The magic number is now 9 after your Texas Rangers outlast the Blue Birds in 14 innings, win 6-4

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Hamels had a shaky start.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Then Hamels settled in. And the bullpen pitched 7 scoreless innings. Hanser Alberto made up for an early error with the game winning RBI in the 14th.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: The Blue Birds' Bautista was besides himself in the 14th when Odor was confirmed safe at 2B. And earlier Josh Donaldson jawed at Kela after hitting a deep fly ball foul. Apparently maybe Donaldson thought Kela quick pitched him. I would simply point out that there's no crying in baseball.

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Magic number is now 10.

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Big deal. It's only the first game of the playoffs.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But now the mighty, mighty Blue Birds have to wine 3 out of the next 4 games.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Cole Hamels can help the Rangers go up 2-0 in a best of 5 series tomorrow, with Beltre hobbled that would be huge.

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SAY HELLO TO YOUR AL WEST DIVISION CHAMPION TEXAS RANGERS

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: It took a couple tries to get the division wrapped up. It's an adventure.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Given how they looked in the spring and early summer all I have to say is wow. Wow!

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Your Rangers draw the Toronto Blue Birds who've been playing well down the stretch. It's a best of 5 series. Why not play every day and make it a 7 game series? I don't know.

The new magic number is 11. 11 wins in the playoffs gets you a MLB title.

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Magic number is 5. And do the Rangers really need to start selling ALDS playoff tickets before they clinch?

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Remember when the Dallas Mavericks planned the victory parade route when they were in the finals versus the Heat the first time? It's a trap! Jinx much?

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: They are playing great and barring a monumental, never seen anything like it in the history of sports ever collapse, they should make the playoffs.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Please don't be a jinx.

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Your Texas Rangers Sweep the Houston Astros out of 1st place in the division

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Again, there's a lot of baseball to be played.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: 2.5 games up is not something to sneeze at with less than a month to go. And the way they took over 1st place, by sweeping the division leader, is strong to very strong.

Plus, Prince and Beltre along with pretty much everyone else (Choo, Moreland, Napoli, Odor) look like they have found their groove at the plate.

And the defense looks strong up the middle. The pitching has been good (maybe not great but definitely good), Elvis and Odor turn double plays night in and night out that not too many tandems in MLB can and Gimenez (and others) and DeShields are good behind the plate and in CF respectively.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Again. Wow. First. Place. Texas. Rangers.

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FIRST. PLACE. TEXAS. RANGERS.

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: There's a lot of baseball to play till the end of the year.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Again: FIRST. PLACE. TEXAS. RANGERS. 

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: What type of season long comeback has this been?!?!? Wow.

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Your Texas Rangers have been shutout 4 out of the last 10 games, is that bad?

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I hate it when they say, "if the playoffs were to begin today the Rangers would be a wild card team."

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Josh went on the15 day DL on 8-16-15. Not exactly great at timing.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But at least if the playoffs did start now, your Texas Rangers would be in the tournament. And for all intents and purposes, with the wild card race so tight (Rangers up .5 in the wild card standings), each and every game down the stretch will be important. Kinda like playoff games but not. But kinda.

And Hamels has won 2 straight starts.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Gimenez continues to impress both behind and at the plate.

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Your Texas Rangers are 5.5 GB in the division and 2.5 GB in the Wild Card race.

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: There are a boatload for teams in the wild card race so tap the brakes on getting ready for the playoffs.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But how many of the teams in the wild card race added a bona fide ace to their rotation at the trade deadline (besides Toronto)?

Oh yeah, and the Rangers swept the division leading 'Stros in the last series, not too shabby.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Look at it this way, every game and series is a like a playoff game/series for the whole last 2 months of the season. That makes for some great baseball watching.

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Beltre hit for the cycle for the 3rd time in his career, Rangers won 12-9 over division leading 'Stros

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Of course the pitching gave up 9 runs in the win.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But Colby Lewis did record his 12 win of the season.

Oh yeah, and Beltre is only the 4th player in the history of MLB to hit for the cycle 3 times in his career. And by the way, no one has hit for the cycle for the third time in a career since Babe Herman recorded his 3rd cycle in 1933. That's right, no one has done what Beltre did tonight for over 80 years. Impressive. Most impressive.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: With the win tonight the Rangers are 2 GB in the wild card standings. So you're saying they have a chance...

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