Rangers Rewind: Josh Smith's Walk-Off Home Run vs Houston

That's my first walk-off home run ever in my whole life, yeah, so that was pretty awesome. And he does! And he blasts it! Deep end to right! It is gone! Yeah, I feel like at that time in the year we were kind of still neck and neck for division, still kind of in the runnings, and I just remember having a little bit more power to the game, more effect on the game, and so it just felt like a bigger game for sure. Rangers down to their final five outs tonight, trailing 2-1. Smith tonight has struck out, grounded out, and he has also popped up. Smashed up the first. Dubon with a nice pick, and they get Smith two pitches, two outs. Yikes! I don't think I've ever got a hit off of him, but I just remember after that I was like, another 0-4-4 game, not going to get another chance, but yeah, I hated that swing, but it's crazy. So, two quick outs, and they will all meet out on the mound now. And the reason they're meeting is because Corey Seager's coming up, and I think they want to make precisely sure that they have a plan in order here. Well, this is a pretty big pitch right here. 3-2. And that ball's hit well! Deep out to right! This game is tied! Yeah, that was big. He's so clutch. Honestly, him hitting a home run there is not even surprising. In big situations, he always steps up for us, and if he doesn't, he's having a good at-bat, but just for him to do that, give me a chance later in the game and some of the other guys later in the game to get on base, was just special, but he's just been so consistent throughout his career. What a huge swing! We go to the bottom of the 10th inning from Globe Life Field. The Astros got a run in the top of the 10th. Caleb Ferguson is on in relief of Josh Hader for the bottom of the 10th. The switch hitting, Grossman facing the lefty Ferguson. 1-2. Swing and a miss. Grossman waves at a slurve over the outside corner. And there's one away here at the bottom of the 10th for Jonah Heim. Two-strike offering, and a swing and a miss. Back-to-back strikeouts for Ferguson, and the Rangers are down to their final out. Yes, I think that was my first time facing him, but as a lefty, I don't really pay attention so much to how he pitches righties. Honestly, I'm always looking for fastballs, so it doesn't really matter what he got through. So, yeah, I wasn't really paying too much attention to how he pitched those guys. Now, this is a left-on-left matchup, so Josh Smith the batter. A base hit to the outfield likely ties it. A base runner here gives Corey Seager another chance. And Smith takes Loewen away with a cutter. Yeah, I was just obviously trying to get a good pitch, cut her way down. I feel like just in these situations, I feel more calm just because you're basically supposed to get out in baseball, so if you get out, whatever. Here's the 1-0. Smith takes, and there's a fastball over the outer half, and the count's 1-1. Probably should have went on that heater down the middle, but yeah, he threw that outer half, probably let it go. Couldn't really do too much with it. Kind of just thinking here, just staying on the heater, just relaxing a little bit. 1-1. In the dirt, laid off by Smith. 2-1 count. Yeah, so heater away, spit on it outside. And then this, so what helped me on this next swing is just obviously you got the 3-1 count. I know the fastball's coming because Seager's behind me. And so I wouldn't say I was trying to hit a home run, but I guess I was trying because I knew he was going heater up and in. That was awesome. Just 0-4 going into that at bat, not really thinking about the other ones. But like I said, just knowing you have Corey behind you kind of helps you. You know you're going to get a good pitch to hit, and then just running home, kind of seeing everybody. Especially that point in the season where we were still in it, it just was pretty special. That's my first walk-off home run ever in my whole life, yeah, so that was pretty awesome. It was special for sure, but that moment never happens with Seager's bomb, or I guess it was extra innings, so no one actually got on base. But yeah, it's a team effort, like I said. And then just to be able, personally, to be able to hit the walk-off and help us win the game was pretty special. But like I said, it's always about other guys getting on base and doing stuff before that moment too.