A wild celebration in the Texas clubhouse as the Rangers celebrate clinching an improbable fourth place finish.

Better late than never as the saying goes. When Rangers closer Alex Claudio enduced Marcus Semien to ground into a force play at second to end the game, the dream was fulfilled.

Fourth place!

Sure it took all of 160 games into the season to do it. But who cares? Last night the Texas Rangers clinched fourth place in the American League West.

It was the culmination of an incredible stretch that started back in March and continued through the downs and downs of the season. At times it looked bleak, but the Rangers took matters into their own hands, persevering down the stretch, winning that one game in their final ten they needed to win in order to make the dream come true.

Fourth place!

When it really matters, Jeff Banister-led teams rise to the occasion though. The 2015 playoffs. The 2016 playoffs. And the stretch run for the wild card in 2017. He has them prepared.

“My men saw the task ahead of them, win just one game out of their last ten,” Banister noted. “And by gum, they did it. There’s no quit in that locker room.”

So, let the Champagne celebration begin. The Texas Rangers are now the 2017 West Division second-to-last-place team.

Fourth place, here we are!

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Daniel Gossett (4-10, 5.82) vs. Andrew Cashner (10-11, 3.42)
Game time: 7:05

How the Athletics hit against Cashner.
The Rangers have never hit against Gossett.