The Texas Rangers scored eight runs while the Colorado Rockies scored three runs.
Right around this time last year, the Rangers stopped off in Colorado for a series at the end of a road trip. The offense wasn’t really clicking back then and Texas seemed mired in a World Series hangover.
In that series, the Rangers were swept by a Rockies team that wasn’t too far off from their horrible state from this year, having won only nine games at the time Texas came to town rather than seven so far this year. Included in that sweep — in which the Rangers were outscored 15-6 — were some miserable late-innings disasters as Texas fell out of first place for the last time on their way to a losing year.
That was pretty much the series where it felt like, “Ok, well, this probably isn’t their year.” The Rangers would dip below .500 a few series later and they would ultimately never recover.
Fast forward to a year later and while the bats have certainly still struggled, and there’s no cocksure feeling yet about the direction that Texas is headed one way or the other, at least they weren’t fuckin’ swept by the Colorado Rockies.
Instead, the Rangers swept the Rockies this go-round and have moved back to within a game of first place in the AL West as they’ve tied their season-best five-game winning streak.
Player of the Game: There was a lot to like tonight including every member of the starting lineup getting a hit or reaching base. Texas scored four runs in the first inning and led 2-0 two batters into the bottom of the first after a two-run homer by Wyatt Langford.
The Rangers also got a two-RBI double from Jake Burger and a two-run home run from Adolis Garcia.
However, I’d like to point out that the Rangers have now gotten seven starts from Patrick Corbin and he’s sporting a respectable 3.35 ERA with three victories. Tonight, Corbin tossed six innings and allowed the three runs on a couple of dingers but he also walked just one batter and struck out nine.
Corbin has been far better than anyone could have hoped for when he was signed to soak up innings and it was nice to see him rewarded with early runs and an easy game in which to pitch. It was a very symbiotic victory tonight for Texas.
Up Next: The Rangers get a crack at the hated Astros for the first time this season with an excellent matchup in the opener. RHP Jacob deGrom is expected to pitch for Texas opposite RHP Hunter Brown for Houston.
The Thursday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.