The Texas Rangers took the hard route after blowing a 2½-game lead in the American League West in the final week of the regular season and landing in the wild-card round.
Five consecutive victories later, the Rangers are headed to the AL Championship Series after a solid 7-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Texas swept the Tampa Bay Rays in two games in an AL wildcard series before outscoring the Orioles 21-11 in three AL Division Series contests.