Game 161 of the 2015 season was memorable for the wrong reasons. Positioned to clinch the division with a four-run lead late, the tired Rangers bullpen collapsed and the Angels came back to win. The Rangers needed to win on Sunday, Game 162, to clinch the division. Cole Hamels led them to victory that day with a complete game on a memorable day. Recently I re-watched the game and here's my running commentary in doing so.
On a personal and comedic note, I went on a first date after the heartbreaking loss Saturday night. I thought it went really well and I was super pumped up for a second date so it helped take my mind off of what took place earlier in the day for a bit and gave me a little extra boost that next day.
PREGAME
NOTE: I remember how relaxed the Rangers were in the clubhouse less than 24 hours after blowing a prime chance to clinch the division. It was a Sunday during football season so guys were gathered around TVs watching pregame coverage and discussing their fantasy lineups. You'd honestly never know they had just gone through what went down the day before and that disposition really impressed me.
*The Rangers had a 1-game lead over the Astros and just needed a win to clinch the division. They had, however, clinched a playoff spot. The Angels couldn't win the division, but could force a 163rd game against the Astros.
*They showed a shot of the Angels dugout and Tyler Skaggs was sitting there.
*Cole Hamels, whom my wife thinks is so hot, was rocking the long hair on this afternoon
*Chris Gimenez was catching Hamels. Those two had developed a strong chemistry in the second half of that year.
*The Angels were 20-10 entering that game in September, the best record in MLB.
*All but one game started at the exact same time on the season's final day. The only game that didn't start at the same time—Atlanta-St. Louis—started early because it was a doubleheader.
*Garrett Richards had won seven straight starts against the Rangers.
1ST INNING
*My wife is currently watching with me and she just said, "Wow. Hamels is so sexy. I miss looking at him."
*Hamels got through the first two batters but breaking ball wasn't a huge factor. Was trying to get a feel for it.
*Pujols hit a 2-run HR in the first inning and I remember being so dejected. The Rangers bullpen was tired, tired, tired and the Rangers needed a deep outing from Cole.
*Delino DeShields was still wearing No. 7. He'd switch the next year to free that number up in honor of Pudge.
*Garrett Richards started for the Angels…It was his first career start on 3 days rest. *Delino drew a leadoff walk. He might not be an ideal leadoff hitter with the metrics these days but his presence at the top of the order worked very well for the Rangers that year. His speed caused major problems and he got on base at a good rate.
*Choo hit second for the Rangers during the second half of that year. He also was still rocking the double ear flap.
*Prince did such a good job that year of using the entire field. Got a big RBI hit to the opposite field to give the Rangers a run back in the inning. It should have been more but despite 1st and 2nd with nobody out after that, they'd be unable to add. Side note: I saw Kyle Blanks in the Rangers' dugout. He probably wouldn't have been a huge factor for them but he missed most of the year with staph infection right about his butt, if I remember.
*Choo made a crucial baseurnning error on a Beltre fly out in which he didn't get back in time to tag. Would have scored on the Moreland fly out the next batter. Instead the Rangers trailed 2-1 through one, though they made Richards throw 31 pitches.
2ND INNING
*Hamels gave up a double and that would be the last hit he surrendered all game…
*Nothing really crazy here but the Rangers getting two men on against Richards was just another indication that he wasn't as sharp on 3 days rest. The curveball was inconsistent. He struck Choo out on a great one, but was also leaving too many up.
3RD INNING
*Entering this inning I still wasn't sure what to expect out of Hamels. He was set to face the top of the Angels order and I remember being nervous.
*Hamels's stuff started to look more sharp in that inning
*Mitch getting on-base and Hamilton's extended AB with 2 outs in the inning was huge. It elevated Richards's pitch count to 65 through 3 innings. For a guy on 3 days rest, that pitch figure was significant. I remember being confident that would aid the Rangers as long as he remained on the mound.
4TH INNING
*Rougie's leg kick, in general, was less pronounced in 2015 than it was in 2018 and 2019, but what really stood out was his beneficial change in approach with 2 strikes. He spread out a bit and leg kick was short.
5TH INNING
*Sent text to my date last night saying I had a great time and would love to see her again.
*Cole's changeup is really starting to get nasty.
*Hamels gets the Angels in order. He's retired seven straight at this point and he's doing so without hard contact at all.
*The Rangers had some hard hit outs against Richards over the first few innings but their rally in this frame all started with a shift-beating single for Choo that otherwise would have been a super-weak ground out.
*Shouldn't be a surprise that Beltre had the game-changing hit. His 2-R HR this inning gave the Rangers a lead they wouldn't relinquish. He went oppo on a hanging breaking ball. Over Beltre's Rangers career, he came up in big spots time and time again.
*Moreland struck out to end the inning but through 3 plate appearances he'd seen 21 pitches through those PAs and deserves some credit for making Richards world.
6TH INNING
*How would Cole respond with the lead? Angels sent up Calhoun-Trout-Pujols to try and erase their deficit.
*Hamels hit Trout but should have gotten an inning-ending double play. Odor, with Trout bearing down on him, threw the turn away and it put Pujols in scoring position. Hamels would get out of it with more weak contact.
*Nothing of note in the Texas half. Went down in order. Weak contact.
7TH INNING
*Nick Martinez started warming up in the 7th while Hamels was at 74 pitches. Knowing what we know now, that's kind of funny.
*Hamels walked Victorino who was a speed threat as the tying run. Reminder that Hamels was never particularly strong at holding runners and Gimenez was not known for controlling the running game, either. Rangers were susceptible by Victorino never really took a shot.
*Bedrosian starts the inning for the Angels. Had been outstanding that month and didn't pitch the game before. Rangers did their job by knocking Richards out.
*As was the case often in the 2nd half of that season, Delino's speed started a rally. After a bad walk to Gimenez, Delino's bunt was quasi-sacrifice, quasi-attempt at a hit and the latter won out.
*As the inning unfolded, I was thinking about how bad the Rangers have been over the last couple of years with 2 strikes and with plate discipline but how good the 2015 team was. It played a huge role in their win. Not only wearing Richards down but the Giminez, Choo, and Fielder walks keyed the 7th.
*Prince with one of the best plate appearances all year.
*The Rangers exploded for their final six runs this inning and it this point it was over. Hamels was cruising and the Rangers were in cruise control.
*The Angels used 5 pitchers in the inning
8TH INNING
*Hamels faces Trout for the final time and gets him to ground out.
*A kid behind home plate tries to take his shirt off and fails miserably.
9TH INNING
*Hamels came out for the 9th and it fired people up.
*Pujols hit a 500-foot foul ball on the first pitch of the inning.
*He who will not be named made the game's final out. Complete game for Hamels. To this day the most memorable performance of his time as a Ranger.
POSTGAME
*I was on the field and in the clubhouse for the celebration to conduct interviews. It was easily one of the highlights of my career, especially growing up a Rangers fan.
*I learned an important lesson that day…You have the ski goggles for a reason: USE THEM! I had them hanging on my head unsure of when to actually put them on when Keone Kela doused me with the ginger ale and my eyes burned for the next hour. I was blindly trying to conduct interviews and at one point Jeff Banister had to move my hand closer towards him because he could tell I couldn't see.
…oh, and I, in the middle of this incredibly joyous time, got a text from my previous night's date saying she had a good time…but wasn't interested in a second date. I was crushed. But I guess i bounced back because the very next first date I went on was the one in which I met my wife!
