There are six Major League Baseball teams that have never won a World Series. The Texas Rangers, founded in 1961, are the oldest of them all. More thirsty than any other team for their first championship, Texas finally got their chance.

The Rangers defeated the Houston Astros 11-4 in Game 7 of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series (ALCS) at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Thursday (April 24). The Rangers improved to 4-3 in the series and punched their ticket to the World Series for the first time in 12 years since 2011.

Manager Bruce Bochy made a surprise move in Game 5, pulling starter Max Scherzer after just 44 pitches for two runs in 2⅔ innings and inserting Jordan Montgomery into the bullpen. Montgomery pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the save, while the offense exploded for 14 hits, including four home runs, to demolish Houston.

Texas outfielder Adolis Garcia, who has homered in a postseason-record four straight games dating back to Game 4, went 4-for-5 with a pair of solo blasts in the third and eighth innings. In seven games of the ALCS, Garcia is now 10-for-28 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and a 1.293 OPS.

Texas, which was founded in 1961, is the oldest of the six franchises without a World Series title, joining the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers (since 1969), Seattle Mariners (1977), Colorado Rockies (1993) and Tampa Bay Rays (1998).

The team has been aggressive in its pursuit of a World Series title. In 2001, they made a splash by signing South Korean pitcher Chan Ho Park as a free agent for five years and $65 million, but he was traded after failing to live up to expectations throughout his contract due to back and hamstring injuries, and Texas missed fall ball for the 10th consecutive year starting in 2000. They finished last in the AL West four times during that stretch.

They reached the World Series for the second straight year in 2010 and 2011, but couldn’t get over the hump. In 2010, they lost to the San Francisco Giants in four games, and in 2011, they were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in three games. In 2011, the Giants lost Game 6 of the World Series after blowing a 3-2 lead with two outs in the ninth and 10th innings, and lost Game 7 in a heartbreaking fashion. 굿모닝토토 주소

In 2014, the team returned to championship contention with the acquisition of South Korean outfielder Shin-Soo Choo for seven years and $130 million. They won back-to-back district titles in 2015 and 2016, but lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the division series for the second straight year. In 2015, they went to Game 5 and lost in three games, and in 2016, they were swept in three straight games. Shin-Soo Choo played seven years until 2020, when he had to leave the team without playing any more fall ball. After Shin-Soo Choo’s departure, the team missed the postseason for six straight years until 2021-2022.

That didn’t stop Texas from investing. Heading into the 2022 season, the team signed shortstop Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million), second baseman Marcus Semien (seven years