The Texas Rangers are entering the final weekend of the 2023 baseball season with a chance to achieve something they have not done since 2016: win the American League West.
The Rangers began a four-game series against the Mariners in Seattle on Thursday, and they need just one win to clinch the division. While they lost to Seattle for just the second time this season, they maintain a two-game divisional lead with only three games remaining.
“We’ve got some baseball left,” manager Bruce Bochy told members of the media after Thursday’s loss. “Nobody thought this would be easy. We’re in their park. Give them credit. They fought back and found a way to win that ball game.”
The Rangers scored the game’s first two runs on solo home runs from Leody Taveras and Adolis Garcia and entered the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead. Reliever Aroldis Chapman began the ninth on the mound but allowed all three hitters he faced to reach base before being pulled.
John Hernandez replaced him and got two quick outs, but J.P. Crawford delivered a two-run walk-off single to win the game for Seattle.
“It’s only one loss,” starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who allowed one run and struck out five over five innings, told the media after the game. “We’re still on top of the division and still hold our own fate. We’re still a good team. Chappy’s a really important part of our team. … We just need to be good teammates to him, keep supporting everybody, and keep doing what we do.”
“Everyone in that locker room knows how hard baseball is,” he continued. “We’ve just got to be patient and come back tomorrow.”
Texas can clinch the division with a win in any of its final three games. Failing that, it would have to fight off Toronto and either Houston or Seattle for a wild card spot.
The Rangers resume their four-game series with Seattle at 9:10 p.m. CT on Friday. Nathan Eovaldi (12-4, 3.26 ERA) takes the mound against Seattle’s Bryan Woo (4-5, 4.39 ERA).
