Lucroy’s teammates mob him between first and second as he drives in the tying and winning runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, dropping the Rangers’ magic number to clinching the West to six games.

It is almost too unbelievable to believe. For the second time in three games, the Texas Rangers engineered a remarkable comeback with two outs in their last at-bat.

Last night, the unfortunate victims were Ryan Madson and the Oakland Athletics.

And the fortunate recipient was Cole Hamels, who has now given up at least six earned runs in three of his last four starts, and, along with the runs, his hopes at an American League Cy Young Award.

Forgetting awards, the Rangers need to get Hamels right. After the game, Jeff Banister said he isn’t worried about his ace. Which is manager-speak for he is worried about him. How can he not be? All World Series aspirations reside on that left arm.

Hamels left the game down 6-2 after giving up two three-run innings. But the Rangers chipped away.

Top to bottom this is the most talented Rangers lineup in memory. It’s pretty hard to beat. As their record of seven walk-off wins, nineteen wins in their last at-bat, eight wins when trailing after eight innings, thirty-four one-run wins, and forty-five come-from-behind wins indicates.

When Jonathan Lucroy singled home the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the ninth, Cole Hamels’s struggles were forgotten.

At least for one night.

It was an amazing end to a bad start.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Raul Alcantara (0-1, 7.27) vs. Yu Darvish (5-4, 3.28)
Game time: 7:05

How the Athletics hit against Darvish.
The Rangers have never faced Alcantara.

RANGERS MAGIC NUMBER: 6