Be honest, in the bottom of the third when Marcus Semien struck out with bases loaded to strand three runners, you figured, here we go again, another frustrating offensive performance, right?

You wouldn’t be alone. And you wouldn’t be wrong for thinking it. Because, while the Rangers offense is showing signs of life since Bret Boone took over as hitting coach two weeks ago, it’s still not clicking.

That third inning was a prime example. With the Rangers down 1-0. Kyle Higashioka walked to lead off the inning. Then Sam Haggarty doubled him to third. Okay, second and third, no outs, this is a golden opportunity. All Josh Smith has to do is hit a ground ball to the right side or drive a ball deep enough to score Higashioka. 

Instead he popped up to shallow left. 

After an infield single by the struggling Wyatt Langford tied the game, Rangers had runners at first and third, with one out. Josh Jung, who has been the hottest Ranger hitter, struck out. Were the Rangers ever going to get that big hit?

Adolis Garcia walked to load the bases. 

That elusive big hit was desperately needed here. Instead, Marcus Semien continued his season-and-a-quarter slump and struck out.

The Rangers let the Astros off the hook. They stranded Joc Pederson at second in the fourth, and went down one-two-three in the fifth.

And it appeared the lackluster offense was back.

Then the unlikeliest of things happened in the sixth. Marcus Semien got a single. Rangers’ fans collective shouted, “where was that last time when we really needed it?”

Then Joc Pederson, the poster boy for offensive ineptitude, slugged a home run to right to put the Rangers up 3-1, and just like that, the two biggest culprits in the Rangers offensively struggles had put the Rangers on top.

Suddenly, it felt like maybe, just maybe, there is life in this offense. 

Then, the Rangers did the impossible. They actually tacked on more runs in the next inning, on a two-run homer from Langford.

Hey, it wasn’t Murderers Row. It wasn’t The Big Red Machine. But the Little Bitty Rangers made the most of their six hits in a 5-1 win over Houston that was wholly satisfying.

A lot of demons were slayed yesterday. Maybe, just maybe, this is the corner the Rangers offense has been desperately trying to turn.

*****