October 16, 2026
October 16, 2026
2011 Texas Rangers: Locked and Reloaded
Coming off a very successful 2010 campaign, the Texas Rangers rode that momentum and kept winning ballgames in 2011, although they had to reload their roster with talent to replace some players who left after the 2010 World Series. The 2011 Texas Rangers went 96-66, once again winning the American League West, this time by 10 games over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Rangers went 12-7 against the Angels in head-to-head play, and they also went 52-29 in their home ballpark, The Ballpark in Arlington.
Designated hitter Michael Young batted .338 with 11 home runs and 106 RBIs on 213 hits, 41 doubles, 6 triples and 6 stolen bases. In 83 games, center fielder Endy Chavez batted .301 with 5 home runs, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 10 stolen bases. Catcher and first baseman Mike Napoli batted .320 in 113 games with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs on 118 hits, 25 doubles and 4 stolen bases. Left fielder Josh Hamilton was still a driving force in the offense, batting .298 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs on 145 hits, 31 doubles, 5 triples and 8 stolen bases.
Third baseman Adrian Beltre batted .296 with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs on 144 hits and 33 doubles. Shortstop Elvis Andrus batted .279 with 5 home runs, 164 hits, 27 doubles, 3 triples and 37 stolen bases. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba batted .273 in 113 games with 7 home runs, 108 hits and 27 doubles. Outfielder David Murphy batted .275 in 120 games with 11 home runs, 111 hits, 14 doubles and 11 stolen bases.
Right fielder Nelson Cruz had 29 home runs and 77 RBIs on 158 hits, 34 doubles, 4 triples and 30 stolen bases. First baseman Mitch Moreland had 16 home runs, 120 hits and 22 doubles. Second baseman Ian Kinsler had 32 home runs and 77 RBIs on 158 hits, 34 doubles, 4 triples and 30 stolen bases.
Though they lost Cliff Lee in free agency, the Texas starting rotation remained solid. C.J. Wilson went 16-7 with 206 strikeouts and a 2.94 ERA, recording 3 complete games and 1 shutout. Colby Lewis went 14-10 with 169 strikeouts, 2 complete games and 1 shutout. Derek Holland went 16-5 with 162 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA, recording 4 complete games and 4 shutouts. Matt Harrison went 14-9 with 126 strikeouts and a 3.39 ERA. Making the switch from the bullpen, Alexi Ogando went 13-8 with 126 strikeouts and a 3.51 ERA, recording 1 complete game and 1 shutout.
Closer Neftali Feliz recorded 32 saves and a 2.74 ERA. Relief pitcher Darren Oliver, at the age of 40, went 5-5 with saves and a 2.29 ERA. Mark Lowe recorded 1 save and a 3.80 ERA in 52 games.
The Rangers once again faced the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series, and in Game 1 on September 30 in Arlington, things didn’t start well for Texas as the Rays shut them out 9-0. Catcher Kelly Shoppach had 3 hits and 5 RBIs for Tampa Bay, while designated hitter Johnny Damon had 2 hits and 3 RBIs and third baseman Evan Longoria had 2 hits.
The Rangers found their footing in Game 2 on October 1, winning 8-6. Shoppach drew a bases-loaded walk to score center fielder B.J. Upton in the top of the 1st inning, and right fielder Matt Joyce smacked a 2-run home run in the top of the 4th. Texas responded in the bottom of the 4th when Adrian Beltre was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Elvis Andrus. Mike Napoli followed with a 2-run single, and though David Murphy struck out swinging, he reached first base on a wild pitch that scored Beltre. Mitch Moreland then added an RBI groundout. Ian Kinsler hit a 2-run double in the bottom of the 6th, and though Evan Longoria helped Tampa Bay’s cause with a 3-run home run in the top of the 7th, Moreland’s solo home run in the bottom of the 8th sealed the deal.
In Game 3 on October 3 at Tropicana Field, the Rangers won 4-3. Left fielder Desmond Jennings got the Rays on the board first with a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th inning, but Napoli answered for Texas with a 2-run home run in the top of the 7th, and Josh Hamilton followed with an RBI single. In the bottom of the 7th, shortstop Sean Rodriguez had a pinch-hit RBI groundout, and in the bottom of the 8th, Jennings hit another solo home run, but the Rays fell 1 run short.
The Rays fell 1 run short again as the Rangers eliminated them in Game 4 on October 4 with a 4-3 victory. Kinsler hit a solo home run in the top of the 1st inning, and Beltre hit a solo home run in the top of the 2nd. Joyce had an RBI double in the bottom of the 2nd, but Beltre came back with another solo home run in the top of the 4th. First baseman Casey Kotchman had RBI singles in the bottom of the 4th and 7th innings, but Beltre hit his third solo home run of the game in the top of the 7th.
The 2011 American League Championship Series was played between the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers. The Rangers won Game 1 by a score of 3-2 on October 8 in Arlington. Murphy had an RBI triple in the bottom of the 2nd inning, followed by a Kinsler RBI single. Nelson Cruz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th. Center fielder Austin Jackson had an RBI double in the top of the 5th and later scored on a wild pitch, but Detroit came up short.
The Rangers won again in Game 2 on October 10 by a score of 7-3. Hamilton and Beltre had RBI doubles in the bottom of the 1st inning, but Tigers right fielder Ryan Raburn gave his team a 3-2 lead by crushing a 3-run home run in the top of the 3rd. Cruz responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th to tie the game 3-3, and then he hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 11th to win the game for Texas.
In Game 3 on October 11 at Comerica Park, the Tigers beat the Rangers 5-2. Hamilton had an RBI single in the top of the 1st inning, but Detroit’s big bats came to play soon after. Designated hitter Victor Martinez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th, and first baseman Miguel Cabrera had an RBI double in the bottom of the 5th. In the bottom of the 6th, shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit a solo home run, and Austin Jackson followed with an RBI single. Cabrera came back in the bottom of the 7th with a solo home run of his own. Kinsler’s RBI groundout in the top of the 8th didn’t hurt Detroit.
The Rangers came back to win 7-3 in Game 4 on October 12. Cabrera hit a 2-run double in the bottom of the 2nd inning, but Texas woke up in the top of the 6th with an RBI double by Kinsler and RBI singles by Andrus and Young. Third baseman Brandon Inge tied the game 3-3 with a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th, but in the top of the 11th, Napoli had an RBI single and Cruz walloped a 3-run home run.
The Tigers claimed a 7-5 victory in Game 5 on October 13. Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 1st inning, but catcher Alex Avila responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd. Left fielder Delmon Young hit a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the 4th, and after Hamilton’s RBI single in the top of the 5th, the Tigers took control in the bottom of the 6th. Cabrera had an RBI double, Martinez had an RBI triple and Delmon Young clubbed a 2-run home run. Raburn added a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th, and though the Rangers fought back with a 2-run home run by Cruz in the top of the 8th and an RBI single by Michael Young in the top of the 9th, they ran out of innings.
A 15-5 rout of the Tigers in Game 6 on October 15 was just what the doctor ordered, as the Rangers made their return to Arlington count. Their most explosive inning at the plate was the bottom of the 3rd. Michael Young had a 2-run double, Adrian Beltre had an RBI single, David Murphy had a 2-run single, Ian Kinsler had an RBI single, and then Young came back up to hit another 2-run double.
The 2011 Texas Rangers then played a dramatic and competitive 2011 World Series against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, but they fell 1 game short of claiming the trophy. The best game the Rangers played in the 2011 Fall Classic was Game 4 on October 23, when they shut out the Cardinals 4-0 in Arlington. Derek Holland pitched 8.1 innings, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks while recording 7 strikeouts. Josh Hamilton had an RBI double in the bottom of the 1st inning, and Mike Napoli clobbered a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 6th.
Since 2011, the Rangers haven’t gotten any closer to accomplishing their ultimate goal as a franchise, and after the 2014 regular season, manager Ron Washington, who had guided the Rangers to both the 2010 and 2011 World Series, was relieved of his duties.
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