The Rangers will likely win around 90 games this season. I doubt any of them will top Tuesday night.
Capping an incredible stretch of comebacks, they rallied from a five-run, 8th-inning deficit against the White Sox for a pulsating, improbable 13-11 win.
The wild game featured another horrendous start by Derek Holland, an hour rain delay and a clutch, career-long relief performance by Alex Claudio.
In Detroit over the weekend the Rangers won despite trailing by three runs in the 6th inning of a game and by two in the 8th of another. This time, it was a seven-run 8th against a division-leading team that was 20-0 when leading after seven innings.
Wow.
Starting 1st baseman Ryan Rua capped the comeback with a three-run homer after Chicago pitched around Prince Fielder – mired in a 1-for-22 slump – to get to him. He fell behind 1-2 before launching a fastball that landed on Greene’s Hill in center and punctuated the unlikely inning in which the Rangers scored five runs with two outs.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to sleep tonight,” said left fielder Ian Desmond, who added a two-run double in the 8th. “This all started in spring training, when we made a commitment to each other that we were going to grind it out. The last three are evidence of that.”
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It’s the Rangers’ largest comeback since 2012. And it just might be their most thrilling of the season. Already.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
