Texas Rangers fans left in shock after team coughs up late lead during Game 5 hit-fest in Arlington: "Choke job as usual"
On Oct. 20, the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros sought to break the 2-2 series tie that both teams found themselves in. What ensued was a game for the ages.
Both teams had firepower on full display. However, a late-stage home run from Jose Altuve eventually cemented the Astros' victory and spelled a particularly painful end for Rangers fans. The Astros won 5-4, capturing their third straight win and taking a 3-2 series lead.
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman got things going with a solo shot off of Jordan Montgomery in the first inning. The contest remained scoreless for the next four innings, with both sides playing a very tight defensive game.
In the fifth, Nathaniel Lowe got the Rangers back on the board, taking Justin Verlander 380 feet to left. However, it was not long before an RBI single from Jose Abreu put the Astros back on the board in the sixth.
The volume at Globe Life Field reached a fever pitch in the bottom of the sixth. It was then that Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia lofted a three-run shot off of Verlander, giving the Astros a 4-2 lead and leading many fans to think that the Texas Rangers would regain the series lead.
A bench-clearing brawl ensued in the eighth after Adolis Garcia was drilled by Bryan Abreu. The incident led to the ejection of both Abreu and Astros manager Dusty Baker.
However, it was not to be. Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve clobbered a fastball from Texas Rangers reliever Jose LeClerc. Altuve's third homer of the postseason brought the energy at the park to a screeching halt as Rangers fans dealt with the reality of the situation. Ryan Pressly was able to clean up with a three-out save.
With one more win over the Texas Rangers, the Astros can book their way to their third straight World Series.
Texas Rangers have seen their fortunes shift completely after nightmare home stretch
Despite holding a lead over the Astros in the AL West for virtually the entirety of the season, Houston charged back in the dying days to win the division. Now, after having bested the Rays and Baltimore Orioles, two of the AL's best teams, the Rangers have their backs against the wall.
When the two teams arrived back in Arlington ahead of Game 3, the Rangers were undefeated in the playoffs. However, after dropping three straight games to the Astros, it appears increasingly likely that fans in Texas will need to wait for their shot at the World Series, even after such a spectacular 2023 season.