It took three just pitches.

Three pitches to blitzkrieg over the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth. Three pitches to stun both Guardian fans and Ranger fans alike. Three pitches to remind us of what this team could have been and, conversely, what this team has squandered.

It was another typical 2025 Rangers game. A brilliant Nathan Eovaldi start in which he went seven innings, giving up just one run, and leaving the game with a 2-1 lead. A frustrating game in which the offense disappeared one again and threatened to waste yet another brilliant start. A soul crushing game in which the bullpen caved again and blew another lead with a two-run eighth inning.

These were all the ingredients of this Rangers team.

Then, suddenly and surprisingly, they added a spice that’s been badly missing. The ability to comeback.

Wyatt Langford led off the bottom of the ninth with a ground ball up the middle that he, for some odd, totally insane reason, decided to turn into a double. It was the kind of move that was both daring and deadly. 

They had just come off a disastrous road trip that saw them run into ten outs on the basepaths with daring and deadly and, quite frankly, stupid, baserunning.

But maybe he felt he had nothing to lose. This season had nothing to lose. And he never broke stride and ended up at second. By the thinnest of margins.

Langford doubled.

The next pitch to Corey Seager was drilled up the middle to score Langford as Seager took second on the throw.

The next pitch to Joc Pederson was a double in the gap in right to score Seager.

And just like that: Three pitches. Two runs. One win. 

It’s probably too little too late. But for one night, the Rangers gave their fans a taste of what they could have been had they been able to do what they should have been able to do all season. 

*****