Last night’s 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers may have been the most satisfying victory of the season for the Rangers. 

After being thrashed 15-2 in the series opener on Tuesday, Texas pulled off a cliffhanger 3-2 win with the tying run thrown out at home to end the game. Those three runs were courtesy of Corey Seager, back from a tight hamstring.

But when Seager was scratched late, after already being put in the original lineup, it really looked hopeless for the Rangers.

Their only hitter lost, how were they going to generate enough offense?

They did. Turns out, they didn’t really need to. Not the way Micheal Lorenzen pitched.

In what could easily be the most important start in 2024 by a Texas Rangers pitcher, Michael Lorenzen was masterful, tossing six shutout innings against Betts, Ohtani, Freeman, Hernandez, and the nine-deep row of land mines that is the Dodgers lineup. He gave up a solo home run in the seventh to end his shutout. But all in all, it was seven masterful innings. 

Combine that with the three runs the Seagerless offense was able to scratch out, and the Rangers pulled off the biggest surprise of the season. 

They came into Los Angeles, brushed off a butt whipping, and won the three-game series with pitching and a bullpen that bent a bit but never broke.

Now they head into an important three-game showdown with division-leading Seattle, with a bit of swagger and some added confidence.

Maybe Rangers fans can look back at this series and say this was the turning point.

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