[Nick Soulis]

Series #225

Jacobs Field Silenced: Rangers Dash Indians Hopes
Legacy Of Failure Plagues Franchise



Game 1
At Jacobs Field
1988 Texas Rangers 4
2000 Cleveland indians 2
WP: C. McMurty (1-0) LP: S. Karsay (0-1) S: M. Williams (1)
HR: None
POG: Bartolo Colon (8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, 118 P)

On a brisk October night at Jacobs Field, Bartolo Colón delivered eight innings of dominance, but the Cleveland bullpen faltered late as the 1988 Texas Rangers stormed back with a three-run ninth to win Game 1 of the Field of Dreams Series, 4–2.
Colón struck out 11 and allowed just three hits through eight innings, leaving to a thunderous ovation with Cleveland clinging to a 2–1 lead. But reliever Steve Karsay couldn’t slam the door. With two outs, Geno Petralli singled in the tying run, Steve Buechele followed with a go-ahead knock, and Oddibe McDowell capped the rally with a double into the gap, giving Texas a two-run cushion.
Jose Guzman battled through five innings for the Rangers, and Craig McMurtry picked up the win with three scoreless frames in relief. Mitch Williams sealed the save despite a tense walk in the ninth. For Cleveland, Manny Ramirez and Kenny Lofton each drove in runs, but the Tribe left seven men on base. Jim Thome had two hits, including a double, but the bats fell silent in the late innings. With the win, Texas seizes a 1–0 series lead and all-important momentum. Game 2 is set for Monday night at Jacobs Field, with Cleveland aiming to even the series before heading to Arlington.

Game 2
At Jacobs Field
1988 Texas Rangers 7
2000 Cleveland indians 8
WP: J. Brewington (1-0) LP: B. Witt (0-1)S. Karsay (1)
HR: G. Petralli (1)
POG: Omar Vizquel (2-3, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB)
Series Tied 1-1

The ballgame was decided early—Bobby Witt was undone by his own lack of command in that fateful second inning. Four walks, a couple of well-placed hits, and suddenly the Indians had six runs across. Travis Fryman delivered the knockout blow with that two-run single, and the crowd here at Jacobs Field roared like it was October of ’95 all over again.
But baseball has a way of never letting you breathe easy. Texas chipped away—Pete Incaviglia doubled in a run, Oddibe McDowell kept finding gaps, and Geno Petralli drilled a home run that landed out by the bleachers in left. Suddenly, it was a one-run game and the noise that had once lifted Cleveland now turned into nervous silence.
The bullpen became the story from there. Jaret Brewington steadied the ship, and when Steve Karsay closed the ninth with authority, the Tribe faithful finally exhaled.
The star tonight? Omar Vizquel. Not for power, not for flash, but for his constant presence—two hits, two walks, two runs scored. He was the heartbeat of this lineup and the catalyst that made Witt’s wildness too costly to overcome.
So, here we stand, even at one game apiece. Texas showed they can slug with Cleveland, and Cleveland showed they can survive a slugfest. We go to Arlington now, where the crowd will be hostile, the weather warmer, and the pressure turned up.
This series, I believe, is only just beginning to show us its drama. And if tonight was any indication, we may be in for a long and thrilling ride.”

Game 3
At Arlington Stadium
2000 Cleveland indians 3
1988 Texas Rangers 2
WP: C. Finley (1-0) LP: M. Williams (0-1) S: S. Karsay (2)
HR: P. O'Brien (1)
POG: Chuck Finley (8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 120 P)
2000 Indians Lead Series 2-1

Baseball has a funny way of turning on the smallest of breaks. Tonight in Arlington, the Texas Rangers were three outs away from taking control of this series — and then it slipped right through their fingers.
Charlie Hough was absolutely masterful, dancing that knuckleball through eight scoreless innings. But the ninth brought heartbreak for the home crowd. With two outs and two men on, Manny Ramírez rolled a grounder to second. It should have ended the inning, should have sealed the Rangers’ win. Instead, a miscue at second base opened the door. Two runs raced home, Omar Vizquel added a two-out RBI of his own, and suddenly Cleveland had a 3–2 lead they would not surrender.
Chuck Finley deserves the spotlight — eight strong innings, just five hits allowed, and the poise of a man who’s seen it all. He kept the Indians afloat until opportunity finally knocked.
It’s the cruelest kind of loss for Texas, who wasted Hough’s gem and Pat O’Brien’s thunderous two-run homer. The Indians now carry a 2–1 series lead, thanks to clutch pitching and the bounce of fate. Game 4 looms as a must-win for the Rangers.”

Game 4
At Arlington Stadium
2000 Cleveland indians 4
1988 Texas Rangers 6
WP: J. Russell (1-0) LP: P. Rigdon (0-1) S: r. Hayward (1)
HR: D. Justice (1), T. Fryman (1), S. Buechele (1), R. Sierra (1)
POG: Jeff Russell (8 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 103 P)
Series Tied 2-2

This was a night where the Rangers absolutely had to have it, and they got it. Jeff Russell — not a household name as a starter — gave Texas exactly what they needed: eight strong innings, pounding the zone, trusting his defense. The Rangers’ offense responded in kind, spraying 13 hits and applying pressure all night long. Pete Incaviglia’s sixth-inning triple broke it open, but it was really a collective effort: Sierra with the home run, Espy flying around the bases, and the Rangers infield turning three double plays. Cleveland didn’t go quietly — David Justice’s three-run homer in the eighth made it a ballgame again — but Russell steadied himself, and Hayward shut the door. With the win, the Rangers tie the series at two apiece. Folks, it’s now a best-of-three for the right to take this Exhibition League series. And after the last two nights in Arlington, we know one thing: momentum swings fast in October."*

Game 5
At Arlington Stadium
2000 Cleveland indians 9
1988 Texas Rangers 3
WP: B. Colon (1-0) LP: J. Guzman (0-1)
HR: R. Sierra (2)
POG: Richie Sexson (3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, R)
2000 Indians Lead Series 3-2

From Arlington, what a night for the Cleveland Indians of 2000. They came into this ballpark with the series tied and walked out with a commanding 3–2 lead. The story? A second inning that felt like it would never end for Juan Guzmán and the Rangers.
The inning started with traffic — a couple of walks, a hit — and then Richie Sexson, the big man at DH, absolutely unloaded the bases with a double that cleared the gaps and cleared any doubt. By the time the inning was over, Cleveland had put up eight runs, nine total for the night, and the Rangers never recovered.
Bartolo Colón didn’t have his sharpest stuff compared to Game 1, but he got the job done, working into the seventh inning, and Joe Speier was lights-out in relief to finish things off. Richie Sexson — 3-for-4, two doubles, three RBI — he’s the hero tonight. And as we head back to Cleveland, the Indians have two chances to close out this series, leading three games to two. The Rangers are officially on the ropes.

Game 6
At Jacobs Field
1988 Texas Rangers 13
2000 Cleveland indians 8
WP: C. McMurty (2-0) LP: D. Burba (0-1)
HR: P. Incaviglia (1), T. Fryman (2), J. Thome (1), M. Ramirez (1)
POG: Geno Petralli (4-5, 4 RBI, 2B, 3 R)
Series Tied 3-3

On a cold October night in Cleveland, the ghosts of heartbreak returned. With the Indians one win away from glory, the Texas Rangers came out swinging — and never stopped. A four-run first inning set the tone, Geno Petralli putting together a career-defining night with four hits and four RBIs, and by the end it was Texas, not Cleveland, who left Jacobs Field smiling. The Rangers battered Dave Burba, tagged the bullpen, and while Cleveland showed signs of life with a furious fourth-inning rally capped by Jim Thome’s three-run blast, it wasn’t enough. Texas kept piling on runs — thirteen in all — and even with Manny Ramirez homering late, the game was decided long before the final out.
Final score: Rangers 13, Indians 8. And this series is going the distance. One game tomorrow will decide it all."*

Game 7
At Jacobs Field
1988 Texas Rangers 6
2000 Cleveland indians 4
WP: P. Kilgus (1-0) LP: C. Finley (1-1) S: M. Willians (2)
HR: R. Sexson (1)
POG: Steve Buechele (3-4, 2 RBI, R)


The underdog story is complete. The 1988 Texas Rangers are moving on, defeating the heavily favored 2000 Cleveland Indians, 6–4, in a dramatic Game 7 at Jacobs Field.
Before a crowd that buzzed with anticipation, Texas delivered a decisive blow in the opening frame. A pair of timely hits and patient at-bats against left-hander Chuck Finley produced four first-inning runs, silencing the home crowd and putting Cleveland on its heels.
"Getting out in front was everything,” said Rangers third baseman Steve Buechele, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and was named Player of the Game. “We knew if we scored early, we could make them chase us.”
Cleveland countered in the fourth, when slugger Richie Sexson belted a three-run homer off veteran knuckleballer Charlie Hough, pulling the Indians within a run. The crowd roared back to life, but Curtis Wilkerson’s booming two-run triple in the top half of the inning gave Texas breathing room it would not relinquish.
From there, the Rangers’ bullpen held firm. Paul Kilgus tossed three shutout innings in relief to earn the win, and flame-throwing closer Mitch Williams worked the final frame for his second save of the series. Hough, battling with his unpredictable knuckleball, left in the fifth after allowing four runs.
The Indians had chances late, but stranded 10 runners overall, including a bases-loaded opportunity in the fifth when Kilgus coaxed a weak grounder from Jim Thome.
“We just didn’t get the big hit when we needed it,” said Indians manager Charlie Manuel. “Texas played with confidence, and they deserved to win.” For the Rangers, who have rarely been remembered among baseball’s greats, this victory carries weight. They not only outlasted a star-studded Cleveland lineup featuring Manny Ramirez, Thome, and Sexson, but did so in front of a hostile Jacobs Field crowd.
Manager Bobby Valentine called the triumph a testament to his team’s resolve:“This club never stopped fighting. People didn’t expect much from the ’88 Rangers, but the players believed. And now, they’ve written their own story.” As the final out was recorded and Williams pumped his fist, the Rangers dugout spilled onto the field, celebrating an upset few saw coming. Cleveland fans filed out quietly, the sting of another October heartbreak settling in.


1988 Texas Rangers Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

(.389, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .419 OBP, 2 SB, 2 2B, 6 R)