The Texas relief corps, a concern for much of the season, delivers when it matters in a 5-4 win over Houston as the Rangers improve to 7-0 in these playoffs.
The Rangers' Jose Leclerc, left, shares a moment with teammate Leody Taveras after Taveras caught the final out of Game 2 of the ALCS. Texas leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 after Monday's 5-4 win. HOUSTON — José Leclerc stood alone on the pitcher’s mound, enveloped in a cacophony of noise from a deafening Minute Maid Park crowd in the eighth inning Monday afternoon. With each pitch, the jeers from Houston Astros fans grew louder.
“I felt a little accelerated out there,” Leclerc said through an interpreter. “Pressure of the moment, one-run game, something that I felt out there a bit on the mound. I didn’t have my best stuff out there either, but I just trusted what I had, tried to compete and try to get those outs.” The weakest piece of the Rangers’ roster has been the bullpen. Texas had 63 save opportunities in the regular season and blew 33 of them, fueling doubt about the Rangers’ ability to make a deep postseason run. They had a closer by committee until Leclerc staked claim to the role in the season’s final month.
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