Walking the walk: Rangers flirting with history

It's hard enough to sweep a team, but on three consecutive walk-offs? Now that's something.

The Rangers disposed of the division-rival Angels in dramatic fashion this week, beating them three nights in a row with a home run in the final at-bat of the game.

They're still two short -- look out, D-backs -- of the all-time walk-off streak, which was set by the Astros when they recorded five consecutive dramatic wins from July 19-23, 1986, against the Mets and the Expos.

The last team to sweep a three-game series on three walk-off homers was the D-backs, who did it to the Expos, May 10-12, 1999. Also recently, the Yankees won on three straight walk-off hits May 15-17, 2009.

The Rangers had gone more than a year without a walk-off home run before turning in three in a row this week, but they had never hit them in three consecutive games. Their only instances of back-to-back walk-off-homer games were Aug. 5-6, 1978, and Oct. 2-3, 1981.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other Major League team with consecutive wins on walk-off homers in 2013 is the Giants, who did it May 3-4 against the Dodgers.

"It kind of [stinks] for the other team, because they don't want to get tied in the ninth against us right now," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "That's a good sign."

The walk-off trifecta was a first for both the Angels and Rangers, and it actually marked an unfortunate anniversary for the Halos. The last time they lost via consecutive walk-offs when leading in the ninth inning or later in both games was July 30-31, 2005, against the Yankees. This week was also the first time the Angels gave up walk-off homers on back-to-back days since June 2-3, 1985.

It was apparently just that kind of night in baseball on Wednesday, with the Indians and Red Sox also winning on walk-offs.