“This ball is history” in more ways than one last night when Adrian Beltre homered to become only the fourth player in history to have hit for the cycle three times in his career. 

Every team plays 162 games a season. 50 series. As the ebbs and flows of the baseball season go, some are more important than others.

I cannot think of a more critical series the Rangers have than the three games to close out this mammoth streak of 13 in a row against first place teams.

But these three against Houston are important because the Rangers are in the cliché part of the season.

Make or break time. Do or die time. Dog days of summer time. Contenders or pretenders time.

Throw out the cliché, it applies.

The good news is, the Rangers are playing great baseball when they need it most. After last night’s 12-9 win over Houston, the Rangers 7-4 in Hell Week (actually it’s two weeks).

Last night’s game was a barnburner, a slugfest, a good old fashioned roust and any other cliché.

But it was an entertaining game from start to finish. If you love offense—and if you weren’t Colby Lewis or Lance McCullers.

But if you were Adrian Beltre, it was a night to remember. He entered rarified air by becoming one of only four players (Adrian Beltre, Babe Herman, John Reily and Bob Meusel) to hit for the cycle three times in his career. As if his itinerary to Cooperstown needed any more stops.

The first game of what is the most important series of the year goes to the Rangers, who have gone 5-1 since their Cole Hamels infusion.

The Angels might be in second place right now, but they are just renting it. Tonight we saw the two hottest teams in the West.

A Texas two-step.

Soon, the Rangers will be stepping over the Angels.