ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers haven’t exactly made the 2024 season enjoyable for their fans. However, they managed to brighten the mood with their most impressive comeback of the year.
Marcus Semien hit a ball down the third-base line to drive in Leody Taveras from second, securing a 6-5 walk-off victory in their final game at Globe Life Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Rangers came back from a five-run deficit to tie the game in the seventh inning, and Semien’s two-out hit allowed Taveras, who had reached base on a single and stolen second, to score. Taveras also hit a solo home run in the seventh that leveled the score at 7-7.
Andrew Heaney (5-14, 3.89) exited the game with the Rangers trailing 2-0 and two runners on base. Both scored on Victor Robles’ single. Robles later advanced after stealing second and came home due to a two-error play; a pick-off attempt went awry, allowing him to score when the throw to third base went into the Mariners’ dugout, giving Seattle a 5-0 advantage. Semien committed the error on the pick-off, while Josh Smith made the throwing error to third.
The Rangers scored four runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Wyatt Langford’s three-run homer, bringing Texas closer at 5-4. Taveras, Semien, and Josh Smith each contributed singles with one out, setting the stage for Langford’s big hit.
Three thoughts from Sunday’s game:
1. Globe Life Field Finale
The Rangers concluded the 2024 season with a record of 44-37 at Globe Life Field, marking their second-best winning percentage there in a full season, following their 50-31 record and .617 winning percentage in 2023. For their final game, the team announced an attendance of 39,882, which was the eighth sellout of the year. Overall, the Rangers attracted a total of 2,651,553 fans to Globe Life Field in 2024, the highest single-season home attendance for the club since 2016.
One last time for "Your World Champion Texas Rangers!" at @GlobeLifeField … pic.twitter.com/7PX8NfUgqR
— Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) September 22, 2024
2. Mariners Set Hit-By-Pitch Record
The Mariners set a modern-day record in 2024 with 113 hit-by-pitches, as Andrew Heaney hit two batters in the first two innings on Sunday. The hit-by-pitch totals by team this season are as follows: Mariners (113), Twins (99), Mets (88), Guardians (86), and both the Reds and Angels (84). The Diamondbacks follow with 77. In contrast, the Rangers are tied for the sixth-fewest hit-by-pitches in the league, recording just 51.
3. Up Next
The Rangers have a day off on Monday before embarking on a six-game road trip to close out the season, featuring three games against the Athletics in Oakland and three against the Angels in Anaheim. Right-hander Nathaniel Eovaldi (11-8, 3.96) is slated to start the opener on Tuesday against Athletics right-hander Mitch Spence (8-9, 4.30) at 8:40 p.m. On Wednesday and Thursday, Cody Bradford and Kumar Rocker are expected to pitch against the A’s, facing lefty Brady Basso and right-hander J.T. Ginn, respectively.
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