Mitch Garver, Rangers Offense Hyped By Fans as Texas Takes 2-0 Lead Over Orioles

Mitch Garver's grand slam helped propel the Texas Rangers to an 11-8 win over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Sunday.

Garver didn't play in the Rangers' first three playoff games, which included a two-game Wild Card Series sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays and a 3-2 win over the O's in Game 1 of the ALDS.

However, he found himself hitting in the No. 3 hole on Sunday, and manager Bruce Bochy looked like a genius after the catcher's brilliant day (2-of-6, two runs, five RBI).

Texas, which took a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-five series, scored five runs in the second inning and four more in the third for a 9-2 lead.

A Leody Taveras two-RBI double and three RBI singles led to the second-inning runs.

Garver's third-inning grand slam then broke the game wide open, giving the Rangers more than enough insurance to put themselves one win away from the ALCS.

Texas added one more run in the fifth and another in the ninth.

It turns out Texas needed some breathing room thanks to the exploits of Aaron Hicks, who smacked a two-RBI single in the first and a three-run homer in the ninth. In between, Baltimore scored two fourth-inning runs before a Gunnar Henderson fifth-inning solo shot.

In the end, that wasn't enough to overcome the powerful and deep Rangers lineup, which saw the No. 9 hitter in Taveras score three runs in addition to his two RBI.

Texas also finished with 11 hits and 11 walks in addition to its 11 runs. Corey Seager walked five times alone.

The star of the day was Garver, though, as his grand slam ended up being the difference. Fans and analysts alike recognized his efforts and those of his teammates as well.

Texas will look to complete the sweep on Tuesday at 8:03 p.m. ET.