Sunday afternoon marked the final regular season home game for the Rangers of 2023 and it has been a very successful home slate.
Texas finished the season with a 50-31 record at Globe Life Field and the fans took notice. Over 2.5 million Ranger fans attended a game in Arlington this season, the most since the team’s last winning season in 2016.
As for today’s game, the Rangers were looking for the sweep of the Seattle Mariners and their fifth straight win overall.
For the tenth time this season, Marcus Semien led off the game with a solo home run. This is the eleventh time in MLB history in which a player has ten or more leadoff home runs in a single season.
That would be just the start of a home run parade as home runs from Semien (2), Seager, Garcia, Taveras, and Carter would give the Rangers six on the day, their most in Globe Life Field history.
Unfortunately, today’s starter Nathan Eovaldi would struggle today exiting with a final line of 5.0 IP 6H 5ER 2BB 6K.
In the sixth inning, Nathan Eovaldi’s struggles continued as he would leave without being able to record an out after Seattle loaded the bases.
Martin Perez would come on and allow all three inherited runners to score as the Mariners climbed back into the game cutting the Rangers lead down to 7-5.
Evan Carter’s two-run home run in the bottom of the 6th would prove to be the big swing of the day as it scored Texas’ 8th and 9th runs of the day and they needed all nine runs to hold onto this one.
“We had our whole team out there which we haven’t had a lot because of the injuries that we’ve dealt with, people going out. We’re facing good pitching and putting runs on the board” Bochy said.
After throwing 18 pitches last night it would be Jose Leclerc who was responsible for coming on and earning the save with the Rangers leading 9-8. Seattle would get the tying and go-ahead runs on base but Leclerc slammed the door.
Bochy said “He’s [Leclerc] been throwing the ball well, he’s been pitching with confidence, he did last night and he did today. He threw 18 pitches last night and we needed to close that game and there he was throwing 97/98, good poise out there, great job by him”
The Rangers would win a thriller by a score of 9-8 to sweep the Mariners and close out the regular season home schedule. With the win and an Astros loss, the Rangers now lead the AL West by 2.5 games as they head on the final road trip of the season.
Bochy said, “It’s that time of year, these guys understand the situation, they’re excited to be out there; this is what you play for”.
