Three Thoughts on Rangers at Orioles, Game 2
Texas continues their unbeaten stretch in the 2023 MLB Playoffs
Three Thoughts was made for weeks like this. There is so much for a football media guy to be busy on without wandering over to the baseball playoffs, too. But, if we are going to do #SturmStack correctly, we vow not to let a playoff game happen without at least 1,000 words on each and every one. We must make room for these rare occasions – even if the game is right before the biggest Cowboys game of this season so far.
We are doing this. #Skoden
The Rangers incredibly won their fourth straight road playoff game today as they won Game 2 in their series in Baltimore against the Orioles, 11-8. They take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series which will play Game 3 on Tuesday.
These are my three thoughts:
- Happy one week anniversary since the Rangers let everybody down by not winning the 162nd game in Seattle because they celebrated their victory from the 161st game too much – for those who celebrate. I mean, seriously. Was that only a week ago? Was that when they couldn’t score? Today, they chased Grayson Rodriguez early and pounded the ball handsomely. They have scored double-digit runs for the 26th time again this season and responded brilliantly to falling behind early as the Orioles scored two in the first. But, when you score five in the 2nd and four more in the 3rd, you can quickly see that the Rangers are now all feeling great about themselves.
In any sport and in any playoff run, we always say that your best players have to be your best players. This is true, of course, but it is also a lot to ask of them when you have four rounds to navigate. What if you can win a huge Game 2 in Baltimore and do it with Leody Taveras, Mitch Garver, and Jonah Heim all doing so much heavy lifting? That is a sign that everyone is stepping up and ready to be a hero. Then you see Cody Bradford firing fastballs past victims on the hill because Jordan Montgomery might not have his best stuff in this situation because you are using the heck out of him.