Rangers in rare company with steals streak
Texas first club to swipe at least six bags in back-to-back games since '84
Elvis Andrus and Leonys Martin have run wild on the bases this week, leading the Rangers into an exclusive club of thieves.
With six stolen bases Tuesday and seven more Wednesday, Texas became just the second team since 1918 to swipe at least six bases in back-to-back games. The 1984 Cleveland Indians stole six bases on April 5, then another half-dozen on April 6.
The White Sox turned the trick twice in September 1917, stealing 14 bases on Sept. 2-3 and 16 on Sept. 25-26. No team has stolen at least six bases in three straight games.
SWIPEFEST
| TEAM | DATES | GM 1 | GM 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sox | Sept. 2-3, 1917 | 6 | 8 |
| White Sox | Sept. 25-26, 1917 | 10 | 6 |
| Indians | April 5-6, 1984 | 6 | 6 |
| Rangers | Aug. 6-7, 2013 | 6 | 7 |
Martin and Andrus have ignited the Rangers' offense with their thievery on the bases, as Martin has stolen six bases over the past two games and Andrus has chipped in with five of his own. The Rangers also set a team record for the most stolen bases over a two-game span in club history.
"We're just trying to play our game," Rangers manager Ron Washington said on Wednesday. "We got the right people on the bags who are able to run, and because we were able to do that, we're able to put pressure on [opponents]. That's the way we like to play. We're also getting contributions up and down the lineup. The whole team is playing tremendous baseball."
Texas has another thing in common with those 1984 Indians and the 1917 White Sox. The team's work on the bases also has led to two straight victories. The Rangers beat the Angels, 8-3, on Tuesday and 10-3 on Wednesday. Cleveland won both of its consecutive six-steal games, and Chicago won both games of its first back-to-back six-steal streak.