The Rangers pull off the Heimlich Maneuver to earn victory
The Texas Rangers scored four runs while the Chicago Cubs scored three runs*. *they didn’t really
The Rangers, our silly little franchise, hung a flag that will fly forever today. Next up, they had a baseball game to play to kick off 162 contests in search of hanging more laundry at The Shed.
The Rangers are the hunted for the first time in franchise history and they trailed in front of the largest regular season crowd in Shed history 1-0 after two innings. But if there was one thing that defined the 2023 teams, it was their resiliency and by the bottom of the fourth, they had tied the game. When they trailed 2-1, they tied it again immediately the next half inning when guess who stepped up to the plate.
Think he knew? pic.twitter.com/JslGkT9QbI
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) March 29, 2024
No one loves the moment more than El Bombi. Except for maybe El Blondi, who homered in the ninth with Texas down 3-2 after an absolutely brutal missed call by the home plate ump who didn’t notice an obvious foul tip that got away from catcher Jonah Heim which had allowed the Cubs to take a lead off Jose Leclerc.
Bruce Bochy had a hunch about Travis Jankowski, I guess, and it paid off in spades as many of Bochy’s hunches seem to do, as the Jankmeister reprised his role as bench warrior by hitting a pinch hit, game-tying ninth inning home run to even a game that Texas should not have been trailing in.
El Blondi with the answer! #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/k6QCyecOc2
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) March 29, 2024
An inning later, with Manfred Men in play, new addition David Robertson kept Chicago’s zombie at bay while Texas was able to plate theirs on a Heim hit that righted all wrongs in a thrilling Opening Day win to begin the defense of their title.
Player of the Game:
Last night, Jonah Heim got called for a catcher’s violation.
Tonight, he hit a home run and did the challenge motion during his home run trot.
(via @Rangers)pic.twitter.com/Ar3I2780RW
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 22, 2023
Up Next: The Rangers get a day off tomorrow for some reason and then get their championship rings on Saturday as the series against the Cubs continues.
The Rangers haven’t announced who will be their starter for the season’s second game but it will perhaps be LHP Andrew Heaney, if they want to alternate righties and lefties. It’ll be LHP Cody Bradford for Texas on Saturday. Former Rangers farmhand RHP Kyle Hendricks will make the start for Chicago.
Saturday’s first pitch from The Shed is set for 6:05 pm CT and will be aired on BS Southwest.