 108.2 mph double. Corey Seager had a 106.4 mph single, a 102.5 mph fly out and a 101.6 mph fly out. Alejandro Osuna had a 106.3 mph single and a 103.9 mph line out. Jake Burger had a 105.5 mph home run. Ezequiel Duran had a 102.3 mph single and a 100.9 mph single. Danny Jansen had a 101.4 mph home run. Evan Carter had a 100.3 mph double.
- 161 down. One to go.
