Relive the Rangers' five best wins of '19

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers won 78 games under new manager Chris Woodward in 2019, giving them a third straight losing season. It was still an improvement over '18, when they finished 67-95.

The Rangers also jumped from last to third place in the five-team American League West. Third is not their goal for next season, but there were still more than a few victories that provided a possible indication of what’s in store for the Rangers in 2020.

Here are five games to consider:

1) Rangers 9, Astros 8
Date: July 12

The Rangers trailed 8-4 going into the bottom of the seventh before rallying for the victory. Ronald Guzmán tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth, and Danny Santana drove home the winning run with a walk-off single in the ninth against Astros closer Roberto Osuna. The win left the Rangers with a record of 50-42.

What does it tell us about 2020?
The Rangers were surprising contenders entering the second half of the season. They had no illusions about catching the Astros, but they certainly had visions of contending for the American League Wild Card. This victory reinforced the idea that when the Rangers were at full strength last season, they were a much better team than people expected and can go into 2020 aiming for the postseason.

2) Rangers 6, Yankees 1
Date: Sept. 29

The Rangers celebrated the closing of Globe Life Park with a victory before a sellout crowd. Lance Lynn went 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts. He finished the season 16-11 with a 3.67 ERA and 246 strikeouts over 33 starts.

What does it tell us about 2020?
Lynn had a rough season with the Twins and Yankees in 2018 before bouncing back strong with the Rangers. He and Mike Minor (14-10, 3.59 ERA, 200 strikeouts) give the Rangers two front-line starters to build their rotation around.

3) Rangers 11, Astros 10
Date: April 21

The Rangers led 10-1 after five innings before holding on for an 11-10 victory. Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer, Logan Forsythe also went deep and starter Shelby Miller earned his only victory while with the Rangers.

What does it tell us about 2020?
Joey Gallo went 2-for-3 with five RBIs. Most significant was he did it without hitting a home run. Along with a two-run triple, Gallo recorded the first sacrifice fly of his career. This was the first real indication that Gallo had made significant advances as a hitter beyond a guy who just hit home runs.

4) Rangers 8, Angels 7
Date: Aug. 21

This was the Rangers' third straight walk-off win in three days against the Angels. They trailed 7-4 after six innings before rallying for the victory. Hunter Pence drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single.

What does it tell us about 2020?
Right-handed reliever Jonathan Hernández pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to get the victory. The Rangers were bringing some serious heat out of the bullpen in the second half between young right-handers José Leclerc, Emmanuel Clase, Rafael Montero and Hernandez. The Rangers are loaded with bullpen candidates for next season.

5) Rangers 6, Mariners 3
Date: Aug. 30

Starter Kolby Allard picked up the victory by holding the Mariners to two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Reliever Emmanuel Clase earned his first save. Rookie catcher Jose Trevino went 3-for-3, Scott Heineman finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored and Nick Solak was 1-for-4.

What does it tell us about 2020?
All five of those guys were rookies. The Rangers used 23 rookies in 2019, including 15 who made their Major League debuts. Trevino may have been the most impressive, giving the Rangers hope that he may be ready to take on a more significant role next season. Others will be in the mix for Spring Training competition.