Adolis' HR (and bat flip) exactly what Rangers needed

ARLINGTON -- Adolis García held his bat high above his head in his left hand after he made contact with the ball, strutting out of the batter's box and nonchalantly flipping it before beginning his trot around the bases as the ball landed just beyond the right-field wall.

This sequence of events has become commonplace over the past year at Globe Life Field, as García has continued to cement himself as an integral part of a Rangers club emerging from a full-scale rebuild.

On Saturday afternoon, it was once again García who came through in the clutch. His 373-foot, two-run homer -- and subsequent strut around the bases -- was all the Rangers needed to defeat the Mariners, 3-2, at Globe Life Field. The home run broke a scoreless tie between the two clubs in the fourth inning, and gave Texas a lead it never relinquished.

García took the first pitch from Seattle’s Marco Gonzales on the low-outside corner, and pulled it with a 98.9 mph exit velocity to send it over the wall.

“I’ve been making adjustments and working on my game plan,” García said through interpreter Raul Cardenas. “Those adjustments kind of helped me out today and I’m just very, very fortunate to be in that situation at that exact time. ... I wasn’t too sure [where the pitch was]. I knew it looked a little outside, but I didn’t care.”

García came through in a big spot once again on "Bark at the Park Day" at Globe Life Field. There were 434 dogs at the ballpark for the matinee showing -- or 435, if you include the one on the field: García.

García made his name in 2021 -- when he was named an American League All-Star and finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting -- by coming up in big situations. He had a pair of walk-off hits and seeminly recorded go-ahead single after go-ahead double. But even when it’s not a late-game or truly “clutch” situation, García has consistently found ways to come through in the big moment.

So while the home run on Saturday came in the fourth inning, it proved to be a game-changer in the end, with the Rangers winning by just one run. When the team needs it, García always finds a way to come through.

“He just has a knack for being the guy,” Woodward said. “I mean, it's the best way to describe it. A lot of that comes late in games. I think he just has zero fear in those moments. There's an expectation, in his mind, to do the job. That's a hard thing when you feel like you're expected to come through in big spots.

“It does help when you come through, because it gives you more belief and more confidence the more times you do it. At this point, I think he's just kind of said in his mind, ‘I will get it done. I love standing in that batter's box with a game on the line to help my team.’ He's done it time and time again.”

Even on a roster with All-Stars like Marcus Semien, Silver Slugger Award winners like Mitch Garver and a World Series MVP in Corey Seager, García has continued to find ways to stick out and consistently contribute.

García has a hit in three of his past four games and seven of his past nine. He’s slashing .308/.308/.615 during that nine-game stretch, with a .923 OPS, three home runs and nine RBIs. The homer also raised his RBI total to a team-high 35 -- 27 of which have come at Globe Life Field.

Though his sophomore season isn’t quite as eye-popping or as flashy as his first, García has continued to find the balance between being himself at the plate while seeking the right mix of patience and aggressiveness.

And when the game is on the line, he reiterates that he always wants to be in the batter’s box for that moment.

“I’m always prepared for those moments and those situations,” Garcia said. “I’ve prepared for that. That's what I work for. I look forward to it and I think about that situation before it even happens. So I’m just actually always ready for that type of situation."