The Rangers are home, up 2-0, having won the first two games in Baltimore.

In the playoff era, which started in 1969, only three teams have won the first two road games in a best-of-five series and not won the series.

The last team to fail that miserably was your very own Texas Rangers, who suffered humiliating defeat in Game 5 of the 2015 Division Series against Toronto after committing three errors in a row, then giving up the famous Jose Batista home run.

This franchise has a knack for soul crushing moments. 

But this team seems to be finding its first-half stride, when they would rack up runs and wins, and they rendered the porous bullpen irrelevant.

They have their All-Star pitcher starting tonight. They have a hot Evan Carter and Josh Jung. They have the rock-solid Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. And they are at home, where they went 50-31.

The Rangers are one game away from playing in the Championship Series.  One little game that is the biggest game this franchise has played in since 2016. So close and six long miserable losing seasons in the rear view mirror away.

They aren’t just facing the Orioles tonight, they are facing the demons of 2015. The hardest victory is that last one.

*****