Strike.

Strike.

Foul.

Ball.

Ball.

Foul.

Ball.

Foul.

Foul.

Foul.

Foul.

Foul.

Foul.

Foul.

Line out to left.

In what has to be the most fruitful leadoff out in Rangers playoff history, Nathanial Lowe systematically sapped the life out of Orioles starter Dean Kremer’s arm, making him throw pitch after pitch after pitch. On the fifteenth pitch of the at-bat, Kramer succeeded. It would be his last success.

Josh Jung singled. Marcus Semien doubled. Corey Seager walked, Mitch Garver doubled, and Adolis Garcia capped it off with a three-run dagger, giving the Rangers a 6-0 lead. Kramer was done. The rest of his Orioles were just seven innings behind him.

Nathanial Lowe ended up homering in the sixth inning for the Rangers seventh and final run of a 7-1 Game 3 victory, a three-game sweep of the Orioles.

The other Nate was just as great. While the Rangers bats were performing at the plate, Nathan Eovaldi was cutting a gem on the mound. Seven innings, seven strikeouts, no walks, one earned run. It was a performance even Aroldis Chapman could not ruin, try as he might.

When Jose Leclerc struck out Jordan Westburg to end the game, the largest crowd to ever witness a game in the brief history of The Shed erupted into a mixture of elation and tears.

These fans had been through a lot, six years of losing—102 losses just two seasons ago. Then Chris Young was brought in to win. He brought Bruce Bochy in to win. And the Rangers followed suit.

For the first time since 2011, the Texas Rangers are in the American League Championship Series. All it took was a change of GM, a change of manager, a change of philosophy. And a fifteen-pitch at-bat.

*****