In Monday night's opener of a three-game home set against the Tampa Bay Rays, which very likely could be an ALDS preview, the Rangers played playoff baseball and left fans on the edge of their seats for most of the game.
Those fans shouldn't have been so stressed though because their team has what could be the best back end of a bullpen in the majors with Alexi Ogando giving way to Mike Adams and on to Joe Nathan.
The trio was darn near unhittable on Monday night, and by hittable we mean simply making contact. Ogando struck out the first two batters he faced in the seventh inning, guys that had given starting pitcher Derek Holland headaches throughout the game. He then got a pop-up to end the inning.
Mike Adams came in and did the same thing in the eighth — 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. As did Joe Nathan, who recorded his 24th consecutive save and 26th of the season, the former being a club record. In case you're counting, that's nine up, nine down with six strikeouts. The back end of the bullpen has a 2.34 ERA this season.
One of the trio's favorite defenders behind them, shortstop Elvis Andrus, recognizes their greatness this season.
"It's a pretty good bullpen, isn't it?" Andrus told reporters after Monday's game. "When they're on, they're on. We've got great arms out there."
