Texas' historic offense erupts (again) in rout of Red Sox

ARLINGTON -- Prior to Monday’s series opener against the Red Sox, the last time all five of the Rangers' All-Star position players were in the same lineup was on July 21 against the Dodgers.

They hadn't had their best lineup on the field in nearly two months due to various injuries, and it’s shown. But add in the return of all the injured All-Stars and the arrival of MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 overall prospect in Evan Carter, and Texas looks like a team that could go as far as it wants in October.

The Rangers were a complete offensive unit on Wednesday afternoon, taking the series over the Red Sox with a 15-5 win at Globe Life Field.

• Games remaining (10): vs. SEA (3); at LAA (3); at SEA (4)
• Standings update: The Rangers (84-68) are tied with the Mariners (84-68) for the final AL Wild Card spot, though Texas would win the tiebreaker in any scenario in which the clubs finish tied. The Rangers and Mariners are also just a half-game behind the Blue Jays -- who play Wednesday night against the Yankees -- for the second AL Wild Card spot. As for the AL West, Texas is a half-game behind the Astros (85-68).
• Texas tiebreakers: Lose vs. Houston; win vs. Toronto; win vs. Seattle (though the Rangers' season series vs. the Mariners is still undecided, Texas would win the tiebreaker in any scenario in which the clubs could end up tied)

Texas has scored double-digit runs in a franchise-record 26 games this season. It was also the sixth time the club has scored 15 or more runs, which is also a franchise record, surpassing the previous mark of five in 1998.

"It makes your manager feel good, I’ll tell you that,” Texas skipper Bruce Bochy said with a chuckle. “This is more who we were [early in the season], and so it's good to see these guys have that success. You look at two guys we just got back. I love the way Josh [Jung] has been swinging the bat, as well as Adolis García, so it stretches out your lineup here.

"Mitch Garver had a home run in the seven spot -- big day by him. So it's always good to have success. That breeds confidence as they say, and you can see it in the guys right now."

Wednesday's outburst marked the first time since Sept. 2, 2018, that every Rangers starter had at least one hit and scored one run. Every starter except Nathaniel Lowe also had at least one RBI -- and five had multiple RBIs.

The Rangers got into a four-run hole early thanks to a pair of home runs from Red Sox hitters Adam Duvall (three-run shot in the first) and Bobby Dalbec (solo homer in the second) off starter Jon Gray. But Texas wasted no time punching back. Back-to-back homers from Jonah Heim and Mitch Garver in the bottom of the second quickly erased the deficit, then Marcus Semien capped the six-run frame with a two-run single.

The Rangers never looked back, tacking on multiple runs in each of the next four innings behind big days from a pair of rookies in Jung and Carter.

Carter was 3-for-4, finishing a triple shy of the cycle, while Jung went 3-for-5 with his first home run since being activated off the injured list on Monday.

“It’s scary,” Carter said of Texas' lineup. “If I was on the other team, I would hate it. Every at-bat, the guy that’s coming up, you’re just like, ‘Man, this guy is going to have a great at-bat.’ To be a part of that and just getting to contribute, that's really cool.

"I try not to think about it as pressure. If it does creep into your mind, pressure [is a] privilege. We're in a really cool spot right here. If we were a lot of games back and not really looking at the playoffs, there would be no pressure for me. It's a privilege to have that right now.”

Pressure being a privilege is something that has come up multiple times throughout the Rangers' clubhouse in recent weeks. Coming off back-to-back 90-loss seasons and going seven years without making the postseason, still being in contention for the division title this late in September is definitely a privilege for many around the organization.

Heim said being in this situation is more fun than it is stressful.

And if you ask Bochy, that’s part of what drew him out of retirement.

“As I've said so many times, to be in this situation, you couldn't ask for more,” Bochy said. “You've been out for three years and come back, to be in a fire like this, it is definitely a privilege. We get to have a good team [the Mariners] come into town and it's going to be exciting. That’s how we have to look at it. It's what we play for.”