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Rangers' Elias Díaz Reacts to Clutch Hit
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- Rangers' Elias Díaz Reacts to Clutch Hit
(© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
The Texas Rangers evened up their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday with a 6-4 extra innings win at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City , and catcher Elias Díaz came through in a big way.
In the top of the 10th inning, Díaz hit a go-ahead RBI double to score Ezequiel Duran and give the Rangers a 5-4 lead. Díaz later got across home plate himself after Josh Jung walked with the bases loaded, giving Texas its two-run cushion to carry to the finish line.
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It was Díaz's lone at-bat of the night, and he came through in a big way for his new team against his old team. After the game, Díaz talked with Laura Stickells of Rangers Sports Network about his contribution.
"I mean, it's beautiful for me," Díaz said. "You know, I came here to try to help the team win. And I'm so happy to put my best, and we got the W for the team."
Díaz, 35, is a seasoned veteran of Major League Baseball after making his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015. Since then, he has spent time with the Pirates, Colorado Rockies , San Diego Padres and, most recently, the Royals before coming to Texas.
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Díaz signed a minor-league contract in February with Kansas City and ended up appearing in 10 games this season for the Royals. On May 22, he was designated for assignment, and on June 3, he elected free agency.
By June 6, the Rangers signed Díaz, and Wednesday marked his second game with his new team. For Díaz, a mix of understanding the Royals' pitching staff and being a veteran of the sport helped him put together a quality at-bat in the 10th inning.
"I mean, you know, they are really good," Díaz said about the Royals' relievers. "They have a really good bullpen. But let me say, I'm a veteran guy. I just try to have a plan and put a good swing on the pitch and I get the double."
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Díaz replaced Michael Helman behind the plate, and he caught for Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz to end the game.
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"You know, Junis, we've been around," Díaz said. "You know, I faced him a couple times, and his style is good. So, he commands every pitch. Same thing with the closer [Latz]. I mean, we never lost the confidence. We attack the hitters and we get out of the inning."
The Rangers will have a chance to reach .500 and win the series against Kansas City on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. CST.
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