All Treats, No Tricks: Texas Rangers Look Dressed for World Series After Houston Astros Road Romp

The Texas Rangers are 6-0 away from Globe Life Field in the playoffs and are two wins away from going back to the World Series.

HOUSTON – Parents these days are quite busy preparing for the big day. So are costume shops that seem to pop up in abandoned buildings for four weeks before disappearing into the night as if they never existed. 

Halloween is approaching. Kids are getting ready to dress up as Barbie or Travis Kelce or whatever trendy character being discussed on TikTok.

Yes, trick-or-treating is right around the corner, but October's favorite holiday has already arrived in Arlington. 

The Texas Rangers' postseason success isn't a trick. It's a treat for the fans who had to endure woeful mediocrity for six seasons. For those who were distraught at home and saw their cross-state rivals punch their ticket back to the Fall Classic nearly every other season.

Adolis Garcia and Josh Jung celebrate a run scored in Game 2 of the ALCS / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Now, Texas is the one doing the pummeling. Seven games, seven wins and several reasons to believe this is the Rangers' year have been on display since the start of the playoffs. 

How sweet it is to see how far Texas has come in one season. 

"It's huge," said right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. "The momentum is in our favor, but we. can't let the guard down."

Say whatever you want about how the season came to a close. Those who are paying attention to the here and now won't care. 

Texas can do no wrong this postseason, even when the lineup is missing one of its better players. 

Seriously, think about it for a second. Bruce Bochy decides to sit Game 1 standout and wunderkind Evan Carter for Robbie Grossman and the Rangers still manage to jump out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning. 

Against the Houston Astros? 

Against Cy Young candidate Framber Valdez? 

With Grossman being the one to kick off the scoring?

That happened Monday in a 5-4 win over the defending world champions at Minute Maid Park in the American League Championship Series, though the latter part seems to matter less and less since this formula has worked against everyone. 

Texas continues to dominate in both phases of the game. Jordan Montgomery's gem of a performance secured a 2-0 win Sunday night. A day later, Nathan Eovaldi transformed into David Blaine, maneuvering his way out of trouble with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth inning to keep the Rangers ahead. 

Unsung heroes have continued to prosper at the plate this series. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien might be the highest-paid hitters, but names like Leody Taveras, Jonah Heim, Mitch Garver and Nathaniel Lowe are notching the million-dollar swings. 

And take nothing away from the household names who can do no wrong, but that's the beauty of the game; those who are often forgotten have quickly become names to remember.

All that is happening for Texas. And it's happening away from Globe Life Field. 

"We've got to keep doing what we've been doing," said Eovaldi. "And we bring this momentum back home to Arlington."

With their victory in Houston on Monday, Texas now ties the 2005 Chicago White Sox for the second-most consecutive road wins to begin a playoff series. That team went on to hoist the Commissioner's Trophy against the formerly-National League's Astros in four games. 

The New York Yankees hold the record for most road wins with eight set back in 1998. That year, the Bronx Bombers swept Bruce Bochy's San Diego Padres, adding yet another trophy to the case that needs tiers of shelves to hold all their accolades. 

Texas is two wins away from punching its ticket back to the World Series for the first time since 2011. Bochy is two wins away from becoming the first manager to win three league championships with three different clubs. 

Who needs a Snicker's bar at the moment, when the Rangers are "them" when they're hungry? Who needs five seconds of sweet treat when the chance to win a first title is within reach?

The Rangers dismantled Tampa Bay away from Arlington to secure their spot among the AL's final four. They sniped the Orioles from a close distance at Camden Yards to give fans something to look forward to when they returned home. 

They're now up 2-0 with a chance to win the big one in front of the home crowd. Bochy is turning to Max Scherzer to put Houston on life support. And thanks to Montgomery and Eovaldi's brilliant execution on the mound, most of the Texas bullpen is fully rested in case of emergency. 

October is known as "spooky season" these days on the internet. It's the month when treats are handed out like nothing. 

But the only thing spooky about the Rangers is how much better they can be when building off this momentum. 

And the treat? Two wins from avoiding a trip back to Houston and a few extra days of rest. 

World Series Odds Favor Rangers

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