Today would have been the Rangers home opener and their first official game in Globe Life Field. However, with the coronavirus delaying the start of the baseball season for months, the opening of the brand new ballpark, I am faced with the awful truth that the calendar may turn to June or July and there will be no box scores to follow, no Excel spreadsheets to update, and most critically no games to attend. What is there to do fill the void that should be occupied by baseball? Then it hit me.
A little more than a year ago I was writing 300-word summaries for each of Randy Johnson’s Major League victories - 303 in the regular season and seven in the post-season - as part of the festivities for the tenth anniversary of his 300th win. It was mind-numbingly dull and extremely repetitive, and I didn’t want to ever do anything like that again. However, with the games delayed, I might as well write 300-word summaries of each of the 136 Major League Baseball games I’ve attended (minus the one exhibition game from before the 2010 season.) I’ve written about some of the games before in celebration of the 100-game milestone, but those sure as heck weren’t 300 words long, and then I’ve got another 36 to write about.
And yes, I’ve only been to 136 games. That’s still less than the number of games a team plays in a typical season. As much as I think about baseball and talk about baseball I don’t go to very many games. Furthermore, my memories involving the actual plays are limited, so I’ve mostly reconstructed the games through Baseball Reference’s Play by Plays, which I’ll link to.
1. July 5, 1993: Royals 7, Orioles 1
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Mark Gubicza
LP: Brad Pennington
I've written about this game before. A friend of my father's invited my dad, my sister and me to a baseball game. At the time I didn't know much about the game other than the Royals played in Kansas City and they had a superstar named George Brett. Unfortunately Brett had the night off. The Royals started their ace Kevin Appier, but his night ended early after a line drive from future Hall-of-Famer Harold Baines smashed into his arm with one out in the bottom of the first. Appier was able to throw Baines out, but by that time Harold Reynolds and Cal Ripken Jr. were on base following a walk and an error, and advanced to second and third. Appier was taken out of the game as a pre-cautionary move, but reliever Bill Sampen promptly threw a wild pitch to allow Reynolds to score. The Royals had their chances against Baltimore starter Fernando Valenzuela, who was over a dozen year removed from his legendary Cy Young rookie year, but Valenzuela's guile stopped them in their track every time. Soon it was the eighth inning, and rookie reliever Brad Pennington was trying to protect the 1-0 lead. However, he allowed back to back home runs by Rico Rossy and Brian McRae and the Orioles suddenly found themselves trailing. The bullpen door swung open and Mark Williamson came on to keep the game close, but the bottom had falen out. The Royals kept piling on, as they struck for five more runs on four more hits plus an error and an intentional walk. Hubie Brooks's bases-clearing double provided the finishing touch. Longview native Billy Brewer had no trouble coming on to close out Kansas City's 7-1 win. It was another regular season game, but a seed was planted in my heart.
2. September 23, 1995: Indians 7, Royals 3
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Dennis Martinez
LP: Mark Gubicza
Even though an interest in baseball was ignited within me, it took me over two years before I was able to make it back to another Major League Baseball game. (I did go to a game in Taiwan in between.) My friends Kevin Lin and Alvin Lin invited my sister and me to watch Kansas City take on the monstrous Cleveland Indians, who had a jaw-dropping 26-game lead over the second-place Royals. The Indians took an early lead when Kenny Lofton singled, stole second, and then scored on an error by rookie center fielder Johnny Damon. Albert Belle was the superstar slugger of the season, and he extended the lead two batters later with a two-run home run, his 45th of the season. The Royals scratched out a run off of Cleveland's geriatric starter Dennis Martinez when Royals speedster Tom Goodwin singled, was sacrificed to second, went to third on another single and scored on a sacrifice fly. Yet the Indians kept pounding out runs against beleaguered Kansas City starter Mark Gubicza, with two runs coming home in the third on an error and back-to-back doubles and Belle adding another home run in the fifth to get ever so much closer to the vaunted 50-home run mark. The score could have been worse except Lofton was caught stealing third on a walk to end the fourth inning. El Presidente pitched effectively into the eighth inning before Goodwin generated another run for the Royals when he singled, stole second, then advanced on two groundouts. It didn't matter much after Eddie Murray drove home Carlos Baerga with his 3,063rd hit. Kansas City managed another run when rookie Joe Vitiello homered against reliever Jim Poole (a piece of foreshadowing if I ever saw one), but the Indians still cruised to a 7-3 victory.
3. August 30, 1997: Royals 16, Cardinals 5
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Tim Belcher
LP: Manny Aybar
Another (almost) two years passed and the only baseball game I was able to attend was a minor league game with the Lansing Lugnuts in July 1997. However, interleague play was introduced in the 1997 season, and the Cardinals came into Kansas City for rematch of the 1985 World Series. My father agreed to take my sister and me and the Lin brothers to the Saturday night game. We waited hours for the ticket booth for general admissions to open before setling in for what should be an epic match-up. The Cardinals scored first with a run in the second, much to my delight as I was rooting for the Cardinals (to spite my sister). However, the Royals answered in the bottom of the inning with five runs coming on a trio of doubles and several walks in between. I began yelling for St. Louis to remove starter Manny Aybar, and manager Tony La Russa actually did that, putting in Mark Petkovsek to escape the second inning. However, Dean Palmer homered in the third with the ball landing close to me. Then the Royals erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning. The inning started out with a double and two singles before Jay Bell made the first out with a sacrifice fly. And then Chili Davis followed with a home run. Then Petkovsek loaded the bases again with a double sandwiched between two walks. Next up was Jermaine Dye. He was suffering through a terrible sophomore slump after coming over in a trade with Atlanta. However, he put all that anger and frustration into blasting a back-breaking grand slam. Petkovsek hit the next batter who charged the mound sparking a brawl. The Cardinals outscored Kansas City the rest of the way, but the Royals cruised to a 16-5 laugher.
4. September 17, 1997: White Sox 8, Royals 4
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: James Baldwin
LP: Scott Service
SV: Keith Foulke
It wouldn't be another two years before I made it to another Major League Baseball game. In fact I got to go to another game just two and a half weeks later when a family friend brought me to watch the Royals take on the White Sox. This was late in the season and Kansas City was fighting a losing battle to keep from their second straight last-place finish. Things started out all right for the home team when starter Jose Rosado worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the, and then Chili Davis gave the Royals a lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. Rosado wasn't quite as lucky in the second or the third, the White Sox scored two runs in each of those innings. However, the Royals tied the game in the third inning behind a two-run double from Davis followed by an RBI double from former Texas Rangers infielder Dean Palmer. Rosado's night was done after allowing singles to the first two batters in the fourth. Hector Carrasco came in and carried the game to the services of Scott Service who pitched the seventh inning. Meanwhile White Sox starter stood strong into the seventh as well. With Service in his second inning of work, he couldn't hold Chicago off any longer. The White Sox loaded the bases once again on two singles and a walk, but this time future Hall-of-Famer Frank Thomas came through with a two-run single. Chicago added two more insurance runs in the ninth before the Royals went down meekly in the ninth. After the game I was introduced to the joys of autograph collecting as I got signatures from Norberto Martin and September call-up Magglio Ordonez, but couldn't get the big prize in Albert Belle.
5. July 21, 1998: Rangers 15, Royals 5
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Rick Helling
LP: Jose Rosado
The 1998 season was notable for the home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, but only game I got to watch in person was to watch Kansas City take on the Texas Rangers. The Rangers were in a bitter race for the AL West crown. The Royals helped their opponent's playoff dreams with an ugly first inning. Two runs had already come home against Kansas City starter Jose Rosado when Mike Simms blasted a three-run home run. Rosado's night ended three batters later with two runners on and another run home. The Royals called on Jim Pittsley, who had been Kansas City's top pitching prospect for as long as I had been a baseball fan. However, he was sporting a career 5.93 ERA, and it instantly got worse when Roberto Kelly blasted Texas's second three-run home run of the inning. The Royals were down 9-0 before they were even able to get three outs. To their credit, the Royals actually scored two runs in the bottom of the inning. Of course, one of them came on an error by Rangers shortstop Kevin Elster, and the other came off on a double play. Meanwhile Texas continued to feast on Pittsley's pitching, with Juan Gonzalez, Kevin Elster, and Rusty Greer blasting home runs. The Royals got home runs by Jeff Conine and Johnny Damon against Rick Helling, but then Juan Gone hit another three-run blast for his second home run of the day to put him at 110 RBIs for the season. Kansas City scratched out one more run in the sixth, but by then all that was left to do was wait in line to get an autograph from the venerable Buck O'Neil. Little did I know this would not be the last time I'd see the Texas Rangers.
6. August 12, 2001: Red Sox 12, Orioles 10
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
WP: Tim Wakefield
LP: Jason Johnson
SV: Derek Lowe
There was no time for Major League Baseball in 1999 or 2000, especially since I was moving to Northern Virginia, where the closest team Major League team was the Baltimore Orioles, an hour away. However, the Lin brothers were in Northern Virginia, and invited me to go to an Orioles . We got there early enough for autographs, but we never did get one from the retiring superstar Cal Ripken Jr. who merely teased us. Karma hit the Orioles as a trio of errors plus a two-run home run by Mike Lansing led to the Boston Red Sox scoring six runs. However, the Red Sox were without their ace Pedro Martinez and forced to start Rolando Arrojo, who allowed three runs of his own. Nomar Garciaparra homered to open the second inning, but Baltimore answered in the third. Ripken hit with a two-run double to bring himself within one hit of tying George Brett on the all-time hits list. That ended Arrojo's day as the Red Sox brought in their knuckleball expert Tim Wakefield. Wakefield got through a rough fourth winning, then watched his teammates score some more insurance runs on solo home runs by Doug Mirabelli and Manny Ramirez and a three-run blast off the bat of Carl Everett. It was 12-5 and Boston brought in veteran reliever Rod Beck to pitch the last two innings. He allowed a home run to Tony Batista in the eighth, but still got through the inning. Then things got hairy in the ninth. A walk, a single, an error, and an RBI fielder's choice by Ripken led to two runs, then Batista blasted his second home run of the day to make it 12-10. That led the Red Sox to turn to closer Derek Lowe, who finally finished the job for the save.
7. August 1, 2003: Devil Rays 9, Royals 6
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Brandon Backe
LP: Graeme Lloyd
SV: Lance Carter
I had gone back to Kansas City for a visit in 2000, but didn't get to go to a Royals game. I went back three years later, and I was not going to get this opportunity pass, especially with the Royals in the division race. Thankfully my friend Jason Kuo's mother was able to get tickets. There was a palpable excitement, as the first-place Royals were facing the last-place Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Furthermore Kansas City was starting Jose Lima, who came out from the Atlanta League and had a 7-0 record with a 2.17 ERA. Then he went out and allowed four runs, with the big blow coming on Travis Lee's three-run home run. Yet this wasn't the Royals team of the late 1990s. Raul Ibanez blasted a three-run home run of his own off Tampa Bay starter Joe Kennedy. Two batters later rookie sensation Angel Berroa drove a high fly ball to left and motored around the bases for a game-tying inside-the-park home run. The Devil Rays scratched out another run in the second, but the Royals answered again. Lima left the game after the second inning after a groin injury, then Kris Wilson pitched four strong innings of relief. Kansas City took the lead in the fourth when Ibanez's sacrifice fly scored Joe Randa. However, things fell apart when Graeme Lloyd took over in the seventh. Aubrey Huff hit a ground-rule double, then Rocco Baldelli lined an RBI double off of Lloyd. Lee followed with an RBI single, and that ended the Aussie's night, but Tampa Bay wasn't done. When the dust cleared they had a 9-6 lead, and that ended up being the final score. I tried to get autographs after the game, but a rainstorm chased us away, a sad ending to a sad game.
8. July 22, 2005: Astros 14, Nationals 1
RFK Stadium
Washington DC
WP: Roger Clemens
LP: Ryan Drese
In five years living in Northern Virginia, my only Major League option was the Baltimore Orioles, but a miracle happened after the 2004 season. The Montreal Expos moved to DC and became the Washington Nationals. There was now a team accessible via Metro. By then I had become a fanatic over 300-game winners, and for my first Nationals game I chose a game against the Houston Astros where I'd get to see 335-game winner Roger Clemens . The Nationals were in a surprise first-place tie while the Astros were trying to climb out of a 15-30 hole. However, it was Houston that struck in the first. Morgan Ensberg blasted a two-run home run off former Rangers starter Ryan Drese. Meanwhile Clemens struck out three batters in the first two innings, and it looked to be a good night for the Astros. Houston added a run in the third when future Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio singled, went to second on an error, and scored on Jason Lane's single. Clemens came out and struck out a pair in the third, and then the side in the fourth. He only struck out one in the fifth, but Houston added another run in the sixth when Adam Everett and Brad Ausmus executed a double-steal/steal of home with Clemens at the plate. Clemens struck out, but came back to record his 10th strikeout to end his six scoreless innings. Meanwhile the Astros offense were just getting started. Houston ended Drese's night with a pair of singles in the seventh, then battered reliever Sun-Woo Kim. They scored four in the seventh, four more in the eighth, and two in the ninth. The Nationals scratched out a run in the bottom of the eighth, but it was not enough to stop the Rocket from winning his 336th game.
9. August 7, 2005: Padres 3, Nationals 0
RFK Stadium
Washington DC
WP: Jake Peavy
LP: Esteban Loaiza
Two and a half weeks later I decided to go to another Nationals game, this time I brought along my sister Kathy Chen. It was the first anniversary of Greg Maddux's 300th win, but Mad Dog was nowhere near DC as the Nationals faced the San Diego Padres. Washington had been slumping and had slipped into second, while the Padres were in an embarrassing situation where they were a first place team with a .500 record. The visitors were starting their ace Jake Peavy while the Nationals sent out Esteban Loaiza, the former Texas Ranger. Loaiza allowed a single to leadoff batter Dave Roberts, Boston's post-season hero in 2004. Yet unlike Mariano Rivera he got a double play ball before Roberts could steal second. Peavy got a double play of his own in the bottom of the first. Loaiza cruised while Peavy allowed a single in the second and two in the third, including one to his pitching counterpart, the first hit by a pitcher I had ever seen. However, Loaiza was picked off second base, and then he got into trouble in the fifth. Khalil Greene doubled with two outs, and Loaiza intentionally walked Miguel Olivo to bring up Peavy, who promptly swatted an RBI single. Things got worse for Loaiza in the sixth and seventh as Eric Young and Xavier Nady both homered. Meanwhile Peavy settled into a groove. He retired nine straight before hitting Carlos Baerga with a pitch followed by a single by Ryan Church. That was all the offense the Nationals could get as Peavy wrapped up his second complete game shutout. After the game Kathy got to go out on the RFK field to run the bases, something that I had always wanted to do in my youth but never did. Isn't she lucky?
10. June 18, 2006: Nationals 3, Yankees 2
RFK Stadium
Washington DC
WP: Gary Majewski
LP: 王建民 (Wang Chien-Ming)
In 2006 王建民 was the most celebrated individual in Taiwan. He had established himself as the most consistent pitcher in a team with championship aspirations, and so with the Yankees coming into town for an interleague series I had to watch 王 on the mound. He started the rubber match after the two teams traded victories in two slugfests. Yankees manager Joe Torre was hoping 王 could provide some stability. 王's sinker was sharp, but at the same time New York couldn't solve Nationals starter Mike O'Connor. Derek Jeter made it to third in the top of the first but couldn't advance the final 90 feet. It was Washington that scored first. UVA alumni Ryan Zimmerman singled to lead off the fifth, then stole second. Brendan Harris hit a grounder towards left that snuck through and Zimmerman scored. New York answered in the sixth. Jeter led off with a double, then went to third on a wild pitch. After Alex Rodriguez walked, Jorge Posada hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. The Yankees took the lead in the eighth. Melky Cabrera led off with a walk against reliever Gary Majewski. While the next two batters struck out, A-Rod came through with an RBI double. 王 gutted through a rough eighth having walked two. With Mariano Rivera unavailable after throwing 32 pitches to get seven outs the previous two games, 王 was sent to serve as his own closer. He got a groundout for the first out, but then Marlon Anderson grounded a single up the middle. Then Zimmerman took hold of a sinker that didn't sink and lifted it into the New York bullpen for a stunning walk-off homer. It was Mr. Walk-off's first walk-off home run, and dealt a severe blow to all the Taiwan fans in attendance.
11. April 6, 2007: Diamondbacks 7, Nationals 1
RFK Stadium
Washington DC
WP: Micah Owings
LP: Jerome Williams
The Nationals ended up in last in 2006, the second straight year Washington finished last in the NL East. When the team opened the season 1-3, it seemed likely that things were going to get worse before they got better. I managed to get my residential college at UVA to approve Nationals tickets for a DC trip, even if I ended up being the only person that went. The Nationals were hoping to break through with a victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose starter Micah Owings was making his Major League debut. Owings got through some jitters early on, as he hit Chris Snelling with a pitch in the first and allowed a single to Felipe Lopez in third. Meanwhile Washington starter Jerome Williams was perfect through three. However, things fell apart quickly for the Nationals in the fourth, when Alberto Callaspo doubled, then Chad Tracy tripled. Tracy would score on an error by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Owings continued to deal with control issues as he walked three batters and hit his pitching counterpart in the fourth and the fifth. However, it would be Arizona that would score next, as rookie Chris Young blasted a three-run home run. Owings's night was over as Tony Pena came out to pitch the sixth. He walked the leadoff man Austin Kearns, but otherwise got through two more scoreless innings. The Diamondbacks scored two more runs in the top of the eighth, while the Nationals couldn't get anything going against reliever Juan Cruz in the bottom of the inning. When things went into the ninth inning, the Nationals were staring at the possibility they'd get shut out on just one hit. Ryan Church ended that by blasting a home run. The next two batters also singled before Cruz finally ended another embarrassing loss.
12. May 17, 2007: Mets 6, Cubs 5
Shea Stadium
New York, NY
WP: Ambiorix Burgos
LP: Ryan Dempster
In the few days after my final semester and UVA and before graduation, I went to a mission trip to New York with the Cavalier Christian Fellowship. We helped out in a faith-based shelter, but still had time for one day to explore the city. While most people went to the tourist destinations, Michael Lusk and Luke Strohm and I went for what is really important: a Mets game in Shea Stadium. The 2006 Mets were one Carlos Beltran swing from the World Series and seemed well on their way to getting there in 2007. However, the game against the Chicago Cubs the night before lasted until the wee hours of the morning due to a late start, and so both teams featured a less than dynamic pitching matchup. The Cubs started Angel Guzman, still searching for his first Major League win, while the Mets went with Jason Vargas, making his first start in the Big Apple. It was Chicago that broke through first, with Aramis Ramirez driving in Angel Pagan in the fourth. The Mets answered in the fifth, but the Cubs seemed to put the game away in the sixth. Pagan hit a two-run home run, then after Alfonso Soriano singled Ramirez hit another two-run home run. The 5-1 lead seemed safe going into the bottom of the ninth. Ryan Dempster came in, but things got hairy when he loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Endy Chavez walked then Ruben Gotay singled and the lead was down to 5-3. Scott Eyre came on but couldn't stem the tide. David Wright singled to drive in a run, and Carlos Delgado singled to drive in the tying and winning runs. The Mets had turned a certain defeat into a triumphant victory. There's no way they'll lose now!
13. June 1, 2007: Nationals 4, Padres 3 (10 inn.)
RFK Stadium
Washington DC
WP: Jon Rauch
LP: Cla Meredith
I had gotten to see Roger Clemens pitch but had yet to see the other active 300-game winner in 2007, Greg Maddux. Mad Dog was now on the San Diego Padres, so I brought tickets to the opening game in a three-game series between the Padres and the Nationals, thinking Maddux would pitch in the game. Alas, Maddux pitched the night before in Pittsburgh and so I had to settle for watching Jake Peavy instead. Peavy was even better than he was when I saw him in 2005, with a 7-1 record and a 1.47 ERA. Meanwhile Washington was worse, with a 22-32 record and were already entrenched in last. To my surprise the Nationals struck in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs on a double by Ryan Zimmerman and a single by Dmitri Young. Washington was starting rookie Matt Chico, and San Diego tagged him for a run with back-to-back doubles for the Huge run. The Nationals still pestered Peavy and scored another run in the third. Chico did his best to keep the Padres at bay but allowed another Huge run in the sixth. Winston Abreu came on in relief, but then Terrmel Sledge doubled to tie the game. Peavy was able to make it through the seventh with no further damage. Neither team was able to take advantage of runners on, and soon the game went into extra innings. The 6'11" Jon Rauch came on in the tenth and allowed a walk and a single, but he struck out a pair and got Geoff Blum to ground out. The Padres's Cla Meredith also faced a situation with two runners on after allowing a pair of singles, but he couldn't get out of it as Ronnie Belliard drove in the winning run in walk-off fashion.
14. September 22, 2007: Phillies 4, Nationals 1 (10 inn.)
RFK Stadium
Washington DC
WP: Brett Myers
LP: Chris Schroder
SV: Clay Condrey
The Nationals spent their first three seasons in Washington in stuffy old RFK Stadium, but with Nationals Park scheduled to open in 2008, Washington was counting down the games in old RFK. I had a job interview in DC on the day of the penultimate game at RFK and figured I might as well watch another game at the old ballpark. The Nationals had climbed back into fourth, but faced the Philadelphia Phillies, who were making a furious run at the Mets. The Phillies struck first when Chase Utley homered against Washington starter Tim Redding. Meanwhile the Nationals struggled to get anything going against Philadelphia's rookie starter Kyle Kendrick. I spent much of the third and fourth innings waiting in line to meet influential rapper DMC of Run-DMC fame and missed the Nationals' best scoring chance of the first five innings when they had runners on the corner with two outs in the fourth. However, I was back in my seat when the Nationals actually scored their run in the sixth. Ryan Zimmerman singled and went to second on another single, then scored when Phllies second baseman Utley made a rare error. Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score in the next few innings especially after Brian Schneider tripled to lead off the bottom of the seventh. However, he was out at home on a fielder's choice and the game went into extra innings. Utley led off the tenth with a single, then Pat Burrell walked. That brought up Howard, whose day was marred by four strikeouts - a golden sombrero. Reliever Chris Schroder went to a 1-2 count, but then Howard lined a single to drive in the go-ahead run. Philadelphia added two more runs, and that was more than enough for them to pick up a crucial win.
15. August 27, 2008: Nationals 5, Dodgers 4
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: Tim Redding
LP: Greg Maddux
SV: Joel Hanrahan
My quest to watch Greg Maddux pitch continued into 2008. I was prepared to buy tickets to all of the Padres' games against the Nationals in September, but then Mad Dog was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August. Los Angeles would be visiting Washington at the end of the month. I quickly bought tickets, and he ended up getting the start on August 27. He was searching for his 354th career win, which would tie him with Roger Clemens. Things got off to a promising start as James Loney and Casey Blake both homered against Nationals starter Tim Redding in the top of the second. Washington quickly gained one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning when Lastings Milledge singled then stole second, just as he did in Tom Glavine's 300th win. This time a pair of groundouts brought him home. Maddux ended the second with no further damage but wasn't that fortunate in the third. With two on and one out, he got Milledge to hit a comebacker to him. The 18-time Gold Glove winner prepared to start a 1-6-3 double play but threw the ball away to allow the tying run. Ronnie Belliard followed with another RBI single. Washington picked up another run in the fourth on an error by Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent. Andre Ethier homered in the fifth, but it was not enough. Maddux left the game in the sixth, then watch Ryan Zimmerman homer off reliever Chan Ho Park in the seventh. The Dodgers had a chance to get Maddux off the hook for the loss in the eighth when they scored the Huge run and had the bases loaded with two outs. However, Matt Kemp flied out, and that was the end of their hopes for a win.
16. August 28, 2008: Nationals 11, Dodgers 2
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: John Lannan
LP: Clayton Kershaw
I had gotten tickets for the game on August 28 in case Maddux pitched that game but decided to go even if Mad Dog pitched the night before. The Dodgers were staring at a sweep against the worst team in baseball. Manager Joe Torre sent his rookie sensation Clayton Kershaw to the mound to stave off a soul-crushing sweep. Manny Ramirez gave the youngster an early lead to work with by unleashing a two-run home run into the visiting bullpen, the 517th of his career and his seventh in just 26 with the Dodgers. However, Kershaw didn't have it. It took only eight pitches before he allowed a Huge home run to Cristian Guzman. Four batters later Elijah Dukes followed an RBI single by Ronnie Belliard with a three-run home run of his own, and the score was now 5-2. Kershaw was trying to get back in the groove. He allowed a single to Guzman in the second, but the veteran was caught trying to stretch the single into a double. Meanwhile the Dodgers tried to get things going against Washington starter John Lannan but couldn't. The Nationals didn't have that difficulty, scoring two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth, with Guzman getting his double this time. Dukes hit his second home run of the night in the seventh, but all eyes were on Guzman in the eighth. Everyone knew he was a triple away from the cycle. Most batters fail to get this triple, but this time Guzman blasted a high fly ball to left-center field off future teammate Joe Beimel. It got wedged under the wall, giving the fleet-footed Dominican ample time to make it to third for the historic cycle. It drove in a run, and Guzman would score to complete the laugher.
17. June 4, 2009: Giants 5, Nationals 1
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: Randy Johnson
LP: Jordan Zimmermann
SV: Brian Wilson
Yes, this is "That Game." It is the best game I had ever had a chance to witness in person, mostly because of the history, but it was still an exciting game. The Giants broke through against Nationals rookie Jordan Zimmermann with two runs on three hits. Zimmermann got on track after that. Meanwhile Randy Johnson retired the first ten batters before walking Nick Johnson with one out in the fourth. He got out of the inning, but Elijah Dukes led off the bottom of the fifth with a broken back single. He went to second on a passed ball before Austin Kearns walked. Ronnie Belliard lined a ball that looked like it was heading to center field, but San Francisco second baseman Burriss made an amazing diving grab to start a double play to escape the inning. The Big Unit knocked down pinch-hitter Anderson Hernandez’s ground ball for the out, but Alberto Gonzalez followed by reaching on an error, then scored when Nick Johnson doubled. Randy got out of the inning, then Brandon Medders pitched a scoreless seventh. However, Nieves led off the bottom of the eighth with a single. Manager Bruce Bochy called in left-hander Jeremy Affeldt who recorded two outs before Nick Johnson walked. In came closer Brian Wilson who walked Ryan Zimmerman to load the bases. He got to a full count on Adam Dunn before getting a called strike three on a borderline-low pitch to end the inning. San Francisco then battered Nationals reliever Joel Hanrahan for three runs on four hits. Wilson came back in the ninth and struck out two batters before Belliard beat out an infield single. All that stood in the way of history was Wil Nieves. Wilson blew him away on three fastballs, and Randy Johnson had his 300th win.
18. June 4, 2009: Giants 4, Nationals 1 (6 inn.)
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: Matt Cain
LP: Ross Detwiler
It was exciting for all involved to have gotten a chance to see Randy Johnson get his 300th win, but at the same time that was still the first game of the traditional double-header. There would be another game starting soon. The Giants were sending their young stud Matt Cain to the mound, while the Nationals were countering with Ross Detwiler, their young prospect searching for his first Major League win. I thought how cool it would be for a pitcher to get his first Major League win in the same double-header as another pitcher getting his 300th. Things got off to a good start when Detwiler retired the side in order in the top of the first, then the Nationals scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Detwiler remained steady, but in the fourth Andres Torres led off with a single, then stole second. Detwiler got the next two batters to ground out, but Torres went to third and scored on a single. Meanwhile as Cain grew stronger Detwiler continued to struggle. Emmanuel Burriss continued his heroics with a double. Cain tried to bunt him to third but popped out. Aaron Rowand picked up his pitcher with an RBI single. Edgar Renteria also singled, then after Torres struck out, Pablo Sandoval hit a booming RBI double. Rich Aurilia followed with an RBI single. Sandoval could have followed had he not slipped and fell on the wet grass. The inning finally ended, but San Francisco was ready to add more in the sixth. They had runners on first and second when the rains finally forced the umpire to call for the tarp. They waited over an hour before finally calling the game. We were out of the park already, but still excited at a magical day of baseball.
19. July 20, 2009: Rangers 6, Red Sox 3
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Kevin Millwood
LP: John Smoltz
SV: C.J. Wilson
In July 2009 my life took a major turn when I moved to Fort Worth to begin med school. Not only was this significant in my professional life, but more importantly it meant that I would be living just 21 miles from a Major League ballpark, the home of the Texas Rangers. I picked a day during orientation to make it out to Arlington to watch a game. The Rangers were within striking distance of the AL West lead. Their opponents were the Boston Red Sox, who were starting their brand-new starter John Smoltz, making his fifth start after returning from shoulder surgery. The future Hall of Famer had little trouble dispatching the Rangers for the first three innings while Boston built up an early lead. David Ortiz continued his ascent out of a death-defying slump with an RBI double in the first, and then Jason Varitek had an RBI double of his own in the fourth. Smoltzie ran into trouble in the fourth. He allowed a leadoff double to respected Rangers veteran Michael Young. He kept the runner at second with a pair of comebackers, but then Hank Blalock blasted a double to bring in the Huge run. It was unfortunate, but Boston still led. That would change in the sixth. Young led off with a dramatic home run to tie the game, then Texas took the lead on a double and a single. Smoltz did get two strikeouts to come close to escaping the inning with a one-run deficit, but then David Murphy and Jarrod Saltalamacchia blasted back-to-back home runs, and that was it for John Smoltz. Manny Delcarmen got out of the inning, but the damage had been done. The Red Sox salvaged a run in the eighth, but C.J. Wilson shut the door for the win.
20. July 31, 2009: Rangers 5, Mariners 4
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Vicente Padilla
LP: Jason Vargas
SV: C.J. Wilson
After the first week of classes, my med school class scheduled a trip to watch the Rangers play the Seattle Mariners. You bet that I was there, and I even made a sign saying it was the 19th anniversary of Nolan Ryan’s 300th win. The Rangers were starting Vicente Padilla, who I just found out was making his first start after recovering from H1N1 swine flu. He seemed rusty in the first, as he walked Russell Branyan with two outs, then gave up a two-run home run to Jose Lopez. Seattle was starting Jason Vargas, the Mets starter in Shea two years earlier. Vargas got through a relatively uneventful first inning but loaded the bases in the second on two singles and a walk. He got out of it allowing only a sacrifice fly to Taylor Teagarden scoring the Huge run. Teagarden would be responsible for the Rangers’ next run, which came on a home run in the fifth. After two more singles, Marlon Byrd came up and blasted a three-run home run. Seattle wasn’t out of it yet. Padilla got the first two outs of the sixth inning before giving up a trio of singles. The final single, by future Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr., was enough to score Russell Branyan. The game soon moved to the bottom of the seventh, but with Michael Young at bat the skies opened leading to a rain delay. Most of my classmates left during this time, but I stayed with two of my classmates and waited for play to resume. It took 2 hours and 18 minutes (longer than the game itself as it turned out) but we eventually saw Young finish the walk. The Mariners scored a Huge run in the eighth, but C.J. Wilson came and got the save once again.
21. April 7, 2010: Blue Jays 7, Rangers 4
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Brian Tallet
LP: Dustin Nippert
SV: Jason Frasor
The 2009 Rangers finished just short of the playoffs, much to my chagrin. However, the Rangers went into 2010 with much promise. They opened the season with a walk-off victory over the Toronto Blue Jays and for the second game they showed off their shiny new starter Rich Harden. I was at that game and saw Harden strike out five batters in the first two innings. Texas took an early lead when Michael Young scored on an error by Blue Jays third baseman Edwin Encarnacion. Alex Gonzalez (the one that played for the Marlins in 2003) tied the game with a home run leading off the third, but Harden recorded two more strikeouts. He picked up his eighth strikeout in the fourth, but a trio of walks and an error by Rangers third baseman Young led to two runs coming home and ended Harden’s night. It didn’t take long for Texas to tie the game, as the Rangers’ new DH Vladimir Guerrero and Nelson Cruz hit back-to-back home runs leading off the bottom of the inning. Toronto untied the game just as quickly when Arlington native Vernon Wells blasted a two-run home run in the fifth. Brian Tallet, the Blue Jays starter on this day (and on June 4, 2009), continued to frustrate the Rangers as Toronto added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. That insurance run seemed to be necessary when Texas nicked Tallet for a run in the bottom of the inning on a walk, a single, and a groundout. The Blue Jays got that run back when Wells led off the ninth with his second home run of the game. Longview native Chris Davis led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, but he could get no further and the Rangers lost.
22. May 21, 2010: Rangers 2, Cubs 1
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Colby Lewis
LP: Ted Lilly
SV: Neftali Feliz
The rigors of medical school made it difficult for me to attend baseball games with regularity despite the proximity, but when the Chicago Cubs came to town in late May, I knew I had to go. It wasn’t because I had much affection towards the Cubbies, but 355-game-winner Greg Maddux was a special assistant to the general manager for the team, and his brother Mike was the Rangers pitching coach. I was hoping that I’d be able to get the future Hall-of-Famer to sign an autograph for me. Alas, I was not successful on the first day, but my friend Jonathan Nguyen got me Alfonso Soriano’s signature. Then I settled down to watch the game, hoping for more successful the next day. Texas was starting Colby Lewis, a former Rangers farmhand who spent two years honing his craft in Japan and made a successful return. He wasn’t quite as successful on this night. He walked two in the first, then in the second he allowed a double and a single to put runners on the corner. He got a double play from Geovany Soto but that was enough to score a run. Chicago starter Ted Lilly was dominating the Rangers lineup, but Ian Kinsler led off the fourth with a single. Future Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero followed and blasted a double to tie the game. After Josh Hamilton bunted Vlad the Impaler to third, Nelson Cruz drove him home with another double. That was all the scoring the Rangers would get, but it was enough to give them the lead. Lewis got through the rest of his outing without much difficulties. Reliever Frank Francisco got into a jam in the eighth, but still held the lead. Rookie sensation Neftali Feliz allowed a one-out double but shut the door for the win.
23. May 22, 2010: Cubs 5, Rangers 4
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Sean Marshall
LP: Darren O’Day
SV: Carlos Marmol
I went back on Saturday in hopes of getting Greg Maddux, but once again I had to go home empty-handed. Not only that, but I heard that Mad Dog was seen signing autographs somewhere the night before. I was just not savvy enough to even find out where he was. That was frustrating. And then to make things worse the Cubs scored a pair of runs in the second on the Rangers’ ineptitude. Marlon Byrd reached on an error by Texas first baseman Justin Smoak. Starter Derek Holland appeared to have his former teammate dead in the water, but then the pickoff throw got away from Smoak. Then Alfonso Soriano blasted a two-run home run that could have been a solo shot if the pickoff was successful. The Rangers got the Huge run back in the bottom of the second when they hit a trio of singles, but Chicago rookie Starlin Castro homered in the third to extend the lead back to two. The Rangers didn’t stay down for long, and both Vladimir Guerrero and Nelson Cruz hit solo home runs in the fourth to tie the game. Then the game became a contest as to who can score first. Chicago got runners in scoring position twice while Texas did it once, but the game went into extra innings. The Cubs exploded in the tenth. Tyler Colvin led off with a double, then Kosuke Fukudome singled him to third. Another single led to the go-ahead run scoring, and after an intentional walk loaded the bases Derrek Lee’s groundout brought a second run home. The Rangers got the Huge run in the bottom of the tenth when Kinsler singled to drive in Elvis Andrus who had made his way into scoring position, but Carlos Marmol managed to finish off the save.
24. June 9, 2010: Rangers 12, Mariners 2
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: C.J. Wilson
LP: Ian Snell
Medical school was a grind especially with classes going from July to June, but I finally found time to go to another game. By now the Rangers were in a fierce battle with the Angels for the division lead and welcomed the arrival of the last place Seattle Mariners. The visitors struck first against C.J. Wilson, the former closer who converted to starter. Former Texas outfielder Milton Bradley walked then stole second before back-to-back doubles led to two runs. Seattle pitcher Ian Snell came on to protect the lead. Around that time, he was having conversations with Sports Illustrated about his struggles with depression and anxiety, but his performance was abysmal. Michael Young hit a Huge home run, and then Vladimir Guerrero doubled home Ian Kinsler who was picked off but was safe on an error. Things went from bad to worse in the second. Snell gave up five singles in six batters to score three runs, then threw a wild pitch to bring home a fourth. If that wasn’t bad enough Josh Hamilton blasted a home run to make it 8-2. Luke French came on in relief and helped stem the tide, at least for the third inning. In the fourth, Kinsler was hit with a pitch, then the Rangers had three straight singles to bring home two more runs. Julio Borbon tripled and was able to score on a groundout in the fifth. Then in the seventh the Rangers had runners on the corner, and Borbon’s sacrifice fly made it 12-2. Meanwhile Wilson had settled down nicely after his difficult first inning. He allowed just two more hits in pitching through the seventh. The Mariners loaded the bases in the ninth on a single and two walks, but Neftali Feliz struck out Ryan Langerhans to end the game.
25. June 25, 2010: Astros 7, Rangers 4
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Brian Moehler
LP: Colby Lewis
SV: Matt Lindstrom
As June drew to a close so did the 12 months of my first year of medical school. To celebrate the accomplishment my medical school class did another trip to watch the Texas Rangers. This time they were facing the Houston Astros in my introduction to the Silver Boot series. The Rangers had built up a rather comfortable lead in the division, while the Astros were plummeting to the depths just five years after their World Series run. Texas was starting Colby Lewis while Houston went with journeyman Brian Moehler and his 5.86 ERA. The Astros manufactured a run in the second on back-to-back doubles, and then Houston scored another run on a trio of singles in the fourth inning. The Rangers battled back in the bottom of the fourth, when they loaded the bases on an error and two singles. The Huge run scored on a sacrifice fly. Julio Borbon walked to re-load the bases, but Elvis Andrus struck out to end the threat. Texas had another opportunity an inning later. Three singles led to the tying run, then a pair of walks brought home another run. Borbon flew out to leave the bases loaded for a second straight inning. The Astros quickly took control in the sixth when a trio of doubles led to two runs and finished Lewis’s day. Darren O’Day came in and promptly threw a bunt away leading to another run. Houston tacked on two more runs in the seventh on Lance Berkman’s home run and Chris Johnson’s RBI single. They threatened to add more insurance runs by loading the bases in the eighth and ninth but failed to score. It didn’t matter as the Rangers could only manage one run in the eighth, and the Astros claimed the first Silver Boot game I saw.
26. July 9, 2010: Nationals 8, Giants 1
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: Stephen Strasburg
LP: Matt Cain
It was finally the summer break, and that meant a chance to return home to Northern Virginia. It also meant a chance to watch the Washington Nationals and the most hyped phenom in baseball history in Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg had been Washington’s 1.1 draft pick just five days after Randy Johnson’s 300th win, then made his heralded debut on June 8. I made sure to get tickets for one of his starts, and it just happened to be against the San Francisco Giants in their first game in Washington since June 4, 2009. I went with my sister Kathy, and we were entering the ballpark just as Andres Torres clobbered a home run leading off the game. It didn’t take long for the Nationals to answer. Roger Bernadina doubled with one out in the first. Giants starter Matt Cain turned to pick off the runner but threw to nobody and Bernadina tied the game. Adam Dunn then struck out, but his frustrations against San Francisco would soon be over. He hammered a long home run in the fourth, and then in the seventh he hit a two-run blast for his second homer. By then the Nationals were already up 7-1 and they would score an eighth run before the night was done. However, Stephen Strasburg was the player on center stage, and he really showed his terrific stuff. He struck out a pair in the second, then did the same in both the third and the fourth. He allowed a leadoff double to Travis Ishikawa in the fifth but kept him from scoring while getting another strikeout along the way. He ended his day after a strikeout of Pat Burrell, another former 1.1 draft pick. The Nationals bullpen held up, and helped young Strasburg pick up his third career win.
27. September 30, 2010: Rangers 3, Angels 2
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Darren O’Day
LP: Jordan Walden
SV: Neftali Feliz
Back in Texas the Rangers had built up a comfortable lead and were well on their way towards their first AL West title since 1999. They helped their cause by trading for Cliff Lee, the top pitching target at the trade deadline. Lee wasn’t quite as sharp in Texas as he was with the Mariners, with a 4-6 record and a 4.25 ERA, but the Rangers still won the division on September 25. Five days later I was able to watch Lee make his last regular season start before the playoffs. He was facing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and had little trouble carving up the Angels hitters, striking out a pair in the first two innings then another in the third. Anaheim starter Scott Kazmir seemed to keep pace in the first two innings, but in the third inning a pair of singles put runners on the corner. Michael Young followed with a sacrifice fly and the Rangers had a 1-0 lead. They made it 2-0 an inning later when Nelson Cruz and Vladimir Guerrero hit back-to-back doubles. They threatened to score more when an error and a single loaded the bases, but a double play ended those hopes. The Angels got one of the runs back in the sixth when Peter Bourjos led off with a double, went to third on an error by Texas center fielder Josh Hamilton, then scored on a sacrifice fly. Still Lee got through the seventh with no further damage, and manager Ron Washington decided that was enough and went to the bullpen for the eighth. Darren O’Day promptly gave up a game-tying home run to Bourjos. The Rangers quickly reclaimed the lead when Cruz doubled, stole second and scored on Vlad’s single, then Neftali Feliz finished things with his 39th save.
28. October 9, 2010: Rays 6, Rangers 3
ALDS Game 3
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Joaquin Benoit
LP: Darren Oliver
For all my baseball-loving life through 2010 I had the misfortune of living next to teams that never came close to making the playoffs, and so never had a chance to go to a post-season game. All that changed with the Rangers winning the division in 2010. They won a date with the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series. The series started on the road, but I made sure to get tickets for Game 3 just in case they lost the first two games. To my surprise they won Games 1 and 2. Colby Lewis was chosen as the Game 3 starter, and he was sharp early on. The Rangers took the lead in the third when Mitch Moreland doubled, advanced to third, and scored on a groundout. However, Lewis began struggling in the fourth, and his day was done after he walked Evan Longoria leading off the sixth. Derek Holland came on and managed to get two outs, but then Carlos Pena walked and B.J. Upton (now Melvin) doubled against new pitcher Alexi Ogando to tie the game. Texas reclaimed the lead in the seventh when Ian Kinsler led off with a home run to knock out Rays starter Matt Garza. They couldn’t muster any more offense against two other pitchers in the inning, but the Rangers were six outs away from winning their first ever post-season series. Darren Oliver got one of those outs in the eighth, but then a double and a single ended those dreams. Tampa Bay added another run, then tagged on three more on a pair of home runs in the ninth. Nelson Cruz homered in the bottom of the ninth, but the Rays still won to force a Game 4 (which happened on the day My Little Pony Friendship is Magic debuted).
29. October 31, 2010: Giants 4, Rangers 0
World Series Game 4
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Madison Bumgarner
LP: Tommy Hunter
The Rangers recovered from their Game 3 debacle to win the series, then knocked off the New York Yankees in the ALCS to achieve what many believed was impossible: a berth in the World Series. I made the gutsy decision to purchase World Series tickets off StubHub for Game 4, and I now actually had a chance to go. I got there super early and soaked in the atmosphere. Meanwhile the Rangers had their work cut out for them. They lost Games 1 and 2 in San Francisco before capturing Game 3. A win in Game 4 would help make it a best-of-three series. All they had to do was defeat a scrawny 21-year-old named Madison Bumgarner. Texas turned to Tommy Hunter who went 13-4 but had a 3.73 ERA. And it was Hunter who struggled early, allowing a Giant to reach third in each of the first two innings. He kept San Francisco off third in the third but allowed a two-run home run to DFW native Aubrey Huff. Meanwhile MadBum was dissecting the Rangers hitters with surgical precision. He walked a pair in the first three innings but didn’t give up a hit until Michael Young singled leading off the fourth. He got out of that jam with a fielder’s choice, a strikeout, and a caught stealing. Hunter had settled down after the home run but gave way to the bullpen after just four innings. San Francisco tacked on another run in the seventh. The Rangers got two runners on in the bottom of the inning, but Ian Kinsler lined out. Rookie catcher Buster Posey then added another insurance run with a home run. Bumgarner pitched the eighth before giving way to the now-bearded Brian Wilson, who shut the door with ease. The Giants clinched the next day.
30. June 8, 2011: Rangers 7, Tigers 3
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Alexi Ogando
LP: Phil Coke
The second year of med school was even more rigorous than the first, and once the World Series passed, I had to dive into the books. I didn’t re-emerge until I finished taking the step exams. By this time the Rangers were back in first ready to make another run at the World Series. They faced the Detroit Tigers, against whom they lost four straight games. The Tigers seemed to be well on their way to making it five when Don Kelly hit a solo home run against Rangers starter Alexi Ogando in the top of the first inning. Detroit lefthander Phil Coke frustrated the Texas hitters for two innings, but the Rangers were ready for him in the third. They loaded the bases on a trio of single before Craig Gentry hit a harmless tapper to third base. Detroit third baseman Kelly made a quick throw to get the force at home, but it sailed wide of catcher Victor Martinez and two runs scampered home. Josh Hamilton followed with a double and two more runs scored. The Rangers added another run in the fifth and had the bases loaded, but Hamilton grounded into a double play to end the inning. Nevertheless, Texas’s new third baseman Adrian Beltre made sure his team wasn’t done scoring. He singled home Michael Young after the veteran reached on a two-base error by Tigers left fielder Andy Dirks. Then he led off the seventh with his 290th career home run. Meanwhile Ogando had settled down after the Kelly homer and pitched all the way into the eighth before leaving after a pair of two-out hits. Darren Oliver finished the inning and gave way to Neftali Feliz. Detroit roughed up the 2010 Rookie of the Year for two runs, but he still finished the win.
31. June 22, 2011: Astros 5, Rangers 3
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Mark Melancon
LP: Neftali Feliz
I didn’t have much more time to watch Rangers baseball afterwards as I would be moving to Longview, a good two hours away from Rangers Ballpark. I still found time to go to a game after I returned from a Northern Virginia trip. The Rangers would be playing their intrastate rivals the Houston Astros, who now had the worst record in baseball. Texas wasn’t tearing up the American League, but they were still in first, and they showed off their superiority in the first inning. Ian Kinsler singled off Astros starter Brett Myers, then stole second. He went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. Then Nelson Cruz led off the fifth with a home run. Rangers starter Colby Lewis was keeping the Houston hitters in check and got through seven scoreless innings with just three hits and one walk. Dave Bush came on in relief in the eighth, and the Astros were more than happy to attack the failed starter. Angel Sanchez and Michael Bourn led off with back-to-back singles and Houston had runners on the corner. Bush got a double play off Jason Bourgeois, but the Huge run was able to score. The Rangers immediately got that run back in the bottom of the inning. Reliever Mark Melancon walked the first two batters, and Michael Young doubled in a run. They eventually loaded the bases but left the bases jammed. They still handed Feliz a two-run lead. However, a pair of doubles turned that into a one-run lead, then a single and a passed ball tied the game. Things went from bad to worse when Matt Downs blasted a go-ahead two-run homer. The Rangers went down meekly in the bottom of the ninth and Houston continued to assert their dominance over their northern brethren.
32. September 24, 2011: Rockies 4, Astros 2 (13 inn.)
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Matt Reynolds
LP: Jordan Lyles
SV: Rafael Betancourt
Now that I was in Longview, I was now three and a half hours away from Houston. In September I decided it was time to go check out Minute Maid Park. The Astros had reached 100 losses when my friend Jonathan Nguyen and I went to watch them play the Colorado Rockies who were bad, but still 15 games ahead of Houston. We were able to get seats behind the Astros dugout for cheap. To our surprise Houston struck first. Jordan Schafer led off the first with a walk, stole second, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. They went with the long ball for a run in the second when Brett Wallace led off with a homer. Astros starter J.A. “Jay Not Jay Ay” Happ kept the Rockies hitters in check until the fourth. A walk and a single led to two runners on board, and then Jordan Pacheco’s two-out double scored them both. No runs scored in any of the regulation innings, although we did see Houston’s diminutive second baseman Jose Altuve single and steal second in the sixth. Then in the seventh we received word that the game we were at was recognized as the 200,000th Major League Baseball game. The game soon went into extra innings. Colorado came close to scoring in the 11th as they had runners at the corner but couldn’t score. In the bottom of the inning the Astros advanced runners to second and third but also didn’t score. Soon it came to the unlucky 13th. The Rockies loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Then Chris Nelson walked, then Willin Rosario hit a sacrifice fly. That was all the Rockies needed as Houston whimpered their way to the loss in the bottom of the inning.
33. September 25, 2011: Rockies 19, Astros 3
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Kevin Millwood
LP: Lucas Harrell
That trip to Houston was actually a two-fer. A day later we were back with a group of classmates doing their rotations in Houston. By this point nobody was expecting the Astros to have any hopes of winning, but we had little idea of the carnage that awaited us. Houston was starting a September call-up named Luacs Harrell, and while he got through the first relatively unscathed, things started falling apart in the second. Four singles, an error, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly led to three runs. The Rockies had tasted blood, and they were hungry for more. A trio of singles in the third led to a run and two runners on. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners and a balk sent one of them home. The Astros got a run back in the third when Jose Altuve singled with a runner on first, who scored on a Colorado error. That run set off a primal rage within the Rockies, who took their anger on reliever Aneury Rodriguez, battering him for four runs in two innings of work. The Houston faithful were dismayed by the 9-1 deficit, but Colorado was just getting started. Rockies starter Kevin Millwood, the former Rangers ace, took the offense to another level by blasting a two-run home run in the sixth. That reminded his teammates there was more than one way to score a run. They followed his lead and Kevin Kouzmanoff blasted a two-run home runs in the seventh and in the eighth. Chris Iannetta followed with a three-run home run. Another run scored with a triple and a sacrifice fly and it was 19-1. The Astros scored a pair of runs on four straight singles in the bottom of the ninth, but that couldn’t erase the wanton destruction that had happened.
34. October 8, 2011: Rangers 3, Tigers 2
ALCS Game 1
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Alexi Ogando
LP: Justin Verlander
SV: Neftali Feliz
While Houston was tanking to a 1.1 pick, the Rangers clinched their second straight division title, then toppled the Rays in the Division Series. That led to an ALCS showdown against the Detroit Tigers. I was heading to DFW to watch Jackie Chan’s 1911, then decided that I might as well watch Game 1 the next day. Texas went 3-6 against the Tigers in the regular season, and Detroit had presumptive Cy Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander on the mound, while the Rangers countered with C.J. Wilson. The Tigers threatened in the first inning, loading the bases on two singles and a walk, but a double play helped Wilson escape the inning. Verlander wasn’t exactly sharp, as he walked two in the first, but Texas couldn’t score. The Rangers were more successful in the second. Mike Napoli led off with a single, then David Murphy drove him home with a triple. He scored when Ian Kinsler singled. Nelson Cruz added another run when he led off the fourth with a home run. Meanwhile, Wilson had settled down, even striking out the side in the fourth. However, the fifth inning turned out to be trouble. Ramon Santiago led off with a double, after which the skies opened, and a 41-minute rain delay ensued. When play resumed, Austin Jackson doubled in a run. Two walks and a wild pitch led to the Huge run. Wilson got a groundout but then Magglio Ordonez was walked intentionally (in what was his last Major League plate appearance.) After that the rain started again leading to a 69-minute rain delay. Mike Gonzalez came back to face the pressure-packed situation, and he escaped the inning. The Rangers bullpen shut the door the rest of the way, and Texas staked their way to a 1-0 series lead.
35. October 22, 2011: Cardinals 16, Rangers 7
World Series Game 3
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Lance Lynn
LP: Matt Harrison
The Rangers stunned Detroit win their second straight pennant. Their opponents would be the St. Louis Cardinals, who made the post-season by the skin of their teeth. However, Texas was lucky to split the first two games in St. Louis before coming back home. I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to watch another World Series. Game 3 started out ugly when St. Louis’s Game 1 (and nearly Game 2) hero Allen Craig homered in the first. Things got worst in the fourth when a double play was waved off by St. Louis native Ron Kulpa. The Cardinals piled on by scoring four runs. Texas fought back in the bottom of the inning. Michael Young led off with a home run, then after Adrian Beltre singled ALCS MVP Nelson Cruz homered as well. They put runners on the corner with one out. Ian Kinsler lifted a fly ball to left field. Mike Napoli tagged up to score the Huge run, but he was thrown out easily. The Cardinals tagged on another three runs in the fifth, but the Rangers weren’t ready to call it quits. They led off the bottom of the inning with two singles and a double. Future Rangers ace Lance Lynn was summoned and allowed an RBI single to Beltre. Another run scored on a sacrifice fly. Two more walks loaded the bases, but Texas couldn’t score the Huge run. St. Louis superstar Albert Pujols was sick of the Rangers. He took things in his own hand by blasting a three-run homer in the sixth. He added a two-run shot in the seventh and then a solo home run in the ninth for good measure. The only run Texas could muster was Beltre scoring on a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and the Cardinals won in a cakewalk.
36. April 7, 2012: Astros 7, Rockies 3
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Lucas Harrell
LP: Jamie Moyer
My classmate/friend Mary is from Idaho, so she’s a Mariners fan and a fan of Jamie Moyer, who was Seattle’s top pitcher between Randy Johnson and Felix Hernandez. When Moyer launched his comeback attempt with the Colorado Rockies at age 49, we decided to go watch him pitch against the hapless Houston Astros, who lost 106 games in 2011. If Moyer were to get the win, he’d set a record for oldest pitcher to get a win. Unfortunately, he allowed a home run to the first batter he faced in Jordan Schafer. Three innings later an error put a runner on first, then a home run by J.D. Martinez led to a 3-0 Astros lead. Houston tacked on another run in the fifth when a double and a bunt single put runners on the corner, after which the Astros executed a successful squeeze play. The Rockies decided Moyer’s day was done after the fifth inning, although their reliever Tyler Chatwood didn’t do much better, allowing two runs in two innings. Meanwhile, the Houston starter Lucas Harrell was making quick work of the team that dominated him the September before. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while walking none. He was replaced in the eighth, but his relief pitcher Brandon Lyon allowed a home run to Michael Cuddyer leading off the eighth. The Astros got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Chris Johnson doubled, then advanced all the way to score on a wild pitch and a passed ball. The Rockies scored a pair in the ninth off former Rule 5 draft pick Wesley Wright on a single, a triple, and a groundout, but Houston still won easily. Moyer would eventually get a win to break the record, but not when we were watching.
37. April 14, 2012: Giants 4, Pirates 3
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
WP: Javier Lopez
LP: Chris Resop
Early in 2012 I had gotten a chance to meet 300-game winners Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton, then made it a goal to meet the living 300-game winners. I saw that Steve Carlton would be making an appearance at a Tristar show in the Cow Palace, and I decided to make the trip. I also made plans to watch the Giants game since they were in town. After meeting Lefty, I made the short drive to AT&T Park to watch the 2010 champs face the Pittsburgh Pirates. Giants starter Barry Zito loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the first before allowing a two-run single. San Francisco fought back against Pirates starter Charlie Morton in the second, hitting three singles with a triple in between, and the game was tied at two. Chaos reigned again in the fifth. Pittsburgh had a runner on first with one out when Jose Tabata hit a weak ground ball towards third. Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval miffed the ball. Shortstop Brandon Crawford backed up the play, but then threw wildly, and the runner scored easily. San Francisco got revenge in the bottom of the inning. Angel Pagan hit the third triple of the game, then scored on a single. The game calmed down, and soon it was the ninth. UVA-alum Javier Lopez faced and retired one batter to end the top of the inning. In the bottom of the ninth it was the Giants’ turn to load the bases on two singles and a walk. Melky Cabrera hit a slow grounder and Pirates shortstop Clint Barmes threw home to get the force, but his low throw eluded catcher Rod Barajas. Emmanuel Burriss of Randy Johnson’s 300th Win fame came home to score the winning run and San Francisco walked it off.
38. June 23, 2012: Nationals 3, Orioles 1
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
WP: Edwin Jackson
LP: 陳偉殷 (Chen Wei-Yin)
SV: Tyler Clippard
王建民’s reign as one of baseball’s best pitchers ended abruptly with a freak foot injury in 2008, extinguishing the Light of Taiwan. After that 郭泓志 had some success as a reliever in 2008-10, but his abrupt collapse in 2011 meant there was no Major League player for Taiwan baseball fans to root for until the Baltimore Orioles signed 陳偉殷 from Japan in 2012. He was 7-2 with a 3.36 in his first 13 starts, and when I went back to Northern Virginia, I knew I had to go watch him pitch. When I was able to get the chance, the Orioles happened to play their Beltway rivals the Washington Nationals, who were no longer one of the worst teams in baseball but one of the best. And they showed it by striking against 陳 in the second inning. They led off with a pair of singles. 陳 was able to get two outs, but fell behind Xavier Nady who stroked a single and the Nationals had a two-run lead. 陳 was able to work through a walk and a stolen base to rookie sensation Bryce Harper in the third, but then Adam LaRoche led off the fourth with a solo home run and the Orioles were down 3-0. Meanwhile Washington was starting baseball nomad Edwin Jackson, who stifled Baltimore’s hitters. The Orioles loaded the bases in the fifth on an error, a single, and a walk, but let that opportunity go to waste. After that Baltimore went to the bullpen. The Orioles finally got a run against Jackson when Adam Jones homered to lead off the seventh. Later in the inning they put runners on the corner on a pair of singles, ending Jackson’s day. However, the Nationals bullpen shut down the rally and held on for the crucial victory.
39. August 2, 2012: Nationals 3, Phillies 0
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: Ross Detwiler
LP: Cole Hamels
SV: Tyler Clippard
In early August I made a second trip back to Northern Virginia for a few days before heading to Akron, Ohio for a rotation. I decided it was probably a good time to watch the Washington Nationals in Nationals Park. They were still holding on to first, while their opponents the Philadelphia Phillies had slipped from first in 2011 to last place. The Phillies were starting their ace Cole Hamels while the Nationals countered with Ross Detwiler, who did manage to record 11 wins since his failure in the June 4, 2009 nightcap. Philadelphia threatened to break apart the young left-hander by getting runners on in the first two innings but failed to score, with John Mayberry Jr. getting thrown out at home on a single in the second. Adam LaRoche then blasted a home run to lead off the bottom of the inning. Washington added two more singles immediately afterwards, but Hamels then struck out the side. The Phillies threatened again in the third but could not get past second base. Meanwhile the Nationals added to the lead in the bottom of the inning when two singles sandwiched around an error followed by a groundout led to two more runs. After that Detwiler settled down and retired 11 straight batters before getting taken out for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Hamels had also settled down before got into some more trouble in the sixth. A single and a double put runners on second and third, but LaRoche was caught trying to score on a fly ball. Washington did have the three-run lead and wasn’t terrible concerned about the missed opportunity. The Phillies threatened one last time when closer Tyler Clippard walked two to face hulking slugger Ryan Howard with two outs, but Howard struck out to end the game.
40. August 11, 2012: Padres 5, Pirates 0
PNC Park
Pittsburgh, PA
WP: Jason Marquis
LP: A.J. Burnett
Up to this point, I never really considered going to all the Major League ballparks. After all, I had gone to only six of the 30 active Major League ballparks (with Shea Stadium getting demolished three years earlier.) However, I realized Akron was within three and a half hours of four Major League stadiums and resolved to visit all of them during my four weeks in Northeast Ohio. Pittsburgh was the first on my list. The ballpark had a sterling reputation, and the Pirates were finally respectable for once. They welcomed the humdrum San Diego Padres. Pittsburgh was starting the resurgent A.J. Burnett, while the Padres could only counter with Jason Marquis, the losing pitcher in Tom Glavine’s 300th. However, it was Burnett who faltered early when he allowed a two-out home run. He struck out the side in the second before a triple and a groundout led to another run in the third. He struck out the side again in the fourth and fifth, but still allowed a run in the former inning. Will Venable led off the sixth with another home run (the 100th I saw in the Majors) before a pair of singles and a pair of walks led to another run and ended Burnett’s day. Meanwhile, Marquis was pitching the game of his life. He threw six no-hit innings where the only blemish had been a walk in the second and even struck out the side in the third. He was nine outs from the first ever Padres no-hitter, but then Travis Snider led off with a slow grounder that San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera couldn’t field cleanly. It went down as a hit. It was disappointing, but Marquis was able to shake it off then got the last nine outs to finish his complete-game shutout.
41. August 18, 2012: Cubs 9, Reds 7
Great American Ballpark
Cincinnati, OH
WP: Brooks Raley
LP: Todd Redmond
SV: Carlos Marmol
A week later, I headed three and a half hours to the opposite direction for a chance to watch the first-place Cincinnati Reds face the Chicago Cubs, who would have been in last had it not been for the ineptitude of the Houston Astros. There was a day-night double-header that day, but I decided I didn’t want to wake up early enough for the day game. (Plus, it gave me a chance to visit the grave of UVA-alum Hall-of-Famer Eppa Rixey.) Because of the double-header the starters were a pair of minor-league callups in Brooks Raley and Todd Redmond. The Cubs threatened against Redmond in the first, loading the bases on two walks and a single by Starlin Castro, but they couldn’t score. They scored in the second when Brett Jackson led off with a home run. However, Ryan Ludwick homered in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Chicago surged ahead in the fourth on a walk by the late Luis Valbuena followed by two singles, a double and a fielder’s choice ground ball. Valbuena later doubled home another run in the fifth. The Reds picked up their second run in the bottom of the inning, but the Cubs responded with a three-run outburst, highlighted by Castro’s triple. Cincinnati was not out of it just yet, scoring twice in the sixth and two more in the seventh on Ludwick’s second home run. Castro was just a home run away from a cycle, but he struck out in his next at-bat in the eighth. The Reds scored the Huge run in the eighth on a triple by Miguel Cairo, the last batter in Roger Clemens’s 300th win. However, they couldn’t tie the game, and then David DeJesus homered in the ninth for Chicago. Cincinnati’s comeback had fallen short.
42, August 25, 2012: Indians 3, Yankees 1
Progressive Field
Cleveland, OH
WP: Justin Masterson
LP: Hiroki Kuroda
SV: Chris Perez
I finally had a chance to go to the closest Major League ballpark to Akron in my third weekend in Northeast Ohio. Unfortunately. the Cleveland Indians were in the midst of a fantastic collapse. They were a game over .500 on July 26 before embarking on an 11-game losing streak. After a brief reprieve with four wins in six games, they went on another losing streak that stretched to nine games. They desperately wanted to avoid a second 10-game losing streak in 2012, but had to face the New York Yankees, first in the AL East. Indians starter Justin Masterson worked a one-two-three first inning before Cleveland went to work against Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda hit Jason Kipnis with a pitch, then walked Shin-Soo Choo with one out. A strikeout got the Yankees close to getting out of the inning, but Michael Brantley turned on an inside pitch and powered it over the center field fence for a three-run home run. The Indians finally had a lead to work with, but then the Yankees were also not ready to call it quits just yet. They threatened in the fifth when back-to-back singles and a comebacker led to two runners in scoring position, but he kept them off the scoreboard. New York finally came through an inning later. Derek Jeter led off with his 3,260th career hit, then a walk and a single loaded the bases. Mark Teixeira’s sacrifice fly brought home the Yankees’ first run. A second walk re-loaded the bases, but Masterton retired the next two hitters. Jeter picked up his second hit of the game in the seventh, then another single and a walk loaded the bases. Cleveland was able to escape the threat. That was New York’s last rally, and the Indians finally found the win column again.
43. August 26, 2012: Tigers 5, Angels 2
Comerica Park
Detroit, MI
WP: Max Scherzer
LP: Ervin Santana
Immediately after the Indians game I got in my car and drove two and a half hours to Detroit, where I would be watching the Detroit Tigers take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Tigers were fighting to catch the surprising Chicago White Sox for their second straight AL Central title. The Angels were further back in the AL West, but they had the luxury of having super-rookie Mike Trout leading off. And Trout got things going for Los Angeles in the first inning. He singled off Detroit starter Max Scherzer, and then another single sent him to third. Torii Hunter grounded into a double play, but Trout was able to trot home for his 100th run of the season. The Tigers tried to break through against Angels starter Ervin Santana (the pitcher formerly known as Johan Santana), but the pesky Dominican frustrated them until the third. Omar Infante walked with two outs, then Andy Dirks blasted a triple to tie the game. Scherzer had settled down after his first inning struggles, and started piling up the strikeouts, even getting Trout twice. The game remained tied until sixth, when Santana walked Dirks leading off. Prince Fielder them followed with a home run. The Tigers had just gotten through celebrating when Delmon Young turned on a first pitch and powered it over the wall. Trout struck out for the third time in the eighth before Detroit added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly. Los Angeles finally broke through against Tigers closer Jose Valverde in the ninth. Hunter was hit by a pitch and went to second on defensive indifference before Kendrys Morales sent him home. Valverde then successfully shut the door to for Scherzer’s 50th career win.
44. September 1, 2012: Phillies 5, Braves 1
Turner Field
Atlanta, GA
WP: Cliff Lee
LP: Tim Hudson
With my tour of Major League ballparks completed I had gone to eight stadiums in the 2012 season, and I hadn’t even gone to a Texas Rangers game yet. Since I was intending on watching the Rangers, I felt like I ought to stop by a ballpark on my way back to Texas. I ultimately decided on visiting Turner Field where the Braves were trying to maintain one of the Wild Card spots against the Philadelphia. It was a match-up of veterans with the Braves trotting out Tim Hudson while the Phillies went with former Rangers ace Cliff Lee, who had a dismal 3-7 record despite an above-average 3.67 ERA. The Phillies struck first when a trio of singles led to a run. They added a second run when Jimmy Rollins led off the third with a home run. Lee pitched well in the first three innings but ran into some trouble in the fourth. Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman both hit back-to-back singles, but Lee was able to get out of the inning. His team rewarded him with another run in the fifth on a single and a double. Philadelphia finally pushed Hudson out of the game when they loaded the bases on a trio of single. Lee was next, and he walked to force in a run. Luis Avilan came in for Atlanta and allowed a run on a fielder’s choice but limited the damage after that. It was Atlanta’s turn to threaten in the bottom of the inning, when singles by Jason Heyward and Jones plus a walk loaded the bases. Unfortunately for them, there were two outs and Lee got out unscathed. The Braves finally got a run in the eighth when Martin Prado homered against reliever B.J. Rosenberg, but that was all they would get.
45. September 26, 2012: Athletics 9, Rangers 3
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Jarrod Parker
LP: Martin Perez
I did a rotation back in Fort Worth and had a chance to go watch the Texas Rangers. The Rangers were the best team in baseball for much of the summer, but by September things were falling apart. Texas was trying to fend off the surging Oakland Athletics. They lost a heartbreaker in the 10th inning to trim their lead to four games with eight left. The Rangers sent their top pitching prospect Martin Perez to stem the tide, but that turned out to be a disastrous decision. A double and a triple led to a run, and after three more singles plus a second triple the Athletics had scored five runs, because of course they did. An exasperated Ron Washington had to bring in veteran Roy Oswalt to get out of the inning. Texas got one run back in the bottom of the inning on a walk and a double in the first, and in the second they loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. They scored a run on a fielder’s choice and another run on a sacrifice fly which brought the score to 5-3. Oakland got those two runs back when a pair of Rangers relievers walked the bases loaded, then Stephen Drew hit a two-run single. Then the A’s added another run in the fourth. Things settled down after that, but at the same time the Rangers could not get anything going against Oakland starter Jarrod Parker or any of the A’s relievers. The Athletics dealt the final death blow in the ninth when a double and a single put runners on the corner, and a sacrifice fly brought in another insurance run. The Rangers managed a pair of walks in the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Evan Scribner struck out the side.
46. October 5, 2012: Orioles 5, Rangers 1
AL Wild Card Game
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Joe Saunders
LP: Yu Darvish
The Rangers ended up blowing the AL West lead in typical embarrassing fashion, forcing them into the first ever American League Wild Card Game, where they would face the Baltimore Orioles, who ended 14 straight losing seasons with the same record as Texas. The Rangers got to host the game on the strength of their 5-2 record in the season series, and even though I had an interview in Shreveport that day I knew I had to make it to Arlington. I didn’t even have time to change out of my interview suit. Texas started their extraordinary young Japanese starter Yu Darvish while the Orioles sent Joe Saunders to the mound. Baltimore struck in the top of the first when Nate McLouth reached on an error by Rangers first baseman Michael Young. McLouth stole second and scored on J.J. Hardy’s single. Darvish limited the damage and Texas went to work in the bottom of the inning. A walk and a single put runners on the corner for Josh Hamilton, whose play collapsed along with the team. His error helped the Rangers blow a 5-1 lead in the fateful final day. He grounded into a double play which scored a run but erased the chances of any other runs. Texas consistently reached against Saunders, but strikeouts and double plays kept halting the momentum, drawing boos from the crowd with much of the ire directed against Hamilton and Mike Napoli. The Orioles took the lead in the sixth on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly. They added insurance runs in the seventh and ninth. The Rangers had a last-ditch effort in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases on two singles and a walk. However, David Murphy hit a harmless fly ball to left and the collapse was complete.
47. March 31, 2013: Astros 8, Rangers 2
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Bud Norris
LP: Matt Harrison
SV: Erik Bedard
The Houston Astros underwent an eventful off-season in 2012-13. Their sale to businessman Jim Crane was approved on the condition that he agreed to move the team to the American League. In return they were granted the chance to host Opening Day for 2013, where they’ll play their intra-state and now intra-division rivals the Texas Rangers. I was finished with my med school rotations and went to the historic event. It seemed like a mismatch. The 2012 Rangers still won 93 games despite their collapse, while the 2012 Astros outdid their 2011 counterparts with 107 losses. Texas started Matt Harrison who won 18 games with a 3.29 ERA in 2012 while Houston tabbed Bud Norris, who went 7-13 with a 4.65 ERA. Then it was the Astros that that struck first. Brett Wallace and Carlos Pena both singled in the fourth inning, then Justin Maxwell brought both home with a two-out triple. Things went from bad to worse for the Rangers in the fifth, when two runs scored thanks to a critical error by Texas right fielder Nelson Cruz. Cruz made up for his error when his sixth-inning single drove in a second run to help his team cut the deficit to two, but Houston pulled ahead once again in the bottom of the inning. Two walks ended Harrison’s day, and manager Ron Washington called in veteran Derek Lowe, who needed just one more out to get out of the inning. Instead he allowed a soul-crushing three-run home run to pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel. The Astros added an insurance run in the eighth, but it was not necessary as the Rangers went meekly in the ninth. They would get revenge two nights later with Yu Darvish coming one out from a perfect game, but for one day Houston was in first.
48. April 5, 2013: Rangers 3, Angels 2
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: Tanner Scheppers
LP: Scott Downs
SV: Joe Nathan
The Rangers managed to win the opening series against the Astros, then went back to Arlington for their home opener, where they’d host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The big subplot was the return of Josh Hamilton, the former superstar whose final games in Texas went poorly. He signed with the Angels in the off-season, then made unflattering comments about his former home city. I was at the game not necessary to listen to the serenade of boos for Hamilton (although it was intense) but to experience a new season. The Rangers struck first against former Mets and Mariners starter Jason Vargas, now pitching for Los Angeles. Nelson Cruz led off the second with a double, then aging catcher A.J. Pierzynski drove him home with a triple. Unfortunately, Pierzynski ended the inning still stranded at third, then Chis Iannetta led off the third with a home run off Texas starter Derek Holland. The Rangers had runner son the corner in the third when Adrian Beltre and Cruz singled, but the next runs were scored by the Angels. Iannetta singled with one out in the fifth, then Mike Trout doubled him home. The game was getting late, and while Texas chased Vargas in the sixth when Pierzynski singled then advanced to third, Los Angeles still had the lead after the seventh inning stretch. Reliever Garrett Richards got two quick outs, but then Beltre pounded his first home run of the season and the 347th of his career to tie the game. Then in the eighth Craig Gentry singled then stole second with one out. Pinch-hitter Jeff Baker was called out on strikes, then Ian Kinsler singled in the go-ahead run. Joe Nathan came in and shut down the Angels for his 299th save and a triumphant Rangers 2013 home opener.
49. May 24, 2013: Athletics 6, Astros 5
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Pat Neshek
LP: Jose Veras
SV: Grant Balfour
I had become a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in 2012, and in May 2013 I had a chance to meet some of the show’s voice actresses. They were appearing in Comicpalooza in Houston, which took place just across from Minute Maid Park. The early high of Opening Day had dissipated for the Astros, and they had plummeted to become the worst team in the American League. They welcomed in the reigning AL West champion Oakland Athletics, who were looking up at the Rangers. The A’s struck first against Houston starter Erik Bedard, scoring a pair of runs in the first. Meanwhile Oakland starter Tommy Milone had things well in hand against the pitiful Astros over the first four innings. He struck out the first two batters in the fifth inning and it seemed like he was on his way towards another easy inning. However, Matt Dominguez hit the first pitch for a Huge home run. Then the next three batters all hit singles, bringing a run home with two on. Up came J.D. Martinez, and he blasted a three-run home run to put the Astros ahead 5-2. Milone finally got out of the inning, then proceeded to mow down Astros as though nothing had happened. The A’s got a run back in the sixth when Seth Smith lined a home run off reliever Paul Clemens, but soon the ninth arrived and Jose Veras was on the mound to save a two-run lead. However, he walked two batters with a strikeout in between. Next up was Houston native Chris Young. He took hold of a pitch and sent it into the Crawford Boxes and Oakland had come from behind to grab the lead. A’s closer Grant Balfour did walk two Astros, but still closed out the win.
50. May 26, 2013: Athletics 6, Astros 2
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Bartolo Colon
LP: Dallas Keuchel
I had brought tickets to the Saturday game in Houston but got so caught up in the convention that I forgot to go. I ended up buying a ticket to the game on Sunday hoping that Houston could avoid the sweep. Of course, they’d have to defeat the ageless Bartolo Colon, who had turned 40 just two days earlier. He had a strong 2012 season interrupted by a PED suspension, but his performance hadn’t been so hot in 2013. The Astros gave him a scare in the first inning when Jose Altuve and Jason Castro both singled, but he struck out the side to get out of the jam. Houston started their young southpaw Dallas Keuchel, and while he kept things well in hand over the first three innings, things unraveled in the fifth. He allowed three straight singles leading off the inning, then he followed it up by allowing a pair of doubles. The A’s had now scored four runs without a single out. Keuchel did get a strikeout and a groundout, but then Coco Crisp lined a single and it was 5-0. Meanwhile, Colon continued to cruise. He did give up a pair of singles for the second time all game in the fifth, but still kept the Astros off the board. Oakland rewarded his efforts when Nate Freiman, Houston’s Rule 5 draft pick the previous December who the A’s picked up on waivers late in spring training, blasted a solo home run in the sixth. The Astros had their best shot at scoring off Colon in the sixth when they hit three singles, but a double play prevented a run from scoring. Colon ended up pitching seven scoreless inning. Houston eventually bullied reliever Ryan Cook for two runs in the eighth, but they couldn’t avoid the sweep.
51. September 30, 2013: Rays 5, Rangers 2
AL Tiebreak Game
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
WP: David Price
LP: Martin Perez
I began an internal medicine shortly afterward in Longview, and so I could only watch from afar as the Rangers went through a season full of ups and downs. A weak September seemed to put them out of the race entirely, but they recovered with a furious-seven game winning streak to force a tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card spot. They got to host the ensuing tie-break game as they outscored the Rays 33-25 in the eight games they split. I got off work and drove as fast as I could, hoping Texas could dominate Tampa Bay starter David Price, just as they did often in the regular season and post-season. Alas, by the time I arrived the Rays had taken a 1-0 lead on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first against Rangers starter Martin Perez, because of course they did. Then as I was walking to my seat, Evan Longoria blasted a two-run home run to make it 3-0 Tampa Bay. Texas did get a run back in the third on singles by Craig Gentry and Ian Kinsler, but Kinsler was caught stealing to end the inning, and the Rangers went back to struggling mightily against Price. I cheered when Perez was removed after a strikeout in the sixth but became crestfallen again when Alexi Ogando came on and allowed a pair of doubles for another Rays run. Texas did get another run in the bottom of the inning when Elvis Andrus singled, stole second, and scored on a double. Tampa Bay eventually scored another insurance run in the ninth. I had hoped Adrian Beltre could get his 200th hit of the season before the Rangers’ inevitable loss, but he flied out in his last at-bat as Price finished off his complete-game gem.
52. May 16, 2014: Nationals 5, Mets 2
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: Tanner Roark
LP: Jon Niese
SV: Rafael Soriano
I had time to take a weeklong trip back to Northern Virginia near the end of my first year of residency and spent much of it visiting graves of 300-game winners. I did drive by Citi Field as a no-name rookie was making his Major League debut for the Mets but didn’t stop for the game. I did end up getting to see them as the Mets came to Washington to play the Nationals. I made plans to go with my friend Kevin Lin, but he couldn’t go so I brought my sister Kathy Chen instead. Washington had a disappointing 2013 season where they missed the playoffs but were back in the hunt in 2014. They scored three early runs in the top of the first aided by a miscue by Mets third baseman David Wright. They added some more runs in the third on a single by Wilson Ramos on his bobblehead night, followed by a double and a single. Nationals starter Tanner Roark was making quick work on the Mets, but they got through in the fifth when a single, a double, a groundout followed by another double led to two more runs. New York had other opportunities to score against the Washington bullpen, but their efforts were in vain. The Nationals also failed to add any more runs to their lead. Soon it was the ninth, and closer Rafael Soriano came on to get the save. He got two quick outs but was interrupted by a wayward fan who stormed the field and rounded the bases before being apprehended. Shaken, he allowed a pair of walks before facing Daniel Murphy, who lined a high fly ball to deep right field. Washington right fielder Jayson Werth caught it at the top of the wall for the final out.
53. June 28, 2014: Nationals 7, Cubs 2
Wrigley Field
Chicago, IL
WP: Blake Treinen
LP: Jeff Samardzija
SV: Ross Detwiler
My quest to meet the 300-game winners sent me to Chicago, where Greg Maddux was making an appearance, and I decided to bring my friend Adam Latham. We planned on going to the show before making it to Wrigley Field where we’d watch the Cubs play the Nationals in the second game of a day-night doubleheader. The Nationals were in a tie for first while Chicago was plodding along in last place. Washington pinned their hopes on rookie Blake Treinen, who they weren’t sure had a future in the rotation or in the bullpen. Treinen got off to a strong start before Adam LaRoche gave the Nationals the lead with a leadoff home run against Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija in the second. Chicago rapped a pair of singles in the bottom of the inning, but Treinen escaped the jam. Washington rewarded him with another run in the third. The Cubs broke through in the fourth inning, when Starlin Castro singled and then the late Luis Valbuena blasted a two-run home run to tie the game. A rain delay then interrupted play for almost an hour. Samardzija was still on the mound when play resumed in the top of the fifth. Wilson Ramos greeted him with a home run on the first pitch. Shark did get a pair of strikeouts with a hit-by-pitch in between but allowed a trio of singles for two runs. An error by Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo led to another. The Cubs desperately tried to come back against Treinen and the Nationals bullpen, but the best they can do was put runners on the corner on a double and a single in the sixth. Washington added an insurance run in the ninth on two walk and a single, and that was enough for a double-header sweep.
54. May 16, 2015: Astros 6, Blue Jays 5
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Scott Feldman
LP: Jeff Francis
SV: Luke Gregerson
The rigors of medicine residency prevented me from being able to see many games, but in May 2015 I finally had some time to travel to watch some baseball games, starting with the Houston Astros. The Astros hit rock bottom in 2013, losing 111 games after ending with a 13-game losing streak. They rebounded in 2014, the year Sports Illustrated proclaimed them the 2017 World Series champions. They appeared to arrive ahead of schedule as they had the best record in the American League. Meanwhile their opponents the Toronto Blue Jays were trying to end a post-season drought that stretched back to their last title in 1993. However, it was the visitors that struck first against former Rangers ace Scott Feldman. After a double, a wild pitch and a walk put runners on the corner, Russell Martin drove in two runs with a triple, then scored on a single. Feldman recorded a pair of strikeouts in getting out of the inning. Houston got a pair of singles in the bottom of the first, including one by the late Luis Valbuena, but also struck out twice. The strikeouts would dominate the game. The Astros finally broke through against Toronto starter Marco Estrada in the third when Evan Gattis hit a Huge two-run home run. Both Feldman and Estrada struck out the side in the fifth, but in the sixth Houston surged ahead on a three-run home run by Chris Carter and a solo shot by Marwin Gonzalez. The game quickly went to the ninth. Closer Luke Gregerson recorded the game’s 28th strikeout for the first out, but then walked a batter and allowed a Huge two-out, two-run home run to Edwin Encarnacion. With the Blue Jays just one swing from tying the game, Gregerson retired Josh Donaldson to end the game.
55. May 24, 2015: Cardinals 6, Royals 1
Kauffman Stadlium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Michael Wacha
LP: Yordano Ventura
A week after the Astros game, I traveled back to my old stomping grounds in Overland Park to attend Midwest Brony Fest. I also invited Adam Latham to come with me and together we made plans to go to a Royals game with Jason Kuo. The Royals had stunk following their surprising 2003 season but then had a miraculous 2014 that saw them get all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. They looked to be even better and had the best record in baseball. Their opponents the St. Louis Cardinals was close behind, but Kansas City took the first two games of the three-game series and was looking to sweep. The Royals entrusted their hopes on the late, great Yordano “Ace” Ventura, whose seven shutout innings in Game 6 of the 2014 World Series ranks as one of the best games in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Cardinals had his number on this occasion. He walked the first two hitters who then scored on a single and a double. He got out of the inning with no further damage thanks to a baserunning flub by Jhonny Peralta, but his teammates could not get much done against St. Louis starter Michael Wacha for the first four innings. Kansas City finally picked up the Huge run in the fifth when Alex Gordon reached on an error by Cardinals center fielder Peter Bourjos then scored on Salvador Perez’s single. However, St. Louis surged ahead in the sixth when Matt Carpenter hit a two-run home run. The Royals loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on two singles and a walk but couldn’t score a run. The Cardinals added two runs in the eighth against former 1.1 pick Luke Hochevar, and Kansas City couldn’t muster any more runs in response.
56. May 31, 2015: Rangers 4, Red Sox 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Ross Ohlendorf
LP: Koji Uehara
I ended the month with my first Rangers game since the 2013 tie-break game. Brandi Ebbs and I planned a surprise meet-up with Adam Latham and Amy Mason. The Rangers had sunk to last place in a 2014 campaign struck by injuries, but they had bounced back somewhat to be at .500. Their opponents the Boston Red Sox were champions in 2013 but were on their way to a second straight last-place finish. It was an unpleasantly hot and sunny day, and we watched from the third-base side as the Red Sox took an early lead in the first. The Rangers fought back in the bottom of the inning when Adrian Beltre drove rookie Delino DeShields on a groundout. However, Beltre’s error on Dustin Pedroia’s hard grounder led to the second Boston run. Adrian surely felt bad about the error, but he atoned for it in his next at-bat in the third as his RBI single tied the game. Another Boston error loaded the bases, but the Rangers couldn’t take the lead. Adrian tried again in the fifth when he led off with a single. Mitch Moreland followed with a grounder and Adrian made a hard slide to break the double play but had to leave the game with an injured thumb. The Red Sox took the lead with a run in the sixth. Things went to the bottom of the ninth. Hanser Alberto led off and reached on an error. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. With two outs the Red Sox intentionally walked the red-hot Fielder to face Adam Rosales, but prodigal son Josh Hamilton came to bat instead. He lined a double to deep left-center field. Alberto scored easily, and Fielder lumbered around to score to complete the exhilarating walk-off Rangers victory.
57. August 29, 2015: Rangers 4, Orioles 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Martin Perez
LP: Ubaldo Jimenez
SV: Shawn Tolleson
By the end of August, the Rangers had clawed their way back into the Wild Card conversation, aided greatly by Adrian Beltre’s return from his devastating thumb injury. I went with Adam Latham, Edward Martinez, and Brandi Ebbs to watch Texas take on the Baltimore Orioles in a 2012 Wild Card Game rematch, although Baltimore was quite a distance away from a Wild Card spot. Martin Perez was on the mound for the Rangers, pitching terribly after returning from Tommy John surgery. However, he actually retired the first 11 Orioles batters. The Rangers wasted a leadoff triple by Delino DeShields in the first inning, but they did take the lead in the third when DeShields singled and Shin-Soo Choo doubled him home. Adrian Beltre had hit a long fly ball that was caught at the warning track in the first, but in his next at-bat in the third he clubbed a pitch in the same direction that flew over the wall for his 408th career home run. Perez allowed Baltimore’s first hit in the fourth, then completely collapsed in the fifth, because of course it did. Steve Pearce led off with a home run, then a single and a double put runners on second and third. A sacrifice fly brought the Huge run home, then Manny Machado’s single tied the game. Perez got out of the inning then threw a one-two-three sixth. The Rangers got things going in the bottom of the inning. Elvis Andrus hit a two-out triple and Texas didn’t waste it. The Orioles ordered an intentional walk to face the light-hitting catcher Bobby Wilson, who surprised everybody with a first-pitch double against reliever Mychal Givens to score Elvis. They didn’t get any other runs home, but it was enough as the bullpen held on for the victory.
58. September 6, 2015: Angels 7, Rangers 0
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Anaheim, CA
WP: Hector Santiago
LP: Colby Lewis
The Rangers continued their winning ways to put some heat on the division-leading Astros. I was in Anaheim for a brony convention in early September, and the Rangers were in town. I knew I had to skip the final day of the convention to watch them play the Angels, who were just a few games behind them. I was excited when Texas worked a pair of walks against Los Angeles pitcher Hector Santiago, but Adrian Beltre halted all the momentum with an inning-ending double play. Then in the bottom of the inning Mike Trout lined a home run that bounced just above the yellow line. Rangers manager Jeff Banister called for a review, but that only confirmed the home run. Texas threatened in the second on a walk and a double, but another double play led to another wasted rally. The Angels then went to work dissecting Rangers starter Colby Lewis. There were two walks and two singles and a ground-rule double from David Freese, the most hated man in Texas, and Los Angeles had scored three more runs. They weren’t even close to being finished. They had runners on the corner on a pair of singles. Kole Calhoun struck out, then Rangers catcher Chris Gimenez threw to second to catch Taylor Featherston advancing. Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus chased down the runner, but Carlos Perez scored from third. Lewis’s day ended in the sixth after two doubles sandwiching a single led to a sixth run. Ross Ohlendorf struck out Kole Calhoun before intentionally walking Trout to load the bases for Albert Pujols. Pujols hit a fly ball to the warning track for a run, but Featherston was caught off third to the final out. Nevertheless, Texas couldn’t come close to scoring and the Angels still had themselves an easy victory.
59. September 27, 2015: Astros 4, Rangers 2
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Dallas Keuchel
LP: Martin Perez
SV: Luke Gregerson
The Rangers shook off their loss to the Angels before going ahead and chased down the Houston Astros, thanks in large part to a four-game sweep in Arlington. By the end of September, the Astros looked like they were in danger of falling out of the Wild Card race entirely. I went to a Silver Boot match-up in Houston with Hernan Lopez and Irvin Padilla, and secretly hoped the Astros could win so both Texas teams can make the playoffs. Texas manufactured a run against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel, now a Cy Young candidate. Shin-Soo Choo singled and Adrian Beltre walked before they advanced on a wild pitch, allowing Choo to score on a groundout. The Astros almost scored in the first after Jose Altuve led off with a double, but he was thrown out on a grounder. They came through in the second against Martin Perez, because of course they did. Perez got two quick outs before Marwin Gonzalez reached on an error by Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus. A single and a walk loaded the bases, then Jake Marisnick’s double drove in two runs. Perez found his stuff and pitched well the rest of the way, but Keuchel was even more dominant, even striking out the side in the fifth. Texas went to their bullpen after the seventh inning stretch, and Chris Carter greeted reliever Ross Ohlendorf with a leadoff home run. The Rangers scored the Huge run in the eighth when Rougned Odor led off with a triple and scored on a groundout. However, the Astros responded almost immediately when Evan Gattis singled, then pinch-runner Carlos Gomez advanced to third before scoring on a passed ball. Rangers manager Jeff Banister called for a replay review, but the play was upheld. Texas had no answer, and Houston had their victory.
60. October 11, 2015: Blue Jays 5, Rangers 1
ALDS Game 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Marco Estrada
LP: Martin Perez
Despite the loss, the Rangers still held on to win the division with 88 wins, but their reward was to face the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays, who won 93 games to end their post-season drought. Texas surprised the baseball world by taking the first two games in Canada. I had gotten tickets for Adam Latham and me, and the prospects of seeing the Rangers win the series was extra special. However, Martin Perez was tabbed for the start, and things fell apart in the third, because of course it did. A double and a single put runners on the corner. Ryan Goins hit into a double play, but that was enough to score the first run. Texas threatened in the bottom of the inning when Game 2 hero Hanser Alberto doubled, but Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada stranded him at second. Then an intentional walk in the fourth backfired. Josh Donaldson led off with a double. Perez retired Jose Bautista before the intentional walk was issued to slugger Edwin Encarnacion. However, Perez couldn’t find the plate afterwards and walked the next two batters to force another run. A double play got Texas out of the inning to keep the deficit manageable, but that would change in the sixth. Toronto loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. A 3-6-3 double play put the Rangers just one out from escaping the inning, with Troy Tulowitzki at bat. Reliever Chi Chi Gonzalez went to a full count. I was thinking it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Tulowitzki walked before he lined a home run to the left field seats caught by future The Athletic writer Levi Weaver. Texas salvaged a run in the seventh, but the Blue Jays still won to climb back into the series.
61. April 22, 2016: Giants 8, Marlins 1
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
WP: Jeff Samardzija
LP: Jarred Cosart
By April 2016 my medicine residency was coming to an end, and I was able to find time to go to the Bay Area for Babscon, another brony convention. The benefits of going to Babscon was getting to go to another game at beautiful AT&T Park, which I did with Houston brony friends Hernan Lopez and Jeremy Benoit. It was a milestone for me because for the first time, I’m going to a baseball game wearing a skirt. It was also big for Giants fans because they were playing the Miami Marlins, whose hitting coach was San Francisco legend Barry Bonds. The Marlins were starting Jarred Cosart, who had pitched for the Astros in 2013-14. He showed why Houston didn’t want him, as he allowed three runs to the Giants in the first inning. And then he loaded the bases on just one out in the third, although he managed to escape that jam. The Marlins struggled to get anything going against Jeff Samardzija, now pitching for San Francisco. They did get runs on second and third in the third due to two singles and an error but couldn’t score. There was some confusion in the fourth inning when Miami manager Don Mattingly was ejected in the middle of Christian Yelich’s at-bat. Yelich responded to his manager by doubling, then he came home on a single. That was all the Marlins could get, but the Giants really went to town in the fifth. They walloped five singles with an intentional walk in between, and three runs came around to score. Even Samardzija joined in on the fun with an RBI single, knocking Cosart out of the game. The Giants scored two more in the sixth, but that was just overkill as Miami couldn’t muster much the rest of the way.
62. June 24, 2016: Red Sox 8, Rangers 7
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Heath Hembree
LP: Matt Bush
SV: Koji Uehara
Thanks to vacation days, my last day of medicine residency came on June 21. I celebrated that Friday by going to the Rangers game with Brandi Ebbs. The Rangers had the best record in the American League, but the Boston Red Sox team they were hosting were off to a strong start as well. Texas went to work against David Price, who had gone back to becoming a Rangers punching bag after his exceptional start in the tiebreak game. Shin-Soo Choo led off with a home run, then a trio of hitters all singled to load the bases. Elvis Andrus followed a double play with a two-run single. Texas piled two more runs in the second. Things got worse for Price in the third. He allowed four straight singles to score two more runs, which ended his day. The Rangers had built up a six-run lead, but Boston began chipping away in the fourth. David Ortiz singled, then Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer. Prince Fielder responded in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run. That was all the insurance runs that Texas could get, and in the sixth Jackie Bradley Jr. hit another two-run home run, putting the Red Sox within three. The led held into the ninth, where lefty Jake Diekman was tasked with the save. He recorded two quick outs after walking Bradley. Sandy Leon came in as a pinch-hitter and ended an 11-pitch at-bat with an RBI double. Convicted felon Matt Bush came on and promptly allowed a game-tying home run to Mookie Betts. Even worse, a walk and a single put runners on the corner, and a wild pitch scored the go-ahead run. Former Rangers reliever Koji Uehara struck out the side, getting revenge for the Hamilton double and completing the comeback.
63. July 10, 2016: Orioles 4, Angels 2
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
WP: Chris Tillman
LP: Tim Lincecum
SV: Zach Britton
I immediately jumped from internal medicine to a psychiatry residency, and the more relaxed hours gave me an opportunity to go to BronyCon in Baltimore, where all the Mane Six voice actresses were there. I brought along a Tales of Symphonia wall scroll to get signed by Tara Strong, but I absent-mindedly left it in a restroom. It was gone by the time I noticed, and in my frustration, I went to watch the Orioles play the Los Angeles Angels in Camden Yards across the street. Baltimore was first in the AL East, while the Angels were last in the AL West. Los Angeles struck first against Orioles starter Chris Tillman. Kole Calhoun walked, then Mike Trout lined a double off the right field wall. Home plate umpire Tim Timmons initially called Calhoun out, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia challenged, and the call was overturned after a lengthy review. The Orioles tried to fight back against Angels starter Tim Lincecum, the former two-time Cy Young winner with the Giants, but he frustrated them until the fourth. Mark Trumbo led off with a single, then Longview native Chris Davis blasted a towering home run to give Baltimore the lead. Lincecum started the sixth striking out the first two hitters, but a double and a single scored another run and ended Timmy’s day. There was more intrigue in the seventh when Los Angeles third baseman Yunel Escobar was ejected by Timmons for drawing a home plate in the dirt after a checked swing call. The Angels responded by scoring the Huge run in the eighth on a single, error, and a sacrifice fly. However, Baltimore answered when J.J. Hardy homered shortly after Pedro Alvarez was picked off first. Zack Britton allowed a leadoff single, but still managed to save the eventful game.
64. July 23, 2016: Astros 7, Angels 2
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Collin McHugh
LP: Jered Weaver
After BronyCon, I spent most of July studying for the American Board of Internal Medicine exam. However, I took a study break to go to an Astros game with Hernan Lopez. Houston had gotten off to a rough start, but they had fought their way back into the Wild Card. The Angels were in town, and they were still in last. They sent another former ace to the mound in Jered Weaver, who once upon a time had led the league in wins and strikeouts but was trying to survive on a diminished fastball. He couldn’t survive against the Astros. He got out of the first inning when George Springer was caught stealing, but in the second he put two runners on via a single and a walk. Evan Gattis then came on and celebrated Evan Gattis Gnome Giveaway Day by blasting a three-run home run. Things got even worse in the third when Weaver loaded the bases on a double, a bunt single, and a walk. A pop fly by the late Luis Valbuena helped him get the second out of the inning, but then he hit Preston Tucker with a pitch and a run crossed the plate. Gattis hit his second home run of the game to lead off the fourth, then a double and single led to another run. The Angels finally got through to Houston starter Collin McHugh in the fifth when Ji-Man Choi hit a home run. However, Carlos Correa responded with a home run to greet Los Angeles reliever Jhoulys Chacin. The Angels did score another run when a single and a hit-by-pitch put runners on first and second, and Andrelton Simmons then lined an RBI single. However, that was all that Los Angeles could manage, as the Astros closed out the easy win.
65. September 17, 2016: Athletics 11, Rangers 2
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Raul Alcantara
LP: Yu Darvish
I passed the ABIM and decided to go up to Globe Life Park to attend Yoga Day in September, but then I needed to bring my former roommate Dimmu Necron from Killeen to Irving, and Brandi Ebbs wanted to go to the game from Waco to get the Baylor-themed Rangers cap. I ended up settling for just the game against the Oakland Athletics. The Rangers still had the best record in the AL despite a +20 run differential, while the A’s were near last. Texas started their ace Yu Darvish, who pitched well in his return from Tommy John surgery, while Oakland went with Raul Alcantara, who had a 7.27 ERA in two starts. So of course, Darvish started off the game by allowing a home run to Joey Wendle for the rookie’s first Major League home run. And of course, Alcantara struck out the side in the bottom of the inning. Darvish’s struggles continued in the second when he walked the bases loaded, then allowed a two-run single to Bruce Maxwell. Marcus Semien went to third on the hit and scored on a sacrifice fly. Darvish finally started to seem comfortable in the fourth when he struck out two A’s batters, but Oakland got to him again in the fifth. He allowed a single and a walk after recording two quick outs, then Semien blasted a three-run home run. The Rangers could barely get anything done against Alcantara until the sixth, when Elvis Andrus led off with a single, then Carlos Gomez hit a two-run home run. The A’s responded by adding to the carnage, scoring a run in the seventh on a walk and a double, then three in the eighth on Danny Valencia’s three-run home run. Texas had no answer to all that offense and succumbed meekly.
66. April 14, 2017: Giants 8, Rockies 2
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
WP: Johnny Cueto
LP: Tyler Anderson
I went to another Babscon in April 2017, and that meant another Giants game. We got a big crowd to go including Nathaniel Whitman, Stephen Strauss, Hernan Lopez, Irvin Padilla, and Boandre Hoyer-Pedersen all the way from Norway. 2016 was a bit of a disappointment for Giants fan. After claiming the World Series in the even years of the 2010s, San Francisco lost to the eventual champion Chicago Cubs. Their opponents the Colorado Rockies were looking for their first World Series title ever but had to reckon with six straight losing seasons. They were above the Giants in the standings, but things went downhill for them quickly. Rockies starter Tyler Anderson got through an easy first inning and retired the first two batters in the second but walked Eduardo Nunez. After Anderson balked, he allowed a two-run home run to Chris Marrero, a former Nationals prospect who hadn’t played in the Majors since 2013. Things went from bad to worse for Colorado. A pair of singles led to another run in the third, and Brandon Crawford led off the fourth inning with another home run. Giants starter Johnny Cueto was cruising. He had allowed only a pair of singles to DJ LeMahieu in the first four innings, but the Rockies threatened in the fifth. They loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Stephen Cardullo hit a potential double play grounder, but San Francisco second baseman Joe Panik flubbed the play, and two runs scored. Another single re-loaded the bases, but a double play ended the threat. The Rockies never threatened again, and the Giants dominated the Colorado bullpen in the seventh, hitting five singles after a walk for four insurance runs. San Francisco’s bullpen held down the fort to treat their home fans with a win.
67. May 24, 2017: Pirates 12, Braves 5 (10 inn.)
SunTrust Park
Atlanta, GA
WP: Felipe Rivero
LP: Josh Collmenter
I didn’t make much progress in visiting all the Major League ballparks from 2013-16 and had been to only 11 active stadiums. In 2017 I decided that I should step up in my efforts, and that led to a trip up and down the East Coast. I started in in Atlanta, where the Braves had a brand-new ballpark. Brandi Ebbs and I went to watch the Braves taken on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates took an early lead when Adam Frazier walloped a three-run home run in the second. Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams had things well in hand for five innings, even working around a one-out triple in the fourth. However, the Braves opened the sixth with three straight singles to bring home a run. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle went to the bullpen. Reliever Juan Nicasio got a pair of pop flies, but a single and a double later Pittsburgh found themselves trailing. They fell further behind when a pair of ground-rule doubles in the eighth led to an insurance run. It was soon the ninth inning, and closer Jose Ramirez retired South African pinch-hitter Gift Ngoepe on a groundout, or so he thought. Hurdle challenged the call, which was overturned, and Ramirez allowed a single and a walk to load the bases before Jose Osuna’s single tied the game. The Braves went down in the bottom of the ninth and the game went to extra innings. Josh Collmenter came on to pitch and the Pirates dominated him for three runs before David Freese came to bat with two outs and a runner on. He homered, then Osuna and Jordy Mercer did as well. Andrew McCutchen came on with a chance to add to the ambush, but he struck out. The Braves still went down meekly for the crushing defeat.
68. May 27, 2017: Phillies 4, Reds 3
Citizens Bank Park
Philadelphia, PA
WP: Hector Neris
LP: Michael Lorenzen
Brandi Ebbs had to return to Texas after the Braves game, but I soldiered on. After spending a day in Northern Virginia, I headed to Philadelphia, where I would watch the Phillies play the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds were below .500, but they were still 6.5 games ahead of Philadelphia, who had the worst record in baseball. The day began on a somber note with the news of the passing of former Phillies Hall of Famer Jim Bunning. Then former Rangers prospect Jerad Eickhoff ran into trouble almost immediately. Not-Sliding Billy Hamilton reached first on a bunt single, stole second and scored on Zack Cozart’s home run. Cincinnati was starting their former ace Bronson Arroyo, who was making a spirited comeback after two seasons lost to injury. Philadelphia greeted him rudely as Cesar Hernandez led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, and Michael Saunders did the same in the second. Arroyo got through a scoreless third inning, but then Tommy Joseph blasted a home run with one out in the fourth inning to give the Phillies the lead. The Reds continued to reach base, even putting runners on the corner in the third, but they couldn’t break through until the sixth. Eugenio Suarez led off with a single and stole second. Scooter Gennett, who at the time was still a light-hitting second baseman who shared a name with a Muppet, doubled him home and the game was tied. The game remained tied into the bottom of the ninth as both teams’ bullpen were strong. However, Aaron Altherr led off with a single against Michael Lorenzen, who had not yet recognized his destiny as a two-way player. Altherr went to second on a wild pitch, then scored on Tommy Joseph’s second walk-off hit of the week.
69. May 28, 2017: Yankees 9, Athletics 5
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
WP: Michael Pineda
LP: Andrew Triggs
After the game I drove to New York, where I finally had a chance to go to Yankee Stadium. The Yankees missed the playoffs in 2016 despite 84 wins but had fought back to reach the top of the AL East, led hulking rookie slugger Aaron Judge. Their opponents the Oakland Athletics were fighting to stay out of last for the third straight season. I waited a long time to get into Monument Plaza before settling in to watch the game. The A’s struck first, as they scored two runs on Ryon Healy’s single. New York answered in the bottom of the inning when two singles put runners on the corner and the Huge run scored on the sacrifice fly. The Yankees remained behind until the third, when a pair of singles put runners on first and second with one out. Matt Holliday then lined a fly ball that Oakland right fielder Matt Joyce flubbed inexplicably, and the bases was loaded. A’s starter Andrew Triggs struck out Starlin Castro, and he could envision himself getting out of the inning, but then he’d have to reckon with rookie extraordinaire Judge. He threw a fastball that Judge walloped out into right field for a go-ahead grand slam. It was my first Major League grand slam since Jermaine Dye’s almost 20 years ago. The Yankees added an insurance run an inning later. Oakland began chipping away in the sixth when a walk, a balk, and an error led to a run, but New York answered with another run in the seventh. Khris Davis lined a two-run home run against reliever Chad Green in the eighth, but the Yankees got two more runs on a bases-loaded double by Brett Gardner in the bottom of the inning. The A’s had no answer in the ninth.
70. May 29, 2017: Mets 4, Brewers 2
Citi Field
New York, NY
WP: Robert Gsellman
LP: Matt Garza
SV: Addison Reed
I stayed behind in New York and visited the Nintendo store, where I purchased my Switch. The next day I headed to Citi Field, where the Mets returned from a road trip to face the Milwaukee Brewers. New York was under .500 after hosting the Wild Card Game in 2016, while the Brewers recovered from a losing record in 2016 to claim first in the division. Mets starter Robert Gsellman pitched in and out of trouble for the first four innings before Milwaukee finally got through to him in the fifth. New York shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera threw away Jonathan Villar’s grounder to lead off the inning, then Orlando Arcia singled. A successful sacrifice by Brewers starter Matt Garza advanced the runners, and Villar scored on a groundout. Garza had been pitching well to the point, but the Mets struck back in the bottom of the fifth. Cabrera made up for an error with a leadoff single, then Wilmer Flores followed with another single. Rene Rivera’s double scored Cabrera and put runners on second and third, and Gsellman drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Michael Conforto’s double scored Rivera for the inning’s third run. Domingo Santana hit a Huge home run in the sixth, but New York loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning on a walk, a single, and a hit-by-pitch. Gsellman hit for himself and worked a walk and forced in a run for his second RBI of the day. He pitched a scoreless seventh before Mets manager Terry Collins went to the bullpen. Paul Seward pitched a one-two-three eighth before closer Addison Reed got into some trouble in the ninth. He allowed back-to-back singles to bring the go-ahead run to the plate but struck out two in recording the save.
71. June 9, 2017: Rangers 5, Nationals 2
Nationals Park
Washington DC
WP: Andrew Cashner
LP: Tanner Roark
SV: Matt Bush
On the day of the Mets game, Adrian Beltre returned from a strained calf to resume his quest for 3,000 hits. I was still in Northern Virginia when the Rangers visited their old home in Washington DC. Even though my return was impending, I still had time to go to one game and got tickets right next to the Texas dugout. Alas, Adrian suffered an ankle sprain two days earlier and would be sitting out. The Rangers were floundering below .500 without their clubhouse leader, while the Nationals had the best record in the National League. Yet it was Texas that broke through with the game’s first run with three straight singles in the third. They added to the lead in the fifth when Shin-Soo Choo reached on an error by Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, then Jonathan Lucroy blasted a two-run home run. The Rangers loaded the bases in the sixth on another error, a single, and a walk. Nomar Mazara then walked for another run. Texas starter Andrew Cashner was keeping the Washington bats in check, but the Nationals broke through in the sixth. Zimmerman atoned for his earlier error with a double. Anthony Rendon then hit a two-run single to score Zimmerman. He tried going to second on the throw home but was thrown out to end the inning. Rougned Odor led off the seventh with a home run to finally end Roark’s day. Enny Romero came on in relief and loaded the bases, but he also struck out the side. The game quickly went into the bottom of the ninth. Keone Kela came to pitch the non-save situation, then allowed two singles to make it a save situation. Matt Bush came in and allowed a third single to score a run, but still completed the save.
72. July 29, 2017: Orioles 4, Rangers 0
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Kevin Gausman
LP: Austin Bibens-Dirkx
SV: Zach Britton
I had a lot of busy rotations upon returning to Texas and could only watch Adrian Beltre’s quest for 3,000 from afar. Adrian dominated in the first four games of a nine-game homestand to jump from 2,989 to 2,998. I had tickets for the last four games in hopes of watching history and had to make a trade to watch the middle game against the Orioles where Adrian could potentially reach the milestone. Adrian had his first opportunity in the first with two outs and a runner on third, but he grounded to short to end the inning. Rangers starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx had dominated the Nationals and the Yankees in two of his previous four starts, but struggled against Baltimore, allowing solo home runs to Trey Mancini and Caleb Joseph in the second inning. Things got worse for ABD in the third when a double and two walks loaded the bases, then one run came home on a forceout, and another scored on a single. Joey Gallo led off the bottom of the third with a long fly ball that looked like a home run, but Orioles center fielder Adam Jones reached over the fence and robbed Gallo of the homer. Shin-Soo Choo singled, but the next two batters struck out, and Texas fans had to wait until the fourth for Adrian’s next at-bat. He rewarded them with a grounder past Baltimore shortstop Ruben Tejada for hit #2,999. Rangers fans cheered Adrian’s ensuing plate appearances, hoping to see history, but he grounded to short in the sixth, then grounded into a double play in the ninth. Orioles starter Kevin Gausman came within one out from a complete game shutout, but then a walk and a single led to a call for closer Zack Britton, who picked up the easy save.
73. July 30, 2017: Orioles 10, Rangers 6
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Wade Miley
LP: Martin Perez
SV: Zach Britton
July 30, 2017 was already going to be a historic day for the Texas Rangers franchise as it was Ivan Rodriguez’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Fans were hoping that Adrian Beltre’s 3,000th hit could provide more history. Adrian led off the second inning against Orioles lefty Wade Miley. Miley ran the count to 3-1 before an inside pitch was called a strike, then Adrian swung over a sinker for a strikeout. While disappointed fans waited for Adrian’s next at-bat, the Orioles scored four times against Rangers starter Martin Perez, because of course they did. At last Adrian came up again in the fourth with Nomar Mazara on first after a walk. Miley threw three consecutive balls, but Adrian had the green light on 3-0. He connected on a get-me-over fastball, lining it fair down the right field line. Adrian motored his way to second for his milestone 3,000th hit. The game paused for several minutes to celebrate the achievement. When play resumed Rougned Odor’s single brought Adrian and Mazara home. It was a heart-warming moment, but the Orioles ruined it with a two-run home run by Schoop and a three-run blast by Welington Castillo in the fifth, then notched another run in the sixth. The Rangers began fighting back in the bottom of the inning. Odor hit a home run in the sixth, and Mazara joined him in the eighth. Adrian struck out right afterward but made it to first on the wild pitch. He then scored with Odor’s second home run of the game. The Rangers had one last effort in the ninth when a walk and a hit-by-pitch made it a save situation, but Zack Britton got the save by getting Adrian out on a forceout. It was a sour finish to a magical day.
74. August 2, 2017: Rangers 5, Mariners 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Andrew Cashner
LP: Angel Miranda
With Adrian Beltre having reached the 3,000-hit milestone, I skipped the next two games despite having tickets just because commuting after work didn’t sound appealing. They lost those games against the Seattle Mariners anyways. In the end I decided to go to the final game of the series and of the homestand. And once again the Rangers started off on a bad note. Texas starter Andrew Cashner hit Jean Segura with a pitch in the first. Segura stole second and scored on a single by Robinson Cano and the Rangers were behind once again. However, a miraculous event happened in the bottom of the inning. Light-hitting leadoff man Delino DeShields blasted a home run, just the ninth of his career. If even Delinosaur can homer, then anything could be possible. For one thing, Cashner started tightening up. The Mariners continued to get runners on, even putting men on second and third with just one out in the fourth on a single and a double. However, they couldn’t come around to score. Then in the bottom of the inning, Texas had a single and a double of their own to put runners on second and third. Only this time the Rangers were able to score on Adrian’s sacrifice fly, although Elvis Andrus was thrown out trying to advance to third. Joey Gallo added a solo home run in the fifth, and Elvis made up for his boneheaded baserunner with a two-run home run of his own. Adrian singled for his 3,002nd hit immediately after Elvis’s homer, but shortly after that the skies opened and a lengthy rain delay ensued. I waited it out, and eventually play resumed. Texas couldn’t get any more insurance runs, but it didn’t matter as the Rangers bullpen was able to shut down Seattle’s bats as well.
75. August 13, 2017: Astros 2, Rangers 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Dallas Keuchel
LP: Andrew Cashner
SV: Ken Giles
The Rangers held an elaborate ceremony for Ivan Rodriguez to celebrate his induction into the Hall of Fame on August 12. I was at the ceremony, but ultimately decided to skip the game against the Houston Astros because I wasn’t feeling very well. I went to the game the next day to pick up the alarm clock giveaway. Texas was mired below .500 while the Astros had the best record in the American League, but the Rangers surprised everybody with a victory the night before. They had their work cut out for them against Houston starter Dallas Keuchel, but Texas starter Andrew Cashner was no slouch. Both pitchers got through the first two innings without allowing a single baserunner until Brian McCann singled in the top of the third. He was erased in a double play. Rougned Odor got the Rangers’ first hit in the bottom of the inning with a double. Robinson Chirinos walked, but Keuchel kept the game scoreless. Jose Altuve gave the Astros the lead with a home run in the fourth inning. Texas tried to keep up in the bottom of the inning, but an entertaining baserunning error doomed them. Nomar Mazara was on first with a single, and Adrian Beltre singled for his 3,104th hit. However, Houston caught him wandering too far off first, and had him in a rundown. Adrian ran back and forth a few times before running out of the baseline in a proverbial white flag. He atoned for the mistake by leading off the sixth with his 457th career home run to tie the game. Unfortunately, the Astros grabbed the lead in the seventh after Yulieski Gurriel doubled and former Ranger Carlos Beltran singled. Texas couldn’t do anything against the Houston bullpen, and they lost another Silver Boot game I attended.
76. August 20, 2017: Royals 7, Indians 4
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Jason Hammel
LP: Danny Salazar
A week later, a total solar eclipse was set to make its way across America, and I had taken the day off to get into the ribbon of totality at St. Joseph, Missouri. The day before I went to a Royals game with Jason Kuo, Brian Ek, Logan Harding, and my sister Kathy Chen who flew down for the spectacle. Kansas City was at .500, a far cry from their championship team earlier. Meanwhile their opponents the Cleveland Indians trying to make it back to the World Series, which they lost the year before. Their starter Danny Salazar had struggled for most of the 2017 season but was pitching better since his return from an arm injury. However, the Royals scored twice in the second. The lead was short-lived, as Francisco Lindor tied the game with a two-run home run. Kansas City starter Jason Hammel held them off then, but Cleveland struck again in the fourth. Jay Bruce and Carlos Santana hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corner, and Austin Jackson hit a sacrifice fly. Jorge Bonifacio led off the bottom of the inning with a single, but he was erased in a double play. Because of that, Cheslor Cuthbert’s solo home run after that could only tie the game. The Royals followed with back-to-back singles, but Salazar escaped the jam. He wasn’t as lucky in the fifth. Kansas City hit three singles to give them the lead, and Cuthbert’s single against Indians reliever Zach McAllister drove in two more runs. The Royals picked up an insurance run in the seventh, which was helpful as Cleveland scored in the ninth on Jackson’s leadoff triple and a groundout. Kansas City still held on to win, giving the Indians their third to final loss before their historic 22-game winning streak.
77. September 3, 2017: Astros 8, Mets 6
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Will Harris
LP: Chris Flexen
SV: Chris Devenski
The Astros were having an exceptional 2017, but their season took a turn for the worse in August. The team started losing, then Hurricane Harvey struck, forcing the team to play home games in Florida. They returned to Houston in September with a double-header against the New York Mets, which they swept. I was at the Sunday game with Amy Mason, having underwent an odyssey of my own. Houston starter Mike Fiers struggled early on, allowing two runs in the first. The Astros picked up the Huge run in the bottom of the inning when Alex Bregman singled, stole second, and scored on Josh Reddick’s single. However, the Mets pulled ahead in the second when a walk and a trio of singles led to two more runs. Houston let a leadoff double in the second go to waste, but they didn’t make the same mistake in the third. Bregman led off with a single and Jose Altuve walked. Carlos Correa singled in a run, then executed a double-steal with his double-play partner. Reddick singled in the Huge run, then Cameron Maybin blasted a huge three-run home run. George Springer led off the fourth with a home run for another run, but New York was not ready to give up just yet. Jose Reyes singled to lead off the fifth and stole second. He went to third on Houston catcher Juan Centeno’s throwing error, and Norichika Aoki drove home with a single. A pair of hit-by-pitches and a walk forced in the Huge run. While the Mets threatened some more in the later innings, the Astros scored next. Altuve was hit by a pitch in the seventh, stole second, and scored on a sacrifice fly. New York continued to fight, but Chris Devenski locked down the win with a two-inning save.
78. September 8, 2017: Rangers 11, Yankees 5
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Martin Perez
LP: Masahiro Tanaka
The Rangers held a ceremony to honor Adrian Beltre for his 3,000th hit. While Adrian was out with a strained hamstring, I made sure to be there at the game, even buying a special ticket to get a special cap with Adrian’s silhouette. The ceremony was very warm, but then the game started, and the New York Yankees walloped Texas starter Martin Perez, because of course they did. The Yankees scored four times in the second before future Ranger Todd Frazier was thrown out at third to mercifully end the inning. Texas began their comeback when Nomar Mazara led off the bottom of the inning with a home run. Didi Gregorius extended the lead with a solo home run in the third, but the Rangers continued their pursuit in the bottom of the inning. Delino DeShields doubled home Robinson Chirinos, then Delinosaur scored as well on Elvis Andrus’s double. The Yankees loaded the bases against Perez in the fourth on a single, a double, and a walk, but he escaped the jam without a run. Texas rewarded his effort in the fifth when they took the lead for good. The first five batters alternated singles and doubles and all of a sudden, the Rangers had scored four runs to take the lead and chased New York starter Masahiro Tanaka. The Yankees bullpen did their best to keep the Texas offense in check, but they were unsuccessful in the seventh. The Rangers loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, and a sacrifice fly drove in a run. A wild pitch advanced Elvis to third, and he scored on Joey Gallo’s single. Rougned Odor then blasted a triple to bring home two more. Odor was stranded at third, but that was enough for Texas to honor Adrian with a victory.
79. September 17, 2017: Padres 4, Rockies 3
Coors Field
Denver, CO
WP: Kirby Yates
LP: Greg Holland
SV: Brad Hand
Late in the year, I took stock at the games I’ve seen and the stadiums I’ve been to and saw that I had gone to nine different ballparks. I needed only one more to make it ten stadiums and tie the record that I had set five years earlier. I decided to make a trip to Colorado to watch the Rockies in the weekend between night floats especially since I opted not to make this trip the year earlier to watch Ichiro get his 3,000th hit. Colorado was trying to maintain their lead in the second Wild Card spot, and all they had to do was defeat the San Diego Padres, whom they crushed 16-0 the night before. Things started out smoothly for the Rockies. They scored three times in the fourth on a walk, a pair of singles, and a double. Trevor Story was thrown out at third on his RBI double, but the three-run lead seemed safe as ace Jon Gray continued his strong pitching. However, a lengthy rain delay in the bottom of the fifth knocked out both starters, and the Padres began their attack on the Rockies bullpen. Yangervis Solarte blasted a solo home run in the sixth. Then in the eighth the Padres loaded the bases with two outs on a single, a double, and a walk. Hector Sanchez singled and the game was tied. The game remained tied into the ninth, but Matt Szczur walked, and Allen Cordoba singled him to third. Austin Hedges laid down a squeeze, but the ball didn’t go far, and Colorado pitcher Greg Holland raced down and appeared to tag Szczur, but Holland dropped the ball and Szczur was safe with the go-ahead run. The Rockies went down meekly in the bottom of the ninth for the gut-wrenching loss.
80. September 30, 2017: Rangers 8, Athletics 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Andrew Cashner
LP: Daniel Gossett
I passed by Globe Life Park near the end of the season on my way to a Dallas Stars event at Six Flags with Stephen Strauss, and that gave me the urge to go to one more Rangers game, even if the 2017 season was a bit of a lost cause. I drove over after work to watch Texas take on the Oakland Athletics, who had already clinched last place in the division. I was still driving when Rangers starter Andrew Cashner got out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and was parking my car when the fireworks went off after Joey Gallo blasted a two-run home run for his 40th of the season. I was still waiting to get into the ballpark when Texas added two more runs on back-to-back doubles and a single. I was in the food line when Gallo hit his second home run of the game in the third, and the Rangers had a comfortable 5-0 lead by the time I finally made it to my seat. Then Oakland began fighting back in the sixth. A run scored on a single, a walk, and a double, then a groundout drove in a second run. Cashner kept the A’s at bay at that point, allowing the Rangers to score again in the bottom of the inning. Jared Hoying singled and stole second in a play that was overturned upon replay review. Then Delino DeShields walked and rookie Willie Calhoun drove in Hoying on a single. DeShields was thrown out at third on Calhoun’s single, but Elvis Andrus’s double drove in Calhoun. Texas picked up another insurance run in the seventh, providing enough of a cushion for the Rangers to withstand solo home runs by Matt Joyce in the eighth and Marcus Semien in the ninth.
81. October 14, 2017: Astros 2, Yankees 1
ALCS Game 2
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Justin Verlander
LP: Aroldis Chapman
The Astros won the AL West, but I originally didn’t think that I’d make it to a playoff game. Then the Yankees upset the Indians in the Division Series, moving the ALCS games in Houston to the weekend. I’d be able to go to Game 2 with Irvin Padilla. I had just gotten off a night shift, but the adrenaline and 2L of Diet Mountain Dew kept me going. The Astros won Game 1 behind Dallas Keuchel’s 10-K gem. Houston fans hoped that Justin Verlander, acquired in a trade, could replicate the success. He certainly looked sharp, striking out a pair in the first and two more in the second. Brett Gardner doubled with two outs in the third but was thrown out trying to get to third in a play that was overturned on replay review. Replay was used again in the fourth to confirm Carlos Correa’s home run. Armed with the lead Verlander struck out the first two batters in the fifth, but then Aaron Hicks doubled. Todd Frazier hit a ball that ended up getting wedged in the fence, and it was ruled a ground-rule double, which still tied the game. Verlander kept going, striking out a pair in the sixth and seventh, then striking out the side in the eighth. He came out to pitch the ninth with the game still tied and worked around a one-out single by Didi Gregorious, and it was Houston’s last chance before extra innings. The Yankees brought in closer Aroldis Chapman, who allowed a one-out single to Altuve. Correa then lined a double into the gap. Altuve tried to score. The relay throw beat him to the plate, but New York catcher Gary Sanchez couldn’t hang onto the ball, and the Astros took a 2-0 series lead in walk-off fashion.
82. March 31, 2018: Astros 9, Rangers 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Lance McCullers, Jr.
LP: Matt Moore
Adam Latham moved from Mississippi to Arlington in late 2017. Since he lived so close to Globe Life Park, we decided it would be nice to get season tickets. We purchased two seats in a half-season plan and envisioned a summer where we would spend evenings going to Rangers games. He got to go to Opening Day against the Houston Astros with Brandi Ebbs, but I didn’t get to my first game of the season until March 31st. It was the 5th anniversary of Houston’s first game in the AL, and the fortunes of the two teams had changed completely. Texas was coming off a losing season, while the Astros were defending World Series champs. (Whether their title was legitimate was a completely different story). And Houston showed off their might, scoring three runs in the second against Rangers starter Matt Moore on a double, a single, and a two-run home run by Jake Marisnick. They added another in the third on back-to-back doubles. Elvis Andrus salvaged a run in the bottom of the inning with a home run off Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. However, Houston surged ahead again with a run on two singles and a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and another on a single and a double in the sixth. Things were getting ugly, but Adrian Beltre salvaged things somewhat when he doubled home Elvis for his 3,052nd career hit on a hard grounder that eluded the glove of Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. However, Carlos Correa’s two-run home run in the seventh put the game out of reach, and Houston still managed another run in the eighth on two walks and a single. The Rangers couldn’t manage anything else to complete a crushing performance that continued the Texas’s futility in Silver Boot games I’ve attended.
83. April 8, 2018: Blue Jays 7, Rangers 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jaime Guzman
LP: Cole Hamels
SV: Roberto Osuna
Dallas FanExpo happened in the first weekend in April, and I went to meet My Little Pony voice actors such as Tara Strong, Maurice LaMarche, Grey Griffin (in a fan video) and Felicia Day. I got all the autographs I wanted on Saturday, so I headed to the Rangers game on Sunday, where Texas would play the Toronto Blue Jays, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. I took out my phone to film Cole Hamels’s first pitch to Steve Pearce, but then Pearce crushed it for a leadoff home run. Things quickly got worse for the Rangers ace. He allowed a pair of singles, then Kendrys Morales blasted a three-run home run. Texas tried digging themselves out of the hole in the bottom of the inning with a run on a double and a single, but that was all they could get. The Blue Jays struck again in the third. They loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk, and then Kevin Pillar’s single led to another run before a double play ended the inning. Things looked dire for Texas, but we hadn’t seen anything yet. Pillar reached on an error by Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus to lead off the sixth, then Hamels balked him to second. A double and a single led to two more runs. Adrian Beltre tried to instill some hope in the bottom of the inning, when he doubled for his 3,059th hit, then Joey Gallo blasted a two-run home run. Then in the seventh, we were treated to the sight of a relief appearance by Bartolo Colon. The Rangers loaded the bases in the seventh and the eighth, but they got only one run out of it, then went down quietly in the ninth..
84. April 14, 2018: Rangers 6, Astros 5 (10 inn.)
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Keone Kela
LP: Will Harris
SV: Alex Claudio
I had seen the Rangers drop six straight games against the Astros in Silver Boot matchups I attended. I went to watch the Rangers play in Minute Maid Park, thinking things couldn’t get worse. Texas seemed to have a rally in the first when Jurickson Profar walked and Adrian Beltre singled for his 3,064th career hit, but Astros starter Charlie Morton struck out the side. Then Houston pummeled Rangers starter Mike Minor in the fourth inning. They loaded the bases on two singles and a hit-by-pitch. Carlos Correa doubled in a pair of runs, then Yulieski Gurriel followed with a three-run home run. Rookie Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off the fifth with a fly ball into the Crawford Boxes for his first career home run, but Morton then struck out the side. An inning later, Adrian drove a ball into the home bullpen for his 463rd career home run. The game went quickly into the eighth. Profar doubled with one out, then Joey Gallo blasted a Huge home run. Adrian flied out, and up next was Ronald Guzman, another rookie who made his Major League debut the night before. He lined a home run to right and the game was now tied. The Astros couldn’t score against the Rangers bullpen, and the game went into extra innings. The Rangers had a walk and a double to put runners on second and third. Reliever Will Harris walked Adrian intentionally to face the rookie Guzman with the bases loaded, but Guzman beat out an infield single and Texas grabbed the lead. Chris Martin allowed back-to-back singles in the bottom of the inning, and I expected Houston to get the walk-off win. Yet Martin and Alex Claudio combined to get the next three outs, and I had finally seen the Rangers beat the Astros.
85. April 22, 2018: Rangers 7, Mariners 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Martin Perez
LP: Erasmo Ramirez
SV: Keone Kela
A week later it was back to Globe Life Park with Adam Latham, as we prepared to watch the Rangers play the Seattle Mariners. We didn’t expect much with Martin Perez on the mound, and he loaded the bases in the second, because of course he did. To our surprise, he got out of the jam. Texas then grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Adrian Beltre led off with a double that almost took the glove off Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, then advanced to third and scored on a pair of groundouts. Perez allowed a double to Mitch Haniger in the third and another infield single to Ichiro in the fourth (in what turned out to be the future Hall of Famer’s final Major League hit) but kept Seattle off the scoreboard. The Rangers then added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Nomar Mazara homered. Then after Adrian walked, Joey Gallo homered too. The Mariners surge we were expecting struck in the fifth. Ben Gamel led off with a triple, and Jean Seagura singled him home before scoring on a double. Yet Perez was able to stop the bleeding, and the Rangers scored again in the bottom of the inning. Perez exited after six innings, but the Texas bullpen almost gave it up in the seventh. Segura reached on an error, then Haniger blasted a two-run home run. The Mariners loaded the bases, but reliever Jake Diekman escaped with the lead intact. The Rangers pulled ahead in the eighth. Adrian lined his second double of the day before a pair of walks loaded the bases and Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled in two runs. The Mariners threatened once more in the ninth after a single and a double, but closer Keone Kela shut the door.
86. May 5, 2018: Red Sox 6, Rangers 5
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Joe Kelly
LP: Keone Kela
SV: Craig Kimbrel
Adam Latham and I got to enjoy perks of being a season ticket holder, getting to play catch on the field. We then came back later to watch the Rangers take on Boston Red Sox, who had the best record in baseball. The Red Sox loaded the bases in the second against Texas start Cole Hamels on a double, a walk, and an error, but Hamels escaped the threat. Joey Gallo then gave the Rangers the lead in the bottom of the inning with a home run, the 200th I saw in the Major League level. Boston ended up tying the game in the fifth when Christian Vazquez walked, then Mookie Betts reached on a two-base error before Andrew Benintendi drove in a run on a single. The first two batters in the Rangers fifth struck out, but Robinson Chirinos singled and Adam’s least-favorite Ranger Ryan Rua walked. Delino DeShields then lined an unlikely three-run home run. However, it didn’t take long for the Red Sox to strike again. J.D. Martinez led off the sixth with a single, then former Ranger Mitch Moreland thumped a Huge two-run home run. Gallo extended the Texas lead in the bottom of the inning with his second home run of the game, but Boston fought back in the seventh. Betts walked, then Benintendi doubled him home. A groundout sent the Red Sox youngster to second, then Martinez singled to tie the game. The Rangers threatened in the eighth when they loaded the bases, but Joe Kelly came on in relief and recorded two strikeouts to end the threat. Then Benintendi hit a one-out triple in the ninth and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. Craig Kimbrel came on and threw a one-two-three inning for the Boston victory and his 300th career save.
87. May 13, 2018: Astros 6, Rangers 1
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Dallas Keuchel
LP: Matt Moore
The Rangers headed to Houston for another series against the Astros in the next weekend, and I decided to check it out, hoping that Texas could catch lightning in a bottle once again. Moreover, Adrian Beltre was back after being sidelined with a hamstring strain for two weeks. Dallas Keuchel was on the mound for Houston, and Adrian has had some pretty good success against the left-hander. And he did strike, singling in the first for his 3,080th hit after Shin-Soo Choo had singled. Unfortunately, he was erased in a forceout and the Rangers couldn’t score. The Astros had several baserunners but couldn’t score until the third. Alex Bregman led off with a walk and went to second on a groundout. Yulieski Gurriel hit an RBI single, then scored on Evan Gattis’s two-run home run. Jesse Chavez came on in relief and delivered three solid innings, with the only baserunner coming on an error by Adrian. Then Kevin Jepsen came on in relief in the seventh, and things fell apart once again. Bregman led off with a double, then Carlos Correa blasted a two-run home run. Things could have ended right there, except Gurriel reached on an error by Texas right fielder Choo. Gattis walked, and Max Stassi hit a ground ball towards Adrian at third. He fielded the ball and ran to get a force on Gurriel but came up limping. Adrian had re-aggravated his hamstrings, forcing him to leave the game. Brandon Mann also came on in relief to make his Major League debut after a 16-year odyssey through the minors. He allowed Gurriel to score on a sacrifice fly before getting out of the inning. Carlos Perez provided some light as his eighth-inning home run ruined the shutout, but the Rangers still fell in a sickening loss.
88. May 17, 2018: Tigers 3, Mariners 2
Safeco Field
Seattle, WA
WP: Warwick Saupold
LP: Nick Vincent
SV: Shane Greene
Just a week after the loss to Houston, I followed the Rangers to Seattle where they’d be playing the Mariners. I was there for a brony convention but made plans to go to a game with Stephen Dobson, Thomas Selinka, Bob Sandstrom, Nathaniel Whitman, and his friend Jim. Unfortunately, Texas had already left town, and we’d be watching Seattle play the Detroit Tigers instead. The Tigers were below .500 but were in second within striking distance of the division lead. I was hoping for a chance to experience King’s Corner, but Marco Gonzales was the starter that day. He got in some trouble early, but it was Detroit starter Matthew Boyd that gave up the first runs. He allowed a double to Kyle Seager to lead off the second, then struck out a pair. He was hoping to get a strikeout of Guillermo Heredia, but the Cuban hit an RBI single. Another single and a walk loaded the bases before Boyd was finally able to get out of the inning. Things only got worse for Boyd in the third. Jean Segura led off with a double and scored on Mitch Haniger’s single. Boyd got a strike-them-out, throw-them-out double play, and settled down thereafter. The Tigers began the comeback trail with two outs in the sixth. A walk and a single put runners on the corner. James McCann hit a grounder to Seattle third baseman Seager, and Seager threw the ball away to bring home the Huge run. That ended Gonzales’s day, but the Mariners bullpen came on to shut things down until the eighth. The bases were loaded thanks to two singles and a walk, but there were also two outs. Jose Iglesias then singled, and Detroit had grabbed the lead. It was a stunning blow, and Seattle couldn’t recover.
89. May 22, 2018: Rangers 6, Yankees 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Cole Hamels
LP: Domingo German
SV: Keone Kela
I returned to Texas a few days later, and it just so happened that the Rangers were hosting the New York Yankees, one of the best teams in baseball. Cole Hamels was making his first attempt at his 150th career win after missing a start due to neck issues. While 150 wins was not quite 300 wins, it was something I wanted to experience. Unfortunately, Adam Latham was bringing another friend, so I had to buy a ticket of my own. Hamels had a strong first inning, getting a pair of strikeouts, then the Texas batters struck against Yankees starter Domingo German in the bottom of the inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled and Nomar Mazara walked. That brought up Jurickson Profar, who broke through with a three-run home run and Hamels had a lead to work with. The Rangers scored again in the second without a single hit. Robinson Chirinos was hit by a pitch, then advanced on a wild pitch and a groundout. Ryan Rua struck out on a wild pitch that escaped New York catcher Gary Sanchez, and Chirinos scored while Rua took first. German walked two more batters to load the bases, and Rua was able to score on a groundout. The Yankees began to fight back in the third when rookie sensation Gleyber Torres homered, but Texas answered when Ronald Guzman homered to lead off the fourth. The game quickly went to the seventh, when New York’s other sensational rookie Miguel Andujar homered. Hamels still finished the inning, and Jake Diekman came to pitch the eighth. Giancarlo Stanton singled, then backup catcher Austin Romine slugged a two-run home run. Another single put the tying run on base, but Diekman pitched out of the jam, and Keone Kela closed things out, and Cole Hamels had reached his milestone.
90. May 26, 2018: Rangers 4, Royals 3 (10 inn.)
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Alex Claudio
LP: Kevin McCarthy
Memorial Day was that weekend, and the Kansas City Royals were playing in Texas. Adam Latham and I decided to invite Jason Kuo to Arlington, with Jason and I watching the game on Saturday when Adam had to work before all of us going on Sunday. The Rangers starter on Saturday was Bartolo Colon, his first start since turning 45, hearkening back to when I saw his first start after turning 40. He pitched well for two innings, but the youthful Royals got to him in the third. They strung together three singles and a double to score three runs. However, the Rangers were not out of it yet. Delino DeShields singled with one out in the bottom of the inning and he went to second on a groundout. Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s single brought the speedster home. Yet Kiner-Falefa got caught in a rundown after Nomar Mazara’s single to end the inning. An inning later Jurickson Profar tripled, and Joey Gallo doubled for a run. Gallo was bunted to third, but he couldn’t advance the last 90 feet. Gallo got a chance to try again in the sixth. He walked against Kansas City Rule 5 pick Brad Keller, then stole second and went to third on a groundout. This time he was able to score when Ronald Guzman doubled. Colon pitched well after the third, and he teamed with the Texas bullpen to send the game into extras. The Royals couldn’t score in the 10th, and Shin-Soo Choo led off the bottom of the inning. A day earlier he had hit his 175th career home run, tying Hideki Matsui for most by an Asian-born player. Now he turned on a 3-1 fastball and sent it flying into the bullpen, breaking the record and sending Rangers fans home happy with a walk-off.
91. May 27, 2018: Royals 5, Rangers 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jason Hammel
LP: Cole Hamels
SV: Kelvin Herrera
As promised, Adam Latham came to join Jason Kuo and me for the Rangers game the next day. It was a sultry hot Sunday, and we spent the beginning of the game in the Jack Daniels Club, where I got myself buzzed on mixed drinks, leading to my first alcohol-induced vomiting session. Nevertheless, I was aware enough to recognize that Cole Hamels did not have the same stuff that he did against the Yankees in his 150th career win earlier in the week. He allowed singles to Jon Jay and Salvador Perez in the first inning. He managed to get two outs, but the Royals had runners on second and third, and they both scored when Hunter Dozier singled. The Rangers tried to fight back in the bottom of the inning when Delino DeShields doubled and stole third on a play overturned by replay, but Texas couldn’t drive him home. The Royals took full advantage of that lost opportunity when Drew Butera lined a solo home run in the second, and Salvy blasted a two-run home run in the third. The Rangers managed one-out doubles against Kansas City starter Jason Hammel in the bottom of those innings, but strikeouts prevented them from scoring. Hamels settled down after the third and kept the deficit at five, and Texas had their best shot to close the gap once the Royals turned to their bullpen. Reliever Eric Stout was pitching in the seventh, and the Rangers teed off of him. Joey Gallo led off with a home run, then after Rougned Odor singled, Robinson Chirinos did as well. Unfortunately, Stout was taken out shortly afterward, and Texas couldn’t complete the comeback, even after putting runners on the corner against Blue Valley Northwest-alum Jason Adam. Jason got to go back to Kansas City happy.
92. June 16, 2018: Rangers 5, Rockies 2
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jose Leclerc
LP: Harrison Musgrave
SV: Keone Kela
Adam Latham went on a cruise in the early part of June and couldn’t go to any games, but it was just as well as I was busy. I finally got to go the day the Rangers were handing out Adrian Beltre bobbleheads, before I was planning on driving back to Northern Virginia. Texas was welcoming the Colorado Rockies, who won the second Wild Card spot in 2017 but lost the game. They were struggling to stay at .500, but struck first against the Rangers starter Mike Minor, put up a 6.96 ERA in May. He walked Ian Desmond, then balked and allowed an RBI single to Carlos Gonzalez. Colorado scored again in the sixth. DJ LeMahieu led off with a single, then advanced to third, allowing him to score on a sacrifice fly. The Rockies made one more push in the seventh, loading the bases on a single, double, and a walk, but Minor stopped them there. The Rangers rewarded his effort by finally breaking through against Colorado starter Kyle Freeland. Rougned Odor led off with a triple, then Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed with a double. Freeland recorded two quick outs to bring up Jose Trevino, a rookie that made his debut the night before. However, Trevino came through with his first Major League hit, an RBI single. The onslaught continued in the eighth. Adrian came to the plate with runners on a corner after a walk and a single. He hammered a long fly ball that Colorado right-fielder Gonzalez misplayed, allowing the veteran to motor all the way to third for his 3,095th hit and final career triple. Ryan Rua came on as a pinch-runner, and he scored on a sacrifice fly. The Rockies couldn’t muster much as the Rangers closed the victory, allowing me to drive overnight happy.
93. June 23, 2018: Dodgers 8, Mets 3
Citi Field
New York, NY
WP: Caleb Ferguson
LP: Jacob deGrom
While I was in Northern Virginia, I made a trip to New York to hang out with Elvis Sanchez. I gave him a choice of going watch Frozen on Broadway or watch the Mets play the Los Angeles Dodgers. He picked the baseball game. The game took a little more meaning as Clayton Kershaw would be making his return from a back injury. He will be starting over Caleb Ferguson and face Jacob deGrom, who sported a 1.51 ERA in 15 starts. However, it was deGrom that blinked in the first, when he allowed a home run to Max Muncy, who was having a breakout season. Kershaw was sharp in the first, but then allowed back-to-back doubles in the second to tie the game. Then he allowed a trio of singles in the third to give New York the lead. The lead was short-lived as Los Angeles came right back against deGrom in the fourth. Yasmani Grandal singled and Kike Hernandez walked, then UVA alum Chris Taylor came in to pinch-hit for Kershaw. His double drove in both runners and the Dodgers now had the lead. Ferguson came in to pitch the fourth and ran into trouble in the fifth but kept the Mets off the scoreboard. DeGrom settled down as well before giving way to Robert Gsellman in the seventh. Gsellman pitched a one-two-three seventh but the eighth was a different story. A pair of singles and an intentional walk loaded the bases before a sacrifice fly brought in a run. An infield single loaded the bases again, and up came Matt Kemp to pinch-hit for Ferguson. He blasted a long grand slam into deep left field that crushed New York’s spirit. Jose Bautista homered in the bottom of the inning, but it only delayed the inevitable Mets loss.
94. July 1, 2018: White Sox 10, Rangers 5
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Reynaldo Lopez
LP: Cole Hamels
SV: Joakim Soria
I returned to Texas a few days after the New York trip, then went to another game with Adam Latham to welcome July. The Rangers were last in the AL West, but they were still nine games better than their opponents the Chicago White Sox. Of course, it was the White Sox that looked like the better team, as they scored a run against Cole Hamels in the first and another in the third. Texas went to work in the fourth. Jurickson Profar singled and went to third on a two-base error by White Sox center fielder Adam Engel. He scored on a single. A double and intentional walk loaded the bases, then a walk to Delino DeShields tied the game. It was a good effort by the Rangers to tie the game, but then the bottom fell out for Hamels. He struck out Engel with one out, but a wild pitch allowed the batter to reach. By the time the inning was over the White Sox had put up five hits to take a five-run lead. They pushed it to six in the seventh when Avisail Garcia tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly. Texas made one last push in the eighth. A walk and a single put runners on the corner, and they scored when Joey Gallo tripled. Gallo scored on a groundout, but then a pair of walks brought the tying run to the plate. Former Ranger Joakim Soria was summoned from the bullpen, and he retired Elvis Andrus for the second out. Then came Adrian Beltre, batting for light-hitting Rule 5 pick Carlos Tocci. Adrian worked the count full but looked at a called strike three, ending the inning. The White Sox took this opportunity to score two more insurance runs, and Texas had no answer.
95. July 4, 2018: Astros 5, Rangers 4 (10 inn.)
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Collin McHugh
LP: Chris Martin
SV: Ken Giles
It was the Fourth of July later in the week, and since both Adam Latham and I had the day off we went to watch the Rangers host the Astros. We were greeted with unfortunate news that Adrian Beltre was out of the lineup because of a dental infection. However, Texas was still able to strike in the second against Houston starter Gerrit Cole. Jurickson Profar was hit by a pitch, then he stole second before Robinson Chirinos doubled him home. Cole struck out the side, but the Rangers went to work again in the third. Shin-Soo Choo homered with one out, then Elvis Andrus followed with a single. He went to second on a wild pitch, then scored on Profar’s single. Profar would score on Odor’s double, and Texas had a four-run lead. Rangers starter Mike Minor had turned things around after the start against the Rockies. However, in the fourth inning the smooth turned rough. Yulieski Gurriel led off with a double, then Josh Reddick hit a three-run home run. Then the Astros loaded the bases on an error by Rangers third baseman Profar, a double, and a walk before Alex Bregman’s single brought in a run. Minor left the bases loaded, but Gurriel led off the fifth with a homer to tie the game. Both starters remained strong the rest of the night, and so were the bullpens. The game soon went into extra innings. Jose Altuve singled with one out in the tenth, then Texas reliever Chris Martin hit Gurriel with a pitch. Martin went to pick off Altuve but threw the ball away, allowing the runners to advance a base. A sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run. Martin loaded the bases before escaping, but the Rangers had no answer in the bottom of the inning.
96. July 7, 2018: Astros 12, White Sox 6
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Charlie Morton
LP: James Shields
I went to Houston that weekend, where the Rangers’ opponents in the previous week were congregating. The White Sox was starting James Shields, who pitched a gem on June 4, 2009, but nine years later he appeared washed up with a 3-9 record. The Astros took advantage in the second. Evan Gattis doubled with one out. Up next was Kyle Tucker, Houston’s top hitting prospect. He was called out on strikes, but Max Stassi picked him up with an RBI double. The Astros piled on in the third when George Springer and Alex Bregman led off with singles, then Yulieski Gurriel hit a three-run home run. The White Sox weren’t ready to roll over and scored in the fourth. A single and a double put runners on second and third, then Avisail Garcia hit a sacrifice fly. The Astros surged ahead in the fifth. They loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a single. A run scored on a forceout, then Gattis drove in another with a single. Tucker struck out to end the inning and Chicago went to work in the sixth. They loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks. One run scored on a single, then Omar Narvaez drew the big blow with a bases-clearing triple, and the White Sox were within one. However, reliever Will Harrris came in to get end the threat. Alex Bregman extended the lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning. They added another run in the seventh on a trio of single that included Tucker’s first Major League hit. Garcia blasted a home run in the eighth, but Houston answered with three runs in bottom of the inning. Chicago had no answer, and the Astros had their 60th win of the season.
97. July 21, 2018: Indians 16, Rangers 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Carlos Carrasco
LP: Bartolo Colon
The Rangers went on a long road trip, and when they returned, I went to a game against the Cleveland Indians with my friend and co-worker Adam Lipsitt, who is not Adam Latham. We had planned this many months before, but we had no idea that it would happen in the middle of a heat wave. It was 107 degrees at first pitch. Texas was starting Bartolo Colon, tied with Dennis Martinez for wins by a Latin American pitcher. Big Sexy held the first-place Indians in check for the first four innings, but they finally knocked the door down in the fifth. Colon allowed three doubles and three singles leading to four runs. There were two outs, but the Rangers opted to call on Austin Bibens-Dirkx to get that out. He did, but after allowing a two-run home run to Yonder Alonso. ABD came back out in the sixth and allowed a two-run home run to Tyler Naquin before a walk and a triple led to another run. Alonso led off the seventh with his second home run of the game. Texas had their opportunities against Indians starter Carlos Carrasco, with Carlos Tocci even hitting a one-out triple in the sixth, but the Rangers were scoreless until Adrian Beltre came to the plate with Elvis Andrus on first following a single. He delivered his 467th career home run to finally put Texas on the board. Cleveland answered with a two-run double in the eighth. Shin-Soo Choo was looking to continue a 52-game on-base streak, and while he reached in the bottom of the inning, it came on a forceout and didn’t officially count. He was removed for a pinch-runner, ending the streak, but the pinch-runner did score. Cleveland added four more runs in the ninth before the mauling mercifully ended.
98. July 28, 2018: Orioles 11, Rays 2
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
WP: Kevin Gausman
LP: Ryne Stanek
A week later I headed to Baltimore for BronyCon. My goal there was to get Tabitha St. Germaine’s autograph for a buddy in Taiwan. Once I got that, I hung out with some friends for a little bit before heading off to the Orioles game. Baltimore was having a horrendous season, but the night before they walloped the Tampa Bay Rays 15-5, and the Rays weren’t a bad team. Their record was near .500, but they had an inventive young manager in Kevin Cash. And they took an early lead in the second inning, when a single and a double led to a run against Orioles starter Kevin Gausman. One of Tampa Bay’s most notable innovations in 2018 was the introduction of the opener, a pitcher that would pitch one or two innings before giving way to a primary pitcher. They started their top opener, Ryne Stanek. Stanek got through a one-two-three first inning, but things went downhill in the second. He walked Chris Davis, then allowed a two-run home run to Trey Mancini whose bobblehead was given away that night. Joey Rickard followed with another home run. The Rays didn’t plan on going down quietly as Kevin Kiermaier led off the third with a Huge home run. However, that was all Tampa Bay could manage. They then brought in the primary pitcher, Jalen Beeks, acquired from the Boston Red Sox earlier in the week. Beeks got through the third, but in the fourth he loaded the bases on a walk and two singles before Rickard hit a bases-clearing double and Caleb Joseph followed with an RBI single. The Orioles got four more runs in the sixth. Gausman pitched seven innings, and the Baltimore bullpen was also strong, and the Orioles romped their way to a second straight blowout victory.
99. August 4, 2018: Rangers 3, Orioles 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Mike Minor
LP: Dylan Bundy
SV: Jose Leclerc
The Orioles won a third straight against Tampa Bay before strutting their way deep in the heart of Texas, where they promptly dropped two against the last-place counterparts the Rangers. I was at the game with Brandi Ebbs. Texas went with Mike Minor as the starter, and he was still trying to find his footing in the Rangers rotation. He had an awful start against the Orioles in Baltimore where allowed five earned runs in 2.2 innings. And it seemed like they’d have his number again as former 1.1 pick Tim Beckham blasted a double with one out in the first inning, but Minor recorded a pair of groundouts to get out of the predicament. Elvis Andrus had a double of his own in the bottom of the inning, but Adrian Beltre struck out to end the inning. Minor settled down and retired the next nine Orioles he faced, and that led to the bottom of the fourth. Adrian led off with a grounder towards Baltimore third baseman Renato Nunez, who was with Texas earlier in the season. Nunez threw the ball away and Adrian reached base safely. Then Joey Gallo came up and blasted a home run to give the Rangers the lead. Minor’s string of 11 straight batters retired ended when Mark Trumbo singled to lead off the fifth, but he was erased in a double play. The Orioles finally broke through in the seventh. Adam Jones singled with one out, then went to second on a groundout. Minor tried to get another groundout to escape the inning, but Trumbo lined an RBI single for the Huge run. Rougned Odor led off the bottom of the inning with a home run, and Texas fans could breath easily with new closer Jose Leclerc on the mound getting the save.
100. August 5, 2018: Orioles 9, Rangers 6
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Tanner Scott
LP: Drew Hutchison
SV: Mychal Givens
The next day I was back with Adam Latham as I celebrated my 100th Major League game. We hoped the Rangers could record a four-game sweep of the ORioles, but Texas was testing their brand-new free agent signing Drew Hutchison. Hutchison had consistently put up below-average ERA numbers even while helping the Toronto Blue Jays to the playoffs. Not surprisingly, he allowed a run in the first on a single, a sacrifice bunt, a walk, and another single. He kept the deficit to one run, and the Rangers took advantage in the bottom of the inning. Elvis Andrus tripled with two outs, and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run single to give Texas the lead. The Orioles immediately took it back in the second. Hutchison walked two, then allowed a three-run blast to Austin Wynns. Of course, these were the Baltimore Orioles, who would end the season with 115 losses, and they allowed the Rangers to come back in the bottom of the inning. Texas scratched together three hits and three walks to score three runs. Unfortunately, two of those runs came on outs, and the Rangers left three runners on base. The Orioles surged ahead in the third when Mark Trumbo blasted a two-run home run, and Texas did not have an answer. Baltimore continued to add to the lead against Matt Moore, who was now a reliever because he was pitching so terribly. Jonathan Villar hitting a home run leading off the fifth, then Trumbo hit his second home run of the day in the seventh. The Rangers finally managed a run in the eighth on a pair of walks, a wild pitch, and a grounder, but it was too late, and my 100th Major League game was an utterly embarrassing defeat.
101. August 19, 2018: Rangers 4, Angels 2
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Matt Moore
LP: Noe Ramirez
SV: Jose Leclerc
August 19, 2018 was a historic day in terms of pitching milestones, as it was the day Justin Verlander won his 200th game while Clayton Kershaw won his 150th. I spent it in Globe Life Park watching the Rangers take on the Los Angeles Angels where there would be no major pitching milestones to be found. Texas did score in the first. Shin-Soo Choo led off with a double, then Rougned Odor singled him home. Odor was caught stealing second, as he does frequently, and so the Rangers couldn’t score any more runs even after Nomar Mazara singled. Then the Angels took the lead against Texas starter Yovani Gallardo, in the midst of his second stint with the Rangers. David Fletcher singled and two-way rookie extraordinaire Shohei Ohtani doubled. Albert Pujols hit a sharp grounder that Texas first baseman Ronald Guzman snagged. He threw home to try to catch the runner coming home, but Rangers catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa had to lunge to catch the ball. He tried to tag Fletcher in the same motion, but the runner eluded the tag. Ohtani went to third and scored even while Andrelton Simmons grounded into a double play. Los Angeles carried the lead to the seventh when they handed the ball to reliever Noe Ramirez. He retired the first batter on a pop fly, but then allowed back-to-back singles. Around this time, it began to rain. The rain started coming down hard as Ramirez faced Rougned Odor. My skirt was all wet, but I still watched intently as Rougned Odor hammered a home run to reclaim the lead. The umpires then called for the tarp, leading to a rain delay during which the Astros-A’s game was shown on the scoreboard. The game resumed after an hour and Texas finished off the satisfying victory.
102. September 2, 2018: Rangers 18, Twins 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Yohander Mendez
LP: Gabriel Moya
SV: Eddie Butler
For some fluky reason, I had not seen the Minnesota Twins play in my first 101 Major League games. That would change as I had tickets to watch the Rangers host the Twins. Minnesota was in second, but they were also below .500. Their rotation was a bit of a mess, and they had to turn to the Opener in this particular game. Unfortunately for them, Gabriel Moya had an ERA almost five, and it jumped above five when Elvis Andrus launched a two-run home run in the first. Their primary pitcher Zack Littell pitched decently enough, keeping Texas scoreless until the fifth. Meanwhile, Rangers starter Yohander Mendez was making his return from a transgression so bad he was demoted all the way to A-ball. He threw six scoreless innings while allowing only three hits and a walk. The Rangers rewarded him by breaking out in the sixth. Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run home run, knocking out Littell, but Texas continued to pummel the next victim. Two doubles, a single, and an error led to three more runs, then Nomar Mazara blasted a two-run home run. Matt Belisle came on and hit Adrian Beltre, earning an ejection. Profar followed with another two-run home run before the carnage ended. Carlos Tocci got in on the fun when he tripled and scored in the seventh. The Twins scored twice in the eighth, with Jake Cave hitting a homer, but Minnesota waved the white flag by sending former Ranger Chris Gimenez to pitch. He allowed five more runs on Mazara’s second home run, a trio of single including Adrian’s 3,144th hit, and Drew Robinson’s three-run home run. He then made some weird history as he came to bat and blasted a two-run home run as a pitcher before the strange game finally ended.
103. September 8, 2018: Royals 4, Twins 1
Target Field
Minneapolis, MN
WP: Jorge Lopez
LP: Jose Berrios
SV: Wily Peralta
Even if I had missed the Twins game in Texas, I would be watching the team play eventually, as I had made plans with Logan Harding to watch the Twins host the Royals. I was making up for the fact that I drove overnight to Minnesota two years earlier but was too tired to go to the game. The Twins were starting their ace Jose Berrios, while Kansas City went with Jorge Lopez, who had a 5.66 ERA since coming over in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. Both pitchers were strong, but I noticed something was up when leadoff man Joe Mauer led off the fourth. Lopez hadn’t allowed a baserunner. It seemed odd as he had gone to a three-ball count to all three batters in the first. We waited to see when ball would drop, but the Royals outfielders made strong catches behind him in the fourth and the fifth. Kansas City scored a run in the sixth when Adalberto Mondesi reached on a bunt single, stole his way to third, then scored on a single. After another strong catch ended the bottom of the inning, the Royals scored three more times in the seventh on two doubles and two singles. However, we were all waiting to see what would happen when the Twins came to bat. Lopez retired all three batters in the seventh on ground balls. Then he recorded two strikeouts in the eighth to send the game into the ninth, three outs from history. Unfortunately, the Twins ended the drama early when Max Kepler worked a walk. Then Robbie Grossman made sure we couldn’t even see a no-hitter with a single, and a sacrifice fly made sure there wouldn’t even be a shutout. Nevertheless, Kansas City held on to win in the unforgettable night.
104. September 11, 2018: Cardinals 11, Pirates 5
Busch Stadium
St. Louis, MO
WP: Miles Mikolas
LP: Joe Musgrove
After we spent the night in Minneapolis, we headed back to Kansas City where I’d be staying for my triennial trip to Kansas. Part of my itinerary there was to suck it up and go to the Texas Rangers House of Horrors…Busch Stadium. There were reminders of Game 6 all over, but I gritted my teeth and stayed to watch the Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Pirates. St. Louis starter (and former Ranger) Miles Mikolas got into some trouble in the first, but it was Pirates starter (and former Astro) Joe Musgrove that allowed a run. The Cardinals had runners on second and third after a walk, single, and a groundout, then Marcell Ozuna doubled them home. Pittsburgh fought back in the fourth. Josh Bell led off with a double, then Corey Dickerson singled him home. Mikolas stopped the scoring there, and the game soon went to the bottom of the sixth. St. Louis loaded the bases in the sixth and then in the seventh, but all they could get were three runs, on two wild pitches and a sacrifice fly. They left the bases loaded in the latter inning. This was unacceptable, so they broke the game open in the eighth. They put runners on first and second on a single and a walk, then an error by Pirates third baseman Colin Moran led to a run. Tyler O’Neill followed with a three-run home run. The Cardinals were not done yet. A single and a ground-rule double led to another run, then came another on a single and a sacrifice fly before the inning ended. Pittsburgh did their best to come back by getting four runs on four doubles with a single and a walk sprinkled in the midst, but the deficit was too much to overcome in the end.
105. September 13, 2018: Royals 6, Twins 4
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City. MO
WP: Heath Fillmyer
LP: Alan Busenitz
SV: Wily Peralta
I had made plans to go to a Royals vs. Twins game with Brian Ek, Logan Harding, and Anthony Casas on Saturday, but most everybody I knew were busy during the week. I had gone to visit the Negro League Museum with Shiikra on Thursday, but he was busy that night, so I decided to go to the Kansas City game instead. The Royals were trying to avoid 100 losses, but because they were so bad, I was able to get seats behind home plate. Things didn’t look good for the home team that night as Minnesota seemed intent on getting revenge for the Jorge Lopez game. Jake Cave blasted a two-run home run in the second, his first since the one in Texas a week and a half earlier. Meanwhile, Gabriel Moya was effective as the opener this time, throwing two hitless innings. The Royals scored in the fifth when Whit Merrifield walked with two outs, then scored on a critical three-base error by Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco. However, Minnesota primary pitcher Stephen Gonsalves finished striking out the side, and Kansas City was still without a hit. The Royals ended that quickly when Hunter Dozier led off the sixth with a double. Then Salvador Perez and Jorge Bonifacio blasted back-to-back home runs, and all of a sudden Kansas City was in the lead. They added another run before the inning was done. The Twins came back in the eighth, when a double and a single put runners on the corner and chased Royals starter Heath Fillmyer. A single drove in a run, and another loaded the bases. The Huge run scored on a sacrifice fly before the inning finally ended. The Royals scored an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, and closer Wily Peralta shut things down.
106. September 15, 2018: Royals 10, Twins 3
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
WP: Ian Kennedy
LP: Chase De Jong
Soon it was time for the big game with my buddies. The only thing I had for that day other than the game was to get my license-plate lights changed, so I got to the ballpark early, early enough for the arrival of the Twins bus, where I was able to get the autograph of Minnesota’s Hall of Fame manager Paul Molitor. The Royals had won on a walk-off grand slam the night before, and they were hoping to win the four-game series. Things got off to a first start, as Kansas City starter Ian Kennedy worked around a leadoff double, while the Royals were able to score on the leadoff double of their own, as Whit Merrifield advanced on a pair of groundouts. The Twins tied it up quickly in the second, when Max Kepler walked. Kennedy tried to pick him off, but made an error on the throw, allowing the German to go to second, where he scored on a single. Kansas City took the lead again in the bottom of the inning as a pair of singles led to a run. Minnesota had no answer to that, so the Royals pulled ahead in the fourth. Rosell Herrera singled, then Alcides Escobar drove him home with a triple. Cam Gallagher missed the bunt on a squeeze, but Escobar scored anyways when a rundown throw hit him in the back. Gallagher doubled, then scored on another double. The Royals had a comfortable lead, and a Minnesota run in the fifth didn’t faze them. They turned around and scored two in the sixth, then they added two more insurance runs in the seventh when a pair of singles sandwiched a double. The Twins got another run in the eighth, but that was not enough to rescue them from the loss.
107. September 21, 2018: Rangers 8, Mariners 3 (7 inn.)
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Ariel Jurado
LP: Erasmo Ramirez
The Rangers ended their home schedule in 2018 with a weekend series against the Seattle Mariners. I made sure to get tickets for all three games. I had a sinking suspicion that Adrian Beltre was going to retire after the season, and this would be a last chance to watch him. I got there with plenty of time before the game but worried about the dark ominous clouds that hovered overhead. Shin-Soo Choo led off the bottom of the first with a single against Mariners starter Erasmo Ramirez, and Elvis Andrus walked. Adrian had a chance to drive in a run with two outs He did more than that, sending a pitch over the right field wall for his 476th career home run. Two innings later, Ramirez hit Choo with a pitch, and Jurickson Profar doubled, but the next two Rangers batters went down meekly. That left Adrian as Texas’s last hope. He came through, blooping a single down the right field line that stayed fair for his 3,161st hit and two more runs. He would later come around to score. The Rangers picked up another run in the which was fine and dandy, but I hoped the game can become official before it starts raining, otherwise everything would be washed away. It was agonizing to watch Texas primary pitcher Ariel Jurado fumble through the Seattle fifth where he gave up a run, but finally he clinched the final out. The two teams traded runs (and Joey Gallo homered) before the rain started falling with two outs in the seventh and a runner on third. We waited for over an hour during which my skirt got wet and I saw three people rush the field. Eventually the game was called, but Adrian’s two hits and five RBIs got to stand.
108. September 22, 2018: Mariners 13, Rangers 0
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Marco Gonzales
LP: Mike Minor
The final home series was off to a good start, and I was hoping for another Rangers victory in the middle game, especially with Mike Minor on the mound. Minor had turned his season around after the game against the Orioles, with a 2.83 ERA in six starts. And he was sharp early on, even striking out the side after a leadoff double in the second. However, Seattle’s starter Marco Gonzales was exceptional as well. Eventually it was Minor that blinked first. He allowed a two-out double to Mitch Haniger and walked Jean Segura. Robinson Cano was next. He was suspended earlier in the season after testing positive for furosemide, effectively ruining his future Hall of Fame hopes. Yet he was still productive and blasted a three-run home run. The Mariners had the lead, and the rout was on. Alex Claudio came and got out of the inning, but then he allowed a home run to Mike Zunino in the sixth. Cano drove in another run in the seventh when he hit the second of two doubles. Texas had their best changes in the bottom of the inning, when they loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, including Adrian’s 3,162nd and final hit in Globe Life Park. However, Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a double play. Then the Mariners pounded Bartolo Colon. Big Sexy allowed a triple to Kyle Seager and Dee Gordon hit a two-run home run. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases again, and a single drove in two with another coming home on a passed ball. The Mariners scored three more runs in the ninth, leading a boy in a striped shirt to cry “Stop, he’s already dead!” They didn’t stop until former Ranger Justin Grimm embarrassed his former team with a one-two-three inning.
109. September 23, 2018: Rangers 6, Mariners 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jeffrey Springs
LP: Wade LeBlanc
Adam Latham came with me for the final Rangers home game of the 2018 season. We were fairly discouraged after the blowout the night before, and even worse, Martin Perez was on the mound with his ERA was above 6. And he let Seattle take the lead, because of course he did. Kristopher Negron singled to lead off the third, then Guillermo Heredia followed with an RBI double. This might be Adrian Beltre’s final game at Globe Life Park, a place where he hit .329/.383/.555 with 120 home runs in 597 career games, but he struck out in the first. Then in the third he came up with the bases loaded after a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch but was called out on strikes. The game moved to the sixth. In the inning break the Rangers showed a montage of the 3,000-hit club. It was the same one they showed when Adrian was chasing 3,000. When it got to 3,162, they showed Adrian getting his 3,000th hit before cutting to Adrian warming up at third. Rougned Odor came out of the Texas dugout and went to third where Adrian hesitated before walking off slowly. We were caught off guard but gave the future Hall of Famer a standing ovation. That energized the Rangers, and they wrestled control in the bottom of the inning. They led off with a double and a walk before Nomar Mazara doubled to give Texas the lead. Mazara scored on a single before back-to-back singles loaded the bases again. Carlos Tocci then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. The Rangers bullpen got through some jams before Joey Gallo put a stamp on the game with a two-run home run in the eighth. Jose Leclerc finished things off with a strong and moving victory.
110. October 6, 2018: Astros 3, Indians 1
ALDS Game 2
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Gerrit Cole
LP: Carlos Carrasco
SV: Roberto Osuna
While the Rangers still finished last in 2018, the Houston Astros took home their second straight AL West title. Hernan Lopez convinced me to come down for Game 2 of the Division Series, and I was there to watch the Astros take on the AL Central champs the Cleveland Indians. The Astros had taken Game 1 behind the strong work of Justin Verlander, and they sent Gerrit Cole to take a commanding lead in the series. He started out strong, getting a one-two-three inning in the first before striking out a pair in the second. He had two more strikeouts in the third before Francisco Lindor launched a home run to right field. The Astros tried to come back against Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco but grounded into a double play with runners on the corner in the bottom of the inning. Cole went back to mowing down the Indians hitters, striking out the side in the fourth and getting two more in the fifth and then in the sixth. A sense of desperation started to grow among the Astros faithful as the game went on. However, Houston chased Carrasco from the game in the bottom of the sixth when Jose Altuve singled and Alex Bregman walked. Andrew Miller came on, and while he was a post-season hero in 2016 his had struggled in 2018. And Marwin Gonzalez ripped a two-run double to take back the lead. Then Miller loaded the bases on a pair of walks, but Trevor Bauer came and got out of the inning. However, Bregman blasted a home run in the seventh to add another chapter in his feud with Bauer. By then Cole had finished his day with 12 strikeouts and no walks, and we watched the Astros bullpen put the finishing touches on the victory.
111. March 30, 2019: Rangers 8, Cubs 6
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Shawn Kelley
LP: Carl Edwards, Jr.
SV: Jose Leclerc
The 2019 season would be the Rangers’ final in Globe Life Park, and schedulers let them open and end the season at home. Their opponents in the first series would be the Chicago Cubs. Adam Latham got to go to the first and third games, while I bought tickets for the Saturday night game. Chicago had curb-stomped the Rangers in the first game, and it felt like it would happen again when the Cubbies dropped three runs on a double, a walk, and a trio of singles. However, while Chicago starter and former Rangers ace Yu Darvish struck out the side in the bottom of the inning, he also walked the bases loaded. Darvish issued a trio of walks again in the second, but Ronald Guzman was caught stealing third so the Rangers only scored once when Rougned Odor singled. Chicago got the run back in the third when Javier Baez was successful in stealing third, and he scored on a double. Texas made Darvish pay for his lack of control pay when Asdrubal Cabrera followed his eighth walk with a Huge home run. The Cubs came right back and scored two in the fifth. Yet the Rangers weren’t ready to quit. They loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning and broke through in the seventh. Cabrera reached on an error by Chicago third baseman David Bote, Guzman doubled and they both scored when Shin-Soo Choo singled. The Cubs still escaped the inning, then sent another former Ranger in Carl Edwards Jr to pitch the eighth. This was the opportunity Texas was waiting for. He allowed and a walk before Joey Gallo blasted a tide-turning three-run home run. Jose Leclerc got the job done in the ninth and the Rangers had come from behind for their first victory.
112. April 14, 2019: Rangers 8, Athletics 7
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jeffrey Springs
LP: Joakim Soria
SV: Jose Leclerc
I went to a game with Adam Latham a day after a rainout ended the chances of watching a game against the Oakland A’s. This game was our introduction to the joys of Adrian Sampson, who was making his first start of the season after two relief appearances. He allowed a single to Marcus Semien, then a double to Khris Davis. The Texas offense provided more joy for fans. Delino DeShields reached on a throwing error against the A’s platinum-glove winning third baseman Matt Chapman, stole second and scored on Elvis Andrus’s triple. Elvis couldn’t score on a groundout, then Nomar Mazara was hit by a pitch. Nomar drew the attention of Oakland starter Brett Anderson, and during a throw to first Elvis raced down and beat the throw for a steal of home. The Rangers lead was short-lived, as Sampson allowed a home run to Stephen Piscotty in the second and Chapman in the third. Then the A’s went to town in the fourth, as a walk, three singles and a double led to four runs. Ah, the joys of Adrian Sampson. Delinosaur engineered a run in the fifth when he doubled, stole third and scored on a groundout. Elvis added a solo home run in the seventh, but the Rangers still stared at a three-run deficit. Oakland brought in former Ranger Joakim Soria, who was so dominant with the White Sox in 2018, for the eighth. He was not quite as dominant. A single, a walk and another single led to a run and runners on the corner. Then up stepped pinch-hitter Danny Santana, making his first appearance after being called up from AAA Nashville. He walloped a triple to tie the game, then scored on a successful squeeze play. Jose Leclerc then finished off another come-from-behind victory.
113. April 20, 2019: Blue Jays 10, Athletics 1
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, CA
WP: Sam Gaviglio
LP: Mike Fiers
A week later, I traveled to California to take another step in my quest to visit the Major League ballparks. Nathaniel Whitman took Hernan Lopez and me to watch the dump that is Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, where the A’s were hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Oakland was starting Mike Fiers, who won a World Series title with Hernan’s Astros. Hernan was delighted when the Blue Jays scored first. The Blue Jays led off with a pair of singles. The runners advanced on a bunt then former Athletic Eric Sogard lined an RBI single. However, Toronto failed to get another run, then suffered an even bigger blow in the bottom of the inning. Their starter Matt Shoemaker was off to a fantastic start. He allowed a two-out single to Matt Chapman, but then Chapman took too big a lead and was caught in a rundown. Shoemaker ran over to tag the runner but injured his knee on the play, forcing him out of the game. While the Blue Jays could have crumpled, they took their fury out on the field. They led off with back-to-back singles again, but then Rowdy Tellez hit a three-run home run. Brandon Drury followed with another home run, then Toronto got another run on a double and two singles. They added another run on a pair of doubles in the fifth, then Justin Smoak blasted a two-run home run in the sixth. The Blue Jays even got things done on defense, when shortstop Freddy Galvis caught a popup bare-handed to end the eighth. Oakland brought in Kendrys Morales to pitch against his former team, and he allowed a run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. The A’s scored a run and loaded the bases in the ninth, but the chances of a win had gone long ago.
114. April 21, 2019: Rangers 11, Astros 10
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Shelby Miller
LP: Collin McHugh
SV: Shawn Kelley
I spent the night in the airport, then went to the Rangers game the next day. Their opponents were the Houston Astros, and I was expecting another loss, especially since the Astros was starting Collin McHugh. He had a 1.96 ERA in four starts. To my surprise, Texas came out swinging in the first. Joey Gallo drove in two runs on a triple, and he scored himself on a sacrifice fly. The Rangers took a breather in the second but then allowed a Houston run in the third, so they went back at it in the third. Gallo drove in a run with a groundout, then Hunter Pence and Logan Forsythe hit back-to-back home runs. Then in the fourth, Texas loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a catcher’s interference, and Elvis hit a two-run double to chase McHugh. When play resumed, Gallo had the very first sacrifice fly of his career. The Rangers had a 10-1 lead, but nobody expected the Astros to go away quietly. Alex Bregman and Michael Brantley led off the sixth with back-to-back home runs. Then Aledmys Diaz drove in two runs on a triple before scoring himself on a sacrifice fly. Texas picked up a run in the bottom of the inning when Gallo hit a 200-foot popup that fell for a single to score Choo from third. That run turned out to be important, as Carlos Correa and Josh Reddick hit home runs in the eighth. Jose Leclerc came finish the game in the ninth, but he had been terrible since blowing a save against Arizona earlier. He allowed a solo home run to George Springer to lead off the inning, then issued four walks to drive in the Huge run. Shawn Kelley finally came in to close out the win.
115. May 4, 2019: Rangers 8, Blue Jays 5
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Lance Lynn
LP: Thomas Pannone
SV: Shawn Kelley
The win against Houston sent the Rangers to 12-8, a surprising performance for a team with low expectations. Then they went and dropped five straight on the road. One of the major issues with Texas is that many of their free agent starters have been busts, such as their starter Lance Lynn who had a 5.45 ERA in April. He struggled once again in the first, walking two then allowing a single to hyped rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Rangers answered in the bottom of the inning when Nomar Mazara homered against Toronto starter Thomas Pannone. Pannone completely flamed out in the second. He walked the bases loaded, then allowed a bases-clearing triple to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who scored on a single. The Blue Jays picked up a third run on a sacrifice fly in the third, but Texas came back in the third. They led off with back to back singles to chase Pannone, then Toronto reliever Derek Law walked Asdrubal Cabrera to load the bases. A single drove in two runs and another run came on a forceout. The Blue Jays weren’t done. A pair of singles put runners on the corner in the fourth. Eric Sogard continued his hot start with a triple, and he scored on a groundout. At that point the score was 8-5, and it seemed like we’d be in for an old-fashioned slugfest. However, as it turned out the scoring stopped. Lance Lynn settled down and both bullpens were strong, with Jose Leclerc doing well in a setup performance in the seventh before Shawn Kelley came to get the save in his new role as a closer. It was a good win, but then I made the mistake of skipping the Rangers win 10-2 the next day, going to the Stars playoff game instead.
116. May 11, 2019: Astros 11, Rangers 4
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Gerrit Cole
LP: Drew Smyly
The next weekend was Comicpalooza in Houston, and I decided to go to get a commission from My Little Pony artist Tony Fleecs of my beloved EQG Rainbow Dash singing in the rain while wearing a dress. The Rangers happened to be in town, and so I walked across the street to go. Texas had another losing streak and were starting the worst of their free agent starters Drew Smyly. He actually pitched decently early on, and Hunter Pence homered off of Houston starter Gerrit Cole in the second. Things started falling apart in the fourth. Michael Brantley homered with one out in the fourth before allowing another run on a walk, and error, and a single in the fifth. His day ended when he walked the bases loaded in the sixth. There were two outs, but Rangers manager Chris Woodward turned to rule 5 pick Kyle Dowdy to get that out. He did, but only after allowing a soul-crushing grand slam to Aledmys Diaz. Cole’s day ended after six innings with such a massive lead, and the Astros turned to their bullpen. Texas took advantage and recorded two singles against reliever Chris Devenski before Ronald Guzman blasted a three-run home run to pull to within two. Unfortunately, Dowdy still struggled against Major League hitters, allowing back-to-back singles in the bottom of the inning before a double play seemed to rescue him. He promptly allowed back-to-back singles again as Houston went on to score three more runs. I was happy to see the Rangers bring in Taiwan native 黃暐傑 to pitch the eighth, but he walked the first batter, then watched as his shortstop Elvis Andrus flubbed a potential double play ball. Another pair of singles brought home two unearned runs before the inning and soon the game mercifully ended.
117. May 19, 2019: Rangers 5, Cardinals 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jeanmar Gomez
LP: Jordan Hicks
The next weekend, the Rangers were back at home hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in an interleague series. DFW and St. Louis has had a bit of a sports rivalry over the years, culminating with the 2011 World Series but also featured the Dallas Stars losing to the St. Louis Blues. I was there for the rubber match. The Rangers started Drew Smyly for the first time since game in Houston, and once again he struggled. Two doubles with a walk in between led to two runs in the first, but Smyly limited the damage. Shin-Soo Choo then led off the bottom of the inning with a Huge home run. The Cardinals continued to pound Smyly, but he held them off long enough for Texas to tie the score with a walk and a double in the fourth. Jose Leclerc came on in relief and struck out five of six batters. The game remained tied until the eighth, when Danny Santana came up as a pinch-hitter. He had injured his leg the day before, but he felt well enough to hit, and he blasted a go-ahead home run. With Shawn Kelley out with an injury, Chris Martin came to get a save, but he allowed a game-tying home run to the struggling Dexter Fowler. The Rangers couldn’t score against St. Louis’s fireballing reliever Jordan Hicks, and the game moved to extra innings. The Cardinals pounced and scored a run in the tenth. Then Hicks was called to finish the game. He couldn’t, allowing a single and a walk then the game-tying single to Willie Calhoun. An intentional walk loaded the bases. Nomar Mazara lifted a fly ball to center. Even though the injured Santana was on third, he scrambled home in time to beat the throw for the walk-off victory.
118. June 1, 2019: Rangers 6, Royals 2
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Lance Lynn
LP: Homer Bailey
The win over the Cardinals led to a Rangers surge, and they were back above .500 during my next game. One big reason for the surge was a turnaround by Saturday starter Lance Lynn, who had 21 strikeouts in his two previous starts. Their opponents in this game were the Kansas City Royals. The Royals finished with 104 losses in 2018, and they were even worse after 58 games than the year before. Their starter Homer Bailey had an ERA approaching 6, but he managed to pitch around trouble to keep Texas scoreless for three innings. The effort had worn him out, and by the fourth inning the Rangers were ready to attack. Hunter Pence led off with a single, then Joey Gallo homered. They weren’t finished yet. Asdrubal Cabrera singled, then Ronald Guzman doubled. Cabrera had to hold up at third, but he scored on a sacrifice fly, and another run scored on another double. Kansas City finally broke through against Lynn with a run in the fifth. Jorge Soler was hit by a pitch, went to second on a single, and he scored on a double by Martin Maldonado, but that would be all they would get against Lynn that inning. Texas continued to score against the Royals bullpen. Jeff Mathis walked with one out in the sixth. He went all the way to third on an error by Kansas City second baseman Nicky Lopez and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Royals knocked Lynn out with two doubles in the seventh, but Jose Leclerc continued his resurgent setup work with two strikeouts. The Rangers added one more insurance run in the eighth when Shin-Soo Choo doubled and scored on Nomar Mazara’s single. Shawn Kelley had returned by that time, and he made sure that would stand up.
119. June 2, 2019: Rangers 5, Royals 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Adrian Sampson
LP: Brad Keller
It rained on my way out of the ballpark and got my skirt all wet, but I was back the next day with Adam Latham as the Rangers tried to win the four-game series against Kansas City. Adrian Sampson was getting the start for Texas, and while that was concerning, he had also pitched better in three performances as the primary pitcher in May, going 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA. However, this would be his first start without the proverbial training wheels since a disastrous performance in Houston, and we covered our eyes as Sampson allowed back-to-back singles in the second. Thankfully, he escaped without damage, and the Rangers took the lead in the bottom of the inning on three singles against the Royals’ best pitcher Brad Keller. Sampson worked around a two-out triple in the third to strike out the side in the fourth. He loaded the bases on three straight singles in the fifth, but then a lineout and two more strikeouts helped him escape that crisis. Texas decided a one-run lead was too scary with Sampson pitching and added some more insurance runs in the fifth on a single, a double, a wild pitch, and another single. The extra runs looked better when Jorge Soler led off the sixth with a towering home run. Sampson still managed to get through seven innings with 11 strikeouts and just the one run. The Royals loaded the bases in the eighth on two walks and a single, but the Rangers bullpen kept them scoreless, and Texas scored some more in the bottom of the inning, when a single plus a stolen base, a walk, a double, and a wild pitch brought home two more runs. That was more than enough to secure the victory in the game and the series.
120. June 8, 2019: Rangers 3, Athletics 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Adrian Sampson
LP: Chris Bassitt
June 8 promised to be one of the biggest days of the Rangers’ 2019 season. The team would retire Adrian Beltre’s number 29 that day, but then they also rescheduled the April 13 rainout as the first game of a day-night doubleheader, which necessitated the emptying of the stadium between games. I had tickets to both games with Adam Latham, but I worried about the potential line to get in the second game. I decided to sit out the first game to secure a good spot in line. I missed the Rangers’ 10-5 win over the Oakland Athletics, but Adam and CI Kuo and I were one of the first few people in for the nightcap. Then after watching the ceremony from our usual seats, we relocated to section 202 to wait for Adrian to make his appearance for the Globe Life Park countdown. We saw the A’s Mark Canha homer off Texas starter Adrian Sampson in the fourth. However, Adam decided to wait in the corridors outside the section to get Adrian’s autograph. I stayed outside and Adrian came to get set in the bottom of the fifth. He signed autographs while the Rangers were mounting a comeback. As I got a box from the bobblehead giveaway signed, Texas scored two runs on a trio of singles, a hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly. The inning finally ended, and Adrian counted down with his family. Then he went in and signed some more. Adam got one and gleefully returned home, while I stayed to watch the end of the game. The Rangers scored one more run in the sixth on a walk and a triple. Oakland sent their Taiwanese reliever 王維中 to pitch the eighth. And Sampson recorded a complete game victory. It was all in all a terrific day.
121. June 13, 2019: Red Sox 7, Rangers 6
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
WP: Brandon Workman
LP: Peter Fairbanks
SV: Josh Smith
When I was visiting ballparks along the east coast in 2017, the Boston Red Sox were on the road, preventing a visit of the historic Fenway Park. I decided to make the Boston trip in 2019, especially as the Red Sox would be hosting the Texas Rangers. I secured tickets for myself and my brony buddy IRhymetheSongs. Boston actually had a worse record than the Rangers going into this game, and they started David Price, who was still Texas’s punching bag. The Rangers scored twice before Price had even recorded an out, including a run on a double that bounced off the top of the right field wall. They added two more before the end of the inning. Boston got a run back in the bottom of the inning against Rangers starter Adrian Sampson when J.D. Martinez homered, but Texas scored two more in the second to knock Price out of the game. The Rangers and their 6-1 lead were sitting pretty at that point. However, Boston immediately got back into the game in the bottom of the inning when they led off with two doubles, and Jackie Bradley Jr. blasted a three-run home run. The Rangers loaded the bases in the fourth on three walks, but failed to get a run in, then rookie Michael Chavis poked a Huge home run over the Green Monster. Rafael Devers homered an inning later to tie the game. Texas loaded the bases again in the seventh but once again failed to score, and in the bottom of the inning Xander Bogaerts homered off reliever Peter Fairbanks to give the Red Sox the lead. The Rangers had runners in scoring position the last two innings but couldn’t score the tying run, and the most excruciating Texas loss I saw in person was finished.
122. June 23, 2019: Rangers 7, White Sox 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Adrian Sampson
LP: Ivan Nova
SV: Shawn Kelley
I finished my annual east coast trip by driving overnight from Frederick, Maryland to Arlington for the annual Texas Rangers Season Ticket Holders Picnic with Adam Latham. I wanted to stick for the game against the Chicago White Sox, but I was so exhausted I wisely drove home to get some rest. I was back the next day where I got to see Adrian Sampson pitch for the fourth straight game. He delivered two strong innings before Texas gave him some run support in the second. Rougned Odor doubled and was sacrificed to second before a sacrifice fly drove him home. Then Tim Federowicz homered, and Danny Santana did as well after Shin-Soo Choo had reached on an error. They continued their barrage in the third, when Nomar Mazara led off with a double, and scored on a single by Delino DeShields. This time, Sampson didn’t falter with the lead until the fifth when he allowed three straight singles to lead off the inning, but he managed to escape the inning with no further damage. I went to section 201 to meet former Rangers starter Ken Hill who did the Globe Life Park countdown that day, then spent the rest of the afternoon with CI Kuo who had caught the Federowicz home run. We watched Sampson get through his seven strong innings before Peter Fairbanks struggled again in the eighth. He loaded the bases on two walks and a single, then forced home a run on a walk. Then Texas centerfielder Delino DeShields dropped an easy fly ball leading to two more runs. It was frustrating, but Shawn Kelley got out of the jam, then the Rangers scored two more insurance runs in the bottom of the inning on two singles and a double, and Kelley finished off the win.
123. July 4, 2019: Rangers 9, Angels 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Lance Lynn
LP: Griffin Canning
My next game would be the Fourth of July match-up between the Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels, but earlier in the week the entire baseball world was struck with the tragic news that the Angels’ scheduled starter Tyler Skaggs had passed away from mysterious circumstances. Los Angeles had rallied with two dominating victories in his honor. I did get a treat with Irvin Padilla coming from Houston for this game, and we watched Mike Trout wallop a home run in the first. Meanwhile Los Angeles starter Griffin Canning honored his fallen brethren by striking out the side in the bottom of the inning. However, it would be the Rangers that would strike in the second. They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. However, Canning came back to get two more strikeouts to end the inning, then his team regained the lead in the third with three straight singles. Texas fought back in the bottom of the inning, as Nomar Mazara drove in two runs with a double. Rougned Odor hit a two-run home run in the fourth before the Rangers tacked on another run on a double and a single. Texas starter Lance Lynn allowed a pair of singles in the seventh, but got out of the jam, and Odor put the game away with a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning. Irvin had to drive back to Houston after that, so I watched the rest of the game myself. The Angels picked up a run against Rangers reliever Locke St. John on a walk, a double and a groundout, but he still finished the game, and I made it out of the parking lot while most of the crowd stayed for the fireworks show.
124. July 13, 2019: Astros 7, Rangers 6 (11 inn.)
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Josh James
LP: Brett Martin
SV: Roberto Osuna
The Astros made their final trip to Globe Life Park with a four-game series coming out of the All-Star break. The Rangers tried to stay relevant in the Wild Card race with two victories, but I could only go to the second two games on the weekend. Texas starter Mike Minor made the All-Star team, but he struggled early on, allowing two runs in the first. However, the Rangers fought back against Houston starter Wade Miley, the victim of Adrian Beltre’s 3,000th hit almost two years earlier. Shin-Soo Choo and Danny Santana both led off with home runs. However, Minor allowed a double and two singles to lead off the third as the Astros reclaimed the lead. Texas went to work in the bottom of the inning. A pair of errors plus a walk loaded the bases, and a third error on a sacrifice fly led to two runs. Houston was unperturbed, and Alex Bregman’s home run in the fifth tied the game. They took the lead against the Rangers bullpen in the sixth on a bases-loaded error by Texas third baseman Logan Forsythe. Adrian Sampson struck out the side to limit the damage. Then Delino DeShields tied the game in the seventh with the 300th Major League home run I saw. The game went into extra innings and after a scoreless tenth it was on to the 11th. Rangers reliever Brett Martin got two quick outs but walked George Springer. Jose Altuve then doubled in the go-ahead run and went to third on the throw home. Martin intentionally walked Bregman to face Myles Straw, who singled to bring home an insurance run. That insurance run became important as Texas scored in the bottom of the inning, but the Astros still wrapped up the second 249-minute game I ever saw.
125. July 14, 2019: Astros 12, Rangers 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Justin Verlander
LP: Ariel Jurado
I spent the night with CI Kuo and was back at the ballpark the next day. The Astros would be sending their ace Justin Verlander to the mound. It was the first time I’d be watching Verlander pitch in the regular season. Texas’s starter Ariel Jurado doesn’t have the same track record, and he struggled in the first, loading the bases on a single and two walks. Then all three runners came to score on two singles and a sacrifice fly. Verlander surprisingly struggled in the bottom of the inning. He allowed three singles for a run. Then with two outs the Huge run scored on a single, but Nomar Mazara was thrown out trying to score the tying run. Houston battered Jurado for two more runs in the second before Asdrubal Cabrera walked to lead off the bottom of the inning. At that moment Verlander decided that enough was enough. He struck out the side, then didn’t allow another baserunner the rest of his afternoon. Jurado kept the Astros from scoring again as well, but the Texas bullpen wasn’t quite as fortunate. Houston led off the seventh with a single and a double for another run. Then an error by Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus and a walk loaded the bases. That brought up the diminutive Jose Altuve to face Kyle Bird. Altuve that got the best of the match-up as he lifted a grand slam over the left field fence. Yulieski Gurriel added a two-run home run before the inning was done. The Astros went to their bullpen in the bottom of the inning and Texas took advantage, scoring two runs on four walks and a single, but that was it for scoring that day as Justin Verlander recorded his 215th career win, tying Stan Coveleski and Jim Perry.
126. July 21, 2019: Astros 5, Rangers 3
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
WP: Rogelio Armenteros
LP: Lance Lynn
SV: Roberto Osuna
The Rangers’ freefall continued as they headed into their final series in Houston for the season. They lost the first two games to extend their losing streak to six, and I thought I might as well go and watch the Sunday matinee. Texas was starting Lance Lynn, who was fantastic since his early struggles with a 2.99 ERA in 13 starts since May 4. However, he struggled in a loss to the Diamondbacks, and he struggled early against the Astros. He walked Alex Bregman in the first before allowing a two-run home run to Michael Brantley. He then allowed a single to rookie sensation Yordan Alvarez before getting five strikeouts in a row. Meanwhile, the Rangers struggled to get anything done against Houston starter Rogelio Armenteros until the third. Jeff Mathis walked, then Shin-Soo Choo and Danny Santana followed with back-to-back singles to score the Huge run, but they failed to tie the score. Lynn struck out two in the third and struck out the side in the fourth, but he faced another Astros onslaught in the fifth. Jose Altuve homered with two outs. Then two singles with a walk in between led to another run. Houston went to their bullpen early and Nomar Mazara homered in the sixth, but that was all the team could manage against Astros relievers. Texas had a scare with their bullpen in the eighth. Brantley led off against Chris Martin with his second home run of the game. After a double, Rangers manager Chris Woodward called on Shawn Kelley, who hadn’t pitched in almost ten days. Kelley couldn’t finish his warmups before he had to leave, throwing his glove into the dugout out of frustration. Jose Leclerc finished the inning before Logan Forsythe hit a last-ditch home run in the ninth in another loss.
127. August 3, 2019: Rangers 5, Tigers 4 (10 inn.)
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jose Leclerc
LP: Nick Ramirez
The Rangers hosted the Detroit Tigers to open August. The Tigers were already the worst team in baseball by then, a remarkable accomplishment considering they were a game below .500 in early May. I went in hopes of securing an autograph of Jordan Zimmermann, the losing pitcher in Randy Johnson’s 300th win, but J-Zimm blew us off. Even worse, future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera signed for a bunch of players but skipped me deliberately. I dejectedly went to the Rebecca Creek Club, where I drowned my sorrows in American poutine and watched Texas starter Adrian Sampson stink it up. He allowed a leadoff double and a two-run home run to Cabrera. He then loaded the bases on a triple and two walks, but miraculously escaped the inning. The Rangers fought back when Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled and Jose Trevino singled in the third, and then Willie Calhoun led off the fourth with a solo home run. However, they couldn’t manage to take the lead, and the Tigers pounded Sampson some more in the fifth. Cabrera singled with two outs, then Brandon Dixon doubled. Miggy was too old and slow to score on the double, but he scored easily on Harold Castro’s two-run single. The lead lasted until the seventh, after Detroit turned to their bullpen. Trevino reached when Tigers right fielder Travis Demeritte overran a fly ball, allowing it to drop for an error. He scored when Delino DeShields doubled. Delinosaur went to third on a groundout and scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly. The Rangers almost walked it off in the ninth when Detroit second baseman Niko Goodrum made a diving snag of Elvis Andrus’s liner with Shin-Soo Choo on second. However, Rougned Odor made it a moot point with his walk-off home run in the tenth.
128. August 4, 2019: Rangers 9, Tigers 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Rafael Montero
LP: Jose Cisnero
I spent the night with CI Kuo once again before heading to the Sunday game to watch the Rangers go for the sweep. Adam Latham decided to come along. Jordan Zimmermann was making the start for Detroit. It was my first time watching him pitch since Randy Johnson’s 300th win 10 years earlier. While I wasn’t happy that he blew us off, I still wanted to see him do well, which didn’t happen often in 2019 with his 1-8 record and an ERA above 7. And Texas walloped on him in the first. Shin-Soo Choo led off with a double and went to third on Danny Santana’s single. Choo scored on a sacrifice fly and Santana did as well on a single. However, Zimmermann settled down, allowing the Tigers to catch up. The Huge run scored in the fourth when Texas second baseman Rougned Odor threw away a potential double play. Then Detroit took the lead in the fifth on Niko Goodrum’s two-run double. After that, Emmanuel Clase came out of the Rangers bullpen for his Major League debut and got out of the inning. The Rangers then fought back in the bottom of the inning when Santana blasted a two-run home run. Clase pitched well in the sixth, but he gave way to Brett Martin who allowed the tying run on another Texas error. Then came the bottom of the seventh. Zimmermann was gone, and the Rangers went to town against the Detroit bullpen. They loaded the bases on three walks, then Santana cleared them with a triple. He would score himself on a wild pitch. The Rangers added an insurance run in the eighth when Delino DeShields walked and Choo doubled him home, but that was already enough for Texas to record the season sweep against the Tigers.
129. August 9, 2019: Brewers 6, Rangers 5
Miller Park
Milwaukee, WI
WP: Josh Hader
LP: Emmanuel Clase
I had two more midwestern ballparks to visit, I settled on a weekend in early August when both teams were at home, since the Rangers would be playing the Milwaukee Brewers. I drove all night from Texas to Wisconsin. I managed to get a signature from Trevor Hoffman, inducted into the Brewers Wall of Honor that night, by correctly naming the Rangers starter Kolby Allard. Allard struck out the side in the first, but he also allowed a run on a single and a double. The Rangers answered when Hunter Pence homered in the fourth, but Milwaukee pulled ahead again in the fifth. Texas manager Chris Woodward asked for a replay review on Hernan Perez’s single, but the call was upheld. Allard then walked the bases loaded before Adrian Sampson walked in a run. The Rangers tied the game in a sixth when former Texas reliever Alex Claudio came in with the bases loaded and allowed a run on a wild pitch. He ran home and tried to flip the ball to his catcher Manny Pina, but the ball went over Pina’s head. Rougned Odor tried to score the go-ahead run. Pina retrieved the ball and shoved it to Claudio, who made the tag and Odor was called out. Replays showed that Odor was safe, but the Rangers already used their replay request. Texas loaded the bases in the seventh but couldn’t score, then Milwaukee added three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Rangers chipped away, with Logan Forsythe hitting a Huge two-run home run in the eighth, then Elvis Andrus tying the game on a home run against fireballing closer Josh Hader in the ninth. However, Texas sent Emmanuel Clase to send the game to extra innings, but he allowed a walk-off home run to Eric Thames.
130. August 10, 2019: White Sox 3, Athletics 2
Guaranteed Rate Field
Chicago, IL
WP: Reynaldo Lopez
LP: Tanner Roark
SV: Alex Colome
I got my hotel for the trip in Bloomington, Illinois, because it was about equidistant from the two ballparks. Plus, it was the resting place for 300-game winner Old Hoss Radbourn. I paid my tribute to the 19th century legend before making my way to Chicago’s South Side to finally watch a game at the stadium I passed for the first time in 1997. The Chicago White Sox were playing host to the Oakland Athletics. Before the game I bumped into ChungHan Wang, who was also making a ballpark tour of his own. The game was a tight affair, but the home team scored in the third inning. Yolmer Sanchez singled but was forced by Leury Garcia. Garcia stole second, but Oakland manager Bob Melvin wanted the play reviewed on replay. The call was upheld, and Garcia decided to press his luck to go to third. A’s catcher Chris Herrmann threw the ball away and the run scored. Then Eloy Jimenez led off the fifth with a home run, a good day to do so since the White Sox was giving away a bobblehead commemorating his first home run. The A’s loaded the bases in the seventh on three walks, but couldn’t score, then the White Sox added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning on a pair of singles. The game soon went to the ninth, and it seemed like Chicago closer Alex Colome would have an easy save when he struck out the first two batters. However, after a single and a double, Matt Chapman hit a grounder that should have been the final out, but it got past Chicago third baseman Ryan Goins for a two-run error. Oakland loaded the bases on two walks before Colome finally struck out Khris Davis to end the game.
131. August 17, 2019: Twins 12, Rangers 7
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Tyler Duffey
LP: Ariel Jurado
After that it was back to Texas, where I’d watch the Rangers host the Minnesota Twins. The Bomba Squad had stormed their way atop the AL Central, buoyed by their record home run output. I invited Brandi Ebbs to the Saturday game, because it was the night Josh Hamilton was being inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame. The Twins decided to play spoilers for the historic night, pounding Texas starter Ariel Jurado in the first. He could have gotten out of the inning without any runs, but he let the ball glance off his glove to ruin potential inning-ending 3-6-1 double play. That led to the first run, and five more followed, climaxing with a two-run jack by C.J. Cron. The Rangers tried to fight back with Danny Santana hitting a two-run home run, but Minnesota surged ahead in the second on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and an RBI fielder’s choice. Texas wasn’t ready to give up, scoring four in the bottom of the inning with the big blow coming off Santana’s second two-run home run of the game. Brandi and I made our way to section 202 in hopes of getting Hamilton’s autograph as he did the Globe Life Park Countdown. We were part of a large group waiting for the fifth inning to end, but the Twins scored on a bases-loaded RBI single in the top of the fifth, then the Rangers scored on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning. At last the inning ended, but then Hamilton would only sign for kids. We trudged out and watched Minnesota pound the Texas bullpen, scoring a run in the eighth against Shawn Kelley and two in the ninth against Adrian Sampson on Miguel Sano’s two-run home run. It was the end of a disappointing day.
132. August 18, 2019: Twins 6, Rangers 3
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Sam Dyson
LP: Emmanuel Clase
SV: Taylor Rogers
I spent the night with CI Kuo once again and was back the next day. I honestly can’t remember if Adam Latham came with me on this day, I think he did. Martin Perez was making the start for the Twins. My longtime least-favorite Rangers player signed with Minnesota after he was non-tendered by Texas. He had a stretch where he posted a 1.67 ERA in six starts, but since then his ERA had ballooned to 6.04. The Twins gave him a lead to work with, as they scored twice off Rangers starter Lance Lynn. Max Kepler walked and Jorge Polanco singled. Eddie Rosario drove in both runners on a double. Minnesota loaded the bases in the second on a single, a walk, and an error, but Lynn kept them from scoring. The Twins eventually added another run in the fourth when Rosario drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Meanwhile, Perez was pitching well against his former team, because of course he was, but the Rangers finally broke through in the fourth. Hunter Pence led off with a single, and Delino DeShields singled as well. A wild pitch advanced both runners, and Jeff Mathis came through with a miraculous and Huge two-run single. Alas, Perez got out of the jam and maintained the lead through the fifth. It didn’t matter as Texas tied the game against another former teammate, when Shin-Soo Choo led off with the seventh with a home run off Sam Dyson. They followed with two singles, but couldn’t score, and the Twins feasted on Emmanuel Clase’s 100-mph cutter in the eighth. They loaded the bases on a single, a double, a fielder’s choice out and a walk. Then Jorge Polanco blasted a triple to provide a margin that would last the remainder of the game.
133. September 1, 2019: Pirates 6, Rockies 2
Coors Field
Denver, CO
WP: Steven Brault
LP: Jeff Hoffman
I didn’t get to go to Michael Young’s number retirement ceremony, because I went to Denver to attend my cousin Elliot Ross’s wedding. There were no activities planned on Sunday, so I decided to go back to Coors Field to watch the Rockies play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both teams watched promising starts dissipate and were now last in their respective divisions. I thought Colorado would have nicer weather, but it was actually hotter at first pitch in Denver than it was in Texas. The warm weather helped the Pirates, as Adam Frazier led off the game with a home run. The next few innings went by without a single run, which was just as well because I was on watching the Astros game on MLB.TV watching Justin Verlander finish up his third career no-hitter. Eventually Pittsburgh scored again in the fifth. Bryan Reynolds and Starling Marte led off with singles. Marte was caught stealing second in a failed double steal, but Reynolds still scored on Josh Bell’s single. Nolan Arenado got Colorado on the board in the sixth when he homered against Pirates starter Steven Brault, but Brault opened the seventh with a home run of his own, the third pitcher home run I’ve seen. Pittsburgh added another run on an error before the inning was over. The Rockies chased Brault with a run three singles in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t close the gap even further. Sometime in the later innings a foul ball was hit to an empty row in the section next to me, but I couldn’t make it around the handrail between sections in time, and my drought of getting a foul ball continued. The Pirates added two more insurance runs in the ninth before their child rapist Felipe Vazquez finished up the game.
134. September 15, 2019: Athletics 6, Rangers 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Sean Manaea
LP: Jonathan Hernandez
SV: Jesus Luzardo
I was still smarting about my inability to get the foul ball in Colorado, so for my next game in Texas I resolved to spend it sitting with CI Kuo in left field. The Rangers were hosting the Oakland Athletics whose lineup was stocked with right-handed power hitters. Plus, Texas was starting Jonathan Hernandez, an untested rookie who allowed 11 home runs in 96 innings in AA Frisco. And Hernandez allowed a two-run home run to Oakland’s star shortstop Marcus Semien in the third, but it landed in center field to the right of Greene’s Hill. Then the A’s added two more runs without the advent of a home run when Hernandez and his reliever Ian Gibault walked two then Seth Brown hit a two-run double. We continued to wait for any action, but nothing even approached left field. Nobody even hit a fly ball to left until the sixth, when Khris Davis and Sean Murphy both hit liners to left, but they fell for singles as Oakland picked up another run. The Rangers couldn’t get any balls towards left field either until the seventh when Rougned Odor hit a dinky little fly ball along the left field line. It was caught for an easy out. Texas finally produced a run in the eighth against the A’s highly anticipated rookie Jesus Luzardo on his second inning of work. Jose Trevino doubled, then Shin-Soo Choo singled. Trevino scored on a passed ball, and the Rangers loaded the bases with no outs after two walks. However, Luzardo got a pair of strikeouts and escaped the inning. Matt Chapman then homered in the ninth towards Greene’s Hill, and that’s the ballgame. It was a disappointing finish, and I drowned my sorrows by running the bases at Globe Life Park for the final time.
135. September 28, 2019: Rangers 9, Yankees 4
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Jonathan Hernandez
LP: Luis Severino
I had tickets for all three games of the final series at Globe Life Park against the New York Yankees. However, I realized the Friday game fell on the fifth anniversary of my favorite movie of all time My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks, so I stayed at home to watch it with my fellow degenerates in debt for dakis. Then I went to the Saturday game. The Rangers were using an opener in Luke Farrell, but he allowed triple to Aaron Judge, who scored on a sacrifice fly. However, Texas fought back in the bottom of the inning when Shin-Soo Choo and Danny Santana walked, executed a double steal, and scored on Rougned Odor’s double. Jonathan Hernandez came in and pitched much better as the primary pitcher. The Rangers added a run in the fourth when Jose Trevino doubled home Scott Heineman, but they left the bases stranded. That could have hurt them, but any chances of New York taking advantage ended with double plays in the fifth and sixth. Then Texas burst the game open in the bottom of the sixth. They scored a run on two singles and two walks. The bases remained loaded, but Santana struck out. Then came Odor, who was having a putrid season. However, he also had 29 home runs, and made it 30 with a stirring grand slam. The Rangers added another run on three singles. The game was pretty much over, but the Yankees tried to make it interesting. Texas sent Jose Leclerc to pitch the ninth inning of this non-save situation. Yet he loaded the bases on a walk, a single, and a hit-by-pitch, and Didi Gregorius cleared the bases on a double before the final out. He still needs work, but the Rangers sent their fans home happy.
136. September 29, 2019: Rangers 6, Yankees 1
Globe Life Park
Arlington, TX
WP: Lance Lynn
LP: Masahiro Tanaka
At long last it was here, the final game at Globe Life Park. Adam Latham was here, but he had to sit in a different section as the demand for tickets was so high. There would be a ceremony after the game, but there was still much pomp and circumstance beforehand, as the team invited 300-game winner Nolan Ryan to throw a final first pitch to Kenny Rogers. Then we settled in to watch the game. It was the Yankees’ turn to use an opener, and this backfired on them as the Rangers scored in the first. Shin-Soo Choo walked and Elvis Andrus singled. They did a double steal, and Choo ended up scoring after New York catcher Gary Sanchez threw the ball away. That was all Texas would get, and the Yankees tied the game on Aaron Judge’s home run in the third. However, the Rangers answered against New York’s primary pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Choo doubled and Andrus singled. Tanaka threw to first, but the ball got away from Yankees first baseman DJ LeMahieu and Choo scored. Andrus went to second and he would score on a single. Texas added insurance runs in the fifth when they loaded the bases on a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk, and Ronald Guzman hit a two-run single. Then in the sixth, Jose Trevino and went to third on a walk and a forceout before scoring on a sacrifice fly. The Yankees tried desperately not only get back in the game, but also to reclaim the all-time single-season home run record from the Minnesota Twins, who led 307-306. However, Rangers starter Lance Lynn pitched into the eighth and didn’t allow anything after Judge’s homer. Jose Leclerc got the job done in the ninth, and Texas bid farewell to their ballpark in style.
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Aaaaand that didn’t work quite as expected. I did most of the writing in the days before the season was supposed to start. And then rather than filling in the void from a lack of baseball, reliving these games no matter how disastrous they were just reminds me how much I miss the sport.
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