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Texas Rangers: 1st ALCS berth
1918
Well, hello there, everybody — this is Mel Allen, and how about that!
The Baltimore Orioles’ quest for a fifth World Series crown came to an end this afternoon in Arlington, Texas — and oh, what a heartbreaker it was. For seven and a half innings, it looked like the Birds might be flying on. They carried a 3–2 lead into the bottom of the eighth, their pitchers had danced out of trouble, and you could almost feel the city of Baltimore holding its breath.
But baseball, folks, is a game of sudden turns. And in that eighth inning, the Texas Rangers turned the tables in a hurry. With the bases loaded, it was Jung-hoon Him who came through first — a sharp single into right to bring home the tying run. The crowd roared, and all of Globe Life Field came alive.
And then, with two men aboard, up stepped pinch hitter Mike Walden. The pitch — swung on, a liner into left field, base hit! One run scores … here comes another! Walden delivers a two-run single, and just like that, Texas had the lead, 5 to 3.
But they weren’t quite done yet. Kelly Brunke followed with a base knock of his own to tack on one more, and suddenly the Rangers were in command, 6 to 3. The Orioles could not answer in the ninth, and when the final out was recorded, the boys from Baltimore walked off the field, their season over — while the Rangers celebrated the first trip to the American League Championship Series in their franchise history.
Yes sir, heartbreak for Baltimore, jubilation for Texas. The final score once again: the Rangers 6, the Orioles 3.
And as these Rangers move on, they’ll meet the Chicago White Sox in the ALCS. One thing’s for sure — it won’t be easy. The competition only gets tougher from here. But for tonight, the Lone Star State is shining bright.
And how about that! ��
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