The Texas Rangers, believe or not, have a home in Arlington, Texas. They finally return Monday for their first game at Globe Life Park in more than two weeks.
The team flight home, which included most of the club’s top executives, likely carried a sense of relief after the Rangers salvaged a rough, nine-game road trip with consecutive wins against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The Rangers held on for a nail-biting 2-1 win Sunday afternoon.
Delino DeShields, recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday, homered in the seventh to snap a 1-1 tie, and the Rangers’ bullpen tossed four scoreless innings after starter AJ Griffin gave them five solid innings. Closer Sam Dyson found himself in a jam in the ninth after a leadoff single, but the defense, which has struggled at times during the past few weeks, came up big.
Second baseman Rougned Odor saved a throw in the dirt from Dyson on a line-drive comebacker to get the second out on a force at second base. Catcher Robinson Chirinos quickly jumped out to field a tapper in front of the plate and threw a strike to first for the final out.
“That was extremely tough. I guarantee you [Dyson] didn’t throw it straight,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said with a chuckle.
“You can be taught [to put your body in front of the ball] but there are times when that sphincter muscle doesn’t allow you to sit in there. He sacrificed everything he had to catch a baseball. That’s the determination that these guys had and how much they want to win.”
Odor, who was 3 for 3 with a walk, not only recorded the second out, but prevented the Royals from having the tying run at third base with one out.
“I was like, ‘No, this ball is going nowhere,’ “ he said. “I just put my chest in there and thank God I caught it.”
The Rangers finished the trip 3-6 and won their first series since June 26. How bad has it been? They won consecutive games for the first time since taking the first two against the Yankees on June 27-28.
“It’s been a while,” said Dyson, who earned his 20th save. “It’s definitely good to get two in a row and win a series for the first time in a while.”
If it feels like the Rangers have spent more than a month on the road, it’s because it’s not too far from the truth. Since June 9, the Rangers have played 10 home games and 29 road games. They went 20-19 in the span.
“I feel good about it,” Banister said. “Look, that’s a tough stretch, that 39 games. We were looking for a little momentum to play well to go home [with]. That’s the biggest key, to feel good going home and start a stretch of games. We get to spend a week at home.”
The schedule swings back in their favor. The Rangers, who lead the Astros by 2 {games in the American League West, play 37 of their final 63 games in Arlington, and their final 15 overall are against teams currently well under.500.
“It is a challenge and obstacle,” said Banister, who acknowledge managing games a little differently early on, specifically with his bullpen usage, while trying to bank wins.
“To make sure we tried to lock down some of those W’s knowing tough times were ahead, yes,” Banister said. “Never will I use that as any form of excuse.”
And playing at home doesn’t make winning automatic, either, Banister said.
“We still have to play good,” he said. “There is some importance to the momentum of going home, of playing well. Win or lose, that momentum of playing good games kind of pushes you in the right direction.
“We get to go home to our house where we’re comfortable, sleep in our beds, and have that schedule kind of play in our favor.”

RESULTS
NY Yankees 5 San Francisco 2
Toronto ........2 Seattle ...............0
Arizona .........9 Cincinnati .......8
NY Mets .......3 Miami .................0
Baltimore ....5 Cleveland .........3
Boston ..........8 Minnesota .......7
Pittsburgh ..5 Philadelphia ...4
San Diego 10 Washington.... 6
Chicago Cubs 6 Milwaukee .5
Chicago WSox 4 Detroit ........3
Houston.... 13 LA Angels .........3
Chicago WSox 5 Detroit ........4
Texas ...........2 Kansas City .......1
Oakland .....3 Tampa Bay .......2
Colorado ....7 Atlanta ...............2
LA Dodgers 9 St. Louis ...........6