So, here we are in the most miserable of seasons, and Travis Jankowski does something incredible that reminds us that, no matter how bad the Rangers are, something magical could happen any time, so stay tuned.
MLB.com calls it a “once in a lifetime” play. It was a superhuman catch at the most critical time in a game, only slightly damped by the fact it was the putrid Rangers versus the even more putrid White Sox, and nothing important was at stake, only a meaningless W.
But what a play.
The Rangers took a slim 4-3 lead against the hapless White Sox into the bottom of the ninth. The White Sox, as a reminder, are on a collision course with the worst record ever, already at 102 losses after dropping the first game of the night.
But Bruce Bochy put in Andrew Chafin, a guy who never saw a lead he couldn’t destroy. He gave up a single to the first White Sox hitter, Nicky Lopez. Then, an out later, a single to Andrew Benintendi.
That brought up Andrew Vaughn. With the count 1-2, Chafin tossed one of his hittable sliders, and Vaughn crushed it. All nine fans in the White Sox ballpark were sure it was a game-winning home run. So were the announcers on both teams. So did Chafin and seven of the Rangers on the field.
But Travis Jankowski took off after it. Got to the fence. Jumped about four feet off the ground, reached two feet over the fence, and somehow plucked the ball out of the air.
Losing 102 of their first 132 games was nothing compared to the heartache the White Sox felt right there. The baseball gods were reminding them, sorry, they aren’t supposed to win.
Travis Jankowski made one of the best plays ever made to turn a game-winning three-run homer into an out.
That’s why we love baseball. That’s why we need to tune in every night. Because somewhere in the futile offensive flailing that eight Rangers (Seager not included) go through every night in a futile attempt at offense, you just might see something magical.
For being forced to watch the remain Rangers game, we have Travis Jankowski to blame.
*****
TODAY’S GAME:
