Joe Nathan recorded his 31st save over the weekend, in the Rangers’ lone win over the Rays in their three-game weekend set at the Trop in St. Petersburg. It was his 28th consecutive converted save, a new career high for Nathan, and he already broke the Rangers’ club mark for consecutive saves converted a couple weeks ago.
Now, the 300-save mark is on the horizon. Nathan needs nine more saves to get there, and, with 22 games left, he has a pretty good chance at hitting the milestone this season if Texas keeps winning and he keeps throwing the way he has through most of 2012.
Like most of the Rangers--or, we imagine, any team in the midst of a playoff race--Nathan doesn’t want to speak at length about any individual accomplishments. But it’s not as though he has never thought about the mark before.
“Did I think it was possible this year? Absolutely,” Nathan said, per the Dallas Morning News. “Is it an important number? For sure. But as long as I can continue to stay healthy, I’ll get there, whether it’s this year or next.”
Whenever Nathan gets there, he’ll become just the 23rd member of the 300-save club.
