On This Day in 2023: Rangers Drop ALCS Game 5 Heartbreaker

Three years ago today, the Texas Rangers suffered one of their most heartbreaking postseason losses in franchise history.

Texas fell to the Houston Astros 5-4 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series and officially saw their 2-0 series lead fall to a 3-2 deficit.

After losing Games 3 and 4 at Globe Life Field, Game 5 felt like a must-win for many people if the Rangers wanted a shot at winning the series.

However, that would prove not to be the case. Texas claimed wins in both Games 6 and 7 in Houston to win their first American League title since 2011 and move on to the World Series, which they would eventually win for the first time in franchise history.

As for the heartbreaking Game 5 loss, it was the Astros who got on the board first as Alex Bregman lifted a solo home run to center field against Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery.

In the fifth, Texas would tie the game at one when Nathaniel Lowe hit a solo shot of his own off Justin Verlander.

With the Rangers trailing 2-1 in the sixth, Adolis Garcia came through with one of his massive postseason swings.

Garcia blasted a three-run home run to put Texas up 4-2. That moment would also lead to him being hit by a pitch in his next at-bat and an extremely rare postseason benches-clearing brawl.

In the ninth, it looked like the Rangers had the game won as Jose Leclerc came on looking for the save.

Up until that point, Leclerc had been one of the best relievers in the postseason. However, he would surrender a three-run home run to Jose Altuve in what would go down as the game-winner.

It was Game 5 that felt like the boiling point for the in-state rivals who had, at that point, seen each other 18 times throughout the regular season and postseason.

However, ultimately, it was the Rangers who would get the last laugh in what would go down as one of the truly great ALCS in history.

Garcia would also end up going down as the hero as he crushed three home runs and nine RBI in the series’ final two games in Houston.

There’s no doubt that the run Garcia went on in the 2023 postseason will be remembered as one of the greatest ever despite him being forced to exit the World Series early with an injury.