After winning four straight to go 10-6, the Rangers promptly lost four in a row, three of those to the White Sox, playing so poorly they ran into one of the lamest triple plays ever in one of the losses. They lost the opener to the Yankees, then won the second game of the series 10-1. Remember how Nomar Mazara made such a sudden impact?

*****

THE LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER.
Originally published April 27, 2016

It was bound to happen. The offense was bound to explode. And it couldn’t have happened against a better team.

Any time the Rangers win, it’s sweet. When they win against the Yankees, it’s like nectar of the gods.

The scoring started, as it almost always does, with Nomar Mazara. The guy turned twenty-one yesterday, has played fourteen major league games, and, it’s safe to say, is the best player on the Rangers. Adrian Beltre is the most valuable. And will be until he quits playing, at age fifty-seven.

But Mazara is the best right now. His team-leading .356 average and .945 OPS and brilliant defense and smart base running attest to that.

Mazara was called up to be a filler for Choo. He wasn’t ready to be a full-time major leaguer. He was just twenty. He had only about 100 at-bats above the Double-A level. He was making time.

What he’s making, though, is a legend of himself. Mazara rolled out of bed hitting. And hitting. And hitting.

When the Rangers weren’t hitting, he was. When the Rangers were being no-hit, he got a hit. When the Rangers desperately needed a hit, he got one. Or two. Or three.

Last night, after four straight games of offensive futility, the Rangers desperately needed a spark.

Second batter in, they got it. A single from Mazara, which seems like a twice-nightly occurrence, kick started what would turn out to be a ten-run outburst. Like a starving man stumbling into an all-you-can-eat buffet, the Rangers feasted.

In the third inning, with two outs, Mazara singled again to kick off a five-run rally. After that, the game was well in control. The offense poured it on, before the skies opened up and did the same.

In the end, the Rangers scored a season high ten runs.

The scary thing is, Mazara is just getting started. He might score eleven runs himself today.