Texas Rangers 'Glad' for Nelson Cruz, Advance to World Series
Nelson Cruz, outfielder for the Texas Rangers, led his team to a victory over the Detroit Tigers and a spot in the World Series for the second straight year on Saturday night.
The Rangers managed to beat the Tigers in a 15-5 game six win where Cruz gave his fans a show.
Cruz broke the MLB records for a postseason series, with ALCS totals of six home runs and 13 RBIs in a playoff series. The Dominican outfielder was named ALCS MVP after hitting .364 with an 8-for-22 streak, six homers and two doubles.
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Gary Pettis, the Rangers’ first-base and outfield coach, acknowledged that his team was lucky to have Cruz on their side.
"It was his series," Pettis said, according to ESPN. "What can you say? He did it all. He played defense. He swung the bat. He drove in runs. We’re glad he’s on our team."
Cruz’ performance mimicked that of last year, when he hit six home runs in the postseason and helped his team advance to the World Series.
Adrian Beltre, Rangers’ third baseman, was not able to witness Cruz in person last year and was excited for the opportunity to watch his teammate work.
"I saw him do this last year on TV and I got to see it in person now," Beltre said. "Being here and seeing it for myself is amazing. We wouldn’t be here without him."
Josh Hamilton, 2010 MVP for the Rangers in the ALCS, agreed with Beltre and did not seem to mind passing the award to Cruz.
“It’s one thing to be in the stands. But when you’re down here on the field with him, you can see the intensity, see the focus,” Hamilton said, according to The Washington Post. “To watch him do that was incredible. When Nellie gets in those streaks, they can come at any time. That’s what the funniest part is. Every at-bat when he’s up there, it could be the at-bat where he hits another one.”
Cruz was just as excited about the opportunity to return to the World Series, where his team will either play St. Louis or Milwaukee.
"It's awesome," Cruz said, according to ESPN. "We wanted to do this again and we have. Now we want to go all the way."
