Second chance finally arrives for Rangers
The Rangers want redemption after a slew of errors — two by Elvis Andrus, above — doomed their AL Championship Series plans a year ago.
Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus remembers because others won’t let him forget.
“It was a tough time,” he said. “But I didn’t want that to say what type of player I was because of one inning.”
Texas returns to the American League Division Series after winning its second consecutive AL West title. While looking ahead to Thursday’s opener against the wild-card winner, it does so with an eye on last October’s classic fall.
The Rangers were nine outs shy of ousting the Toronto Blue Jays and reaching the AL Championship Series. But a three-error seventh inning in the elimination game — two by Andrus — derailed Texas at raucous Rogers Centre.
“I tried to use that as the reason to give me strength and to motivate myself,” Andrus said. “I know I still have a lot of baseball in myself, and I just want to keep pushing.”
The Rangers could shove their way deep into October. They’ve bolstered their roster with the additions of outfielder Carlos Beltran and catcher Jonathan Lucroy and the return of righthander Yu Darvish.
Beltran brings the extra ingredient of being a playoff force.
“We all know what kind of player he is in the postseason,” third baseman Adrian Beltre said. “A guy like that is what we need exactly: someone who has that experience where he has been in the postseason so long. He’s one of the best clutch hitters in the postseason, so he’s always good to have on our side.”
In 11 playoff series over five years, Beltran has slugged 16 homers with 40 RBI and a .332 average.
“That is fun to write his name in there with all the rest of them,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “He is a pure pro and another future Hall of Famer, in my opinion. His numbers in the postseason? It plays extremely well.”
But does Beltran, 39, have that spark? His 29 homers, 93 RBI and .295 average give a clue.
“I think our youngsters have unlocked the 21-year-old Beltran,” Banister said.
Banister knows that among the keys to the Rangers’ success is their clubhouse mix. Though adding the high-profile players could have disrupted chemistry, Texas’ moves have worked out.
“They have been great additions to the clubhouse, came in with good chemistry and made us better,” Beltre said. “It has been all positive.
“We realize that is important, especially for our team. We want good players. But at the same time we want players that do what we want to do here.”
What did Beltran do? He took to needling Rougned Odor, whose thinning hairline is an easy target for barbs.
“Carlos has been a character,” Banister said. “He showed up in the middle of the game with his head painted black.”
If Rangers pitchers paint the black, Lucroy has a hand in it. Before a recent game Lucroy was studying hitters on a desktop computer, a laptop and a clipboard full of scouting reports. All at the same time. “The way he prepares, the defensive work that he does behind the plate ... but he has been able to add offensively, too,” Banister said. “He’s done a great job and is great to have on the team. He is serious about his craft, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously.”
Lucroy has 24 homers, 81 RBI and a .292 average. But introducing a catcher to a staff at midsummer is a risk.
That trust from a hurler to battery mate is formed in spring training, not during a pennant race.
“But that’s depending on the person,” Banister said. “Our pitching staff gave him an opportunity to earn their respect and learn them. And he came here with a solid reputation.”
If Darvish can pitch to his credentials, that’s critical.
He was 7-5 with a 3.41 ERA after missing last season following Tommy John elbow surgery. With Cole Hamels (15-5, 3.32), Darvish gives the Rangers a lethal 1-2 playoff punch.
“It looks like his velocity is better now than when he went down with the injury,” Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s throwing harder, which helps his secondary stuff. I think he is healthy now, and he is throwing the ball crisper.”
Where left-handed Hamels and Darvish differ is their playoff experience. Hamels is 7-5 with a 3.03 in 15 starts. Darvish lost his only start against the Baltimore Orioles in 2012.
“I think he is going to be a really great X factor for us this year — hopefully,” Andrus said. “I just want him to stay healthy because when he stays healthy, we know what he can do.”
The Rangers know what they need to avoid. Last year’s playoff lessons were painful to absorb, but that doesn’t diminish their impact. Andrus leaned on Banister after that fateful seventh inning. Banister’s mantra has been consistent, first brought up in the Rangers’ somber visiting clubhouse.
“Since that day it’s been about 2016,” Andrus said. “He never panics, which is pretty amazing.”
Same with the Rangers lineup, one bolstered by the midseason acquisitions of Beltran and Lucroy.
“We are a big family here, and those two guys fit right in from Day 1,” Andrus said. “They just continue to help everybody.”