Hunter Pence was so close to immortal status but Astros outfield Josh Reddick robbed him of it.

They always say baseball is a game of inches. Ask Hunter Pence about the ball he hit last night in the ninth. He’d say it’s more like a game of a quarter of an inch.

That’s how close he came to hitting his second home run of the game, and his second game-changing home run in two games.

After hitting a pinch-hit grand slam Wednesday afternoon in Pittsburgh, he came up in the ninth inning of last night’s game against Houston’s dominating closer Roberto Osuna, who uncharacteristically allowed the first two to reach in the ninth clinging to a 4-2 lead.

Hunter Pence came so close to turning it around. He did what every Rangers fan wanted him to do. He hit it over the fence in right field. It just so happened that Josh Reddick’s glove got there as the ball did and he turned the game-defining home run into a gut-punching out.

That’s truly what baseball is. Not a game of inches. A game that punches you in the gut. Night after night.

And still we come back for more.

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TODAY’S GAME:

Lance Lynn (4-2, 5.75) vs. Justin Verlander (5-1, 2.86)
Game time: 7:10