With the Texas Rangers' 2013 season long-gone in the rear-view, let's take a look at some of the season's defining moments, both good and bad, in a season that ultimately fell short of the Rangers' expectations.
Moment: Yu Darvish falls one out short of a perfect game
When/Where: April 2 in Houston
What: Darvish was dominant against the Astros, which ended up being a trend in 2013, and was a grounder through the five-hole short of pitching his first perfect game in his first start of the season.
Darvish's final line that night was 8 2/3 innings, one hit, no runs, 14 strikeouts and no walks on 111 pitches on a night he made Astros hitters look truly clueless. The game was a jumping off point for what ended up being a banner season for the Japanese sensation. In just his second big-league season, Darvish finished second in the AL Cy Young race and led the world with 277 strikeouts. He flirted with perfection and no-hitters a couple of more times throughout the season, but his first start of the 2013 season was the closest he got.
Next up: Statement sweep
