ARLINGTON, Texas — Who would have guessed that this Texas Rangers team that took a series off the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine is the same team that got swept earlier this season by the Colorado Rockies?
It’s the same team that scored a full run per game more last year than they have so far this season. It’s the same team that, even though they have a full rotation’s worth of arms coming back from injury, were able to keep the mighty Dodgers quiet for two games in a row which was all they needed to grab the series.
Regardless of who this Rangers team thinks they are, they snuck the heck out of Los Angeles with two wins out of three games in tow.
- Game 66: Texas 2, Los Angeles 15 (W: Paxton, 6-1, L: Dunning, 4-5)
- Game 67: Texas 3, Los Angeles 2 (W: Latz, 2-1, L: Buehler, 1-4, Sv: Yates, 9)
- Game 68: Texas 3, Los Angeles 1 (W: Lorenzen, 4-3, L: Grove, 4-3, Sv: Yates, 10)
Latent Langford
Rookie Wyatt Langford, the Rangers’ top draft pick from last year, had high expectations riding on him coming into the year. By the end of April, Langford had floundered to a lowly .229 batting average. His shortcomings as the designated hitter have been part of the reason that the Rangers haven’t been scoring consistently.
But in the finale against Los Angeles, Langford, more known for strong, laser beam hits, floated a couple of dunkers over the infield, resulting in a couple of runs crossing the plate which proved to be the difference.
Over his last week of games, Langford has hit over .300, which has brought his season average up to .245 – certainly not what Texas was expecting after his superlative Spring Training, but a solid rebound for a guy that the Rangers are counting on to figure it out as a down-the-order threat.
One shot Seager
Sometimes, one shot is all you need. After a terrible 15-2 loss in Tuesday night’s opener, on Wednesday, that sentiment rang true for Texas, and if ever they were only going to get one crack at doing damage, a returning Corey Seager was the man for the job just as he has been in the biggest moments during his time with the Rangers.
Seager, who missed the previous weekend series against the San Francisco Giants with hamstring soreness, made his return to the lineup on Wednesday and played in his first game at Dodgers Stadium as a member of the Rangers after beginning his career with the Dodgers.
Seager, who was red hot before the injury made him sit for a few games, made his lone game in this series count, going 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored on the only scoring that happened for Texas as he hit a two-out, three-run Jimmy Jack in the 5th inning with the Rangers trailing 1-0 in a game they would eventually win 3-2.
Robertson ready
With the Rangers up 3-1 on Wednesday night, every inning that passed by was an opportunity for the mighty Dodgers’ lineup to make that lead dissipate. One of those innings that appeared most dangerous of undoing Texas was the bottom of the eighth. Due up for the Dodgers were Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman, all former MVPs.
Setup man David Robertson, perhaps the Rangers’ most consistent reliever, started the inning to preserve the lead, and he navigated the All-MVP inning convincingly, striking out the Dodgers’ Big Three in order on just 15 pitches.
Keeping those three off the basepaths played a huge role in Kirby Yates’ ability to preserve the lead for the win as Los Angeles scored a run off Yates but Texas claimed victory with a tag on a play at the plate for the game’s final out.
The following night, again protecting a 3-1 lead, Robertson allowed the bottom two hitters in the Dodger lineup to reach base, making his job even more difficult against Los Angeles’ terrific trio. But Robertson proved up to the task again, striking out Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman for a second night in a row. In the grand scheme of a long season, perhaps this will get lost, but in the here and now, Robertson’s performance against those three elite hitters seemed to be the difference between a couple of wins for Texas or a few more disappointing losses.
Lights out Lorenzen
The Dodgers’ offense had been inconsistent as of late, but when you line your lineup with MVPs and All-Stars, you’re dangerous at a moment’s notice. After all, Los Angeles was able to score 15 runs off Texas in the opener and that included four home runs in one inning.
However, after holding the Dodgers to just two runs on Wednesday night, Thursday night’s starter Michael Lorenzen didn’t seem fazed by the star power that studded the Los Angeles lineup in the finale rubber match.
Lorenzen was able to hold the Dodgers to just one run on four hits in seven innings of work. The one run came via a line drive homer by rookie Andy Pages. Lorenzen only struck out two Dodgers, but was keeping them on their toes by throwing quality strikes and inducing contact.
Even though some of that contact was hard, it wasn’t hard enough to leave the yard or cause any real damage. The result was a stellar starting performance that paved the way to another Robertson/Yates tandem to close things out and seal a series win for the Rangers.
The Rangers were able to take this series despite being outscored by ten runs overall. They scored just enough runs to win the final two games and can hold their heads up for that achievement as they next head to Seattle to take on a Mariners team that sits atop the American League West.
Do you think the Rangers will use this series victory over LA as a springboard for their season? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
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