Texas Rangers clinch third consecutive playoff spot

Following tonight’s win against the Los Angeles Angels, the Texas Rangers will head to the post season for the third consecutive season.

It didn’t start out well for the Rangers though, as by the end of the first inning they trailed 4-0. Mike Napoli led the charge driving in six runs with two home runs and a double. This was Napoli’s 10th career multi-homer game, and four of those have come against the Angels just in the past two years.

Derek Holland earned the win even though he allowed four runs in the first and was close to being pulled for Roy Oswalt before the inning was over. After the Rangers rallied to take an 8-4 lead, Holland also gave up a three-run home run to Howard Kendrick in the seventh inning that made it a one-run game. Holland ends the regular season 12-6 with a 4.69 ERA.

Joe Nathan blew the save in the first game of the doubleheader but came back in the second game to pitch a scoreless inning locking the Rangers into the postseason. The Rangers beat the Angels in a 8-7.

Tonight’s win makes the magic number two going into the final regular season series for the Rangers. Tonight’s win guaranteed them at least a Wild Card spot but now they go and play the Oakland Athletics – the team that is trailing them by two games for the division title.

This will be the sixth playoff appearance in the franchises history. The Rangers appeared in the last two World Series’ losing to San Francisco and St. Louis.

John Boarman
John Boarmanhttp://www.tireball.com
Founder and Owner of Tireball Sports.

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