Three Thoughts on Rangers at Rays, Game 1

Rangers strike the first blow of the playoffs with a gem of a performance.

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. That’s all true, but here’s the thing. The only thing stopping me from making time to give you three thoughts on a baseball playoff game that I was pumped to see would be my own boundaries. So, I am going to make it happen here at #Sturmstack because I can and this game deserved it.

The Rangers won Game 1 in Tampa today, 4-0. They now need one of the remaining two games to advance to the ALDS vs Baltimore.

These are my three thoughts:

- Jordan Montgomery delivered a playoff performance worth yelling about. In the picture above, you can see him punctuating a job well done with that full-chested and thunderous roar. He had just struck out his last batter – the extremely young pinch-hitter Junior Caminero – to get out of the 7th with his shutout effort intact. Boy, was he pumped and so was any Rangers enthusiast witnessing the first playoff win since October 9, 2015. That day, Cole Hamels pitched seven tough innings, but it would take seven more before Keone Kela would get the win and Ross Ohlendorf the save in a Game 2 win in Toronto. That day was the last time this team had a big smile in the post-season, and let me tell you, eight years feels like even more.