The Texas Rangers continued their dominant postseason run on Monday night by getting a 5-4 win against the Houston Astros in a closely contested Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.
The Rangers now hold a 2-0 lead in the ALCS and have improved to a 7-0 record in the postseason.
The Rangers rushed to the 5-1 lead by the top of the third but then had to withstand a furious comeback bid by the Astros down the stretch. Houston started chipping away at Texas’ lead, and it seemed like they could turn things around.
Fortunately for the Rangers, they did just enough to keep the Astros at bay, with ace Nathan Eovaldi playing a big part in preserving the lead. Eovaldi allowed five hits while striking out nine before making his way out after six innings.
“I feel like in those big moments, you’ve got to bear down and make big pitches,” Eovaldi said after the game. “The stadium is crazy. You have all the fans and everything going nuts. But at the same time you try to simplify everything down to your strengths and what you do best.”
The Rangers are now pursuing their first World Series appearance since 2011 while also having a chance to make some history. If they win Game 3, which is scheduled for Wednesday, they will tie the Kansas City Royals’ record of eight straight wins to start the postseason.
