The Texas Rangers started off the 2024 season off with a 4-3 win against the Chicago Cubs at Globe Life Field in Arlington Thursday night, keeping fans’ spirits high after last year’s World Series win.
Opening day began ceremoniously with the Rangers receiving their first-ever Commissioner’s Trophy and unveiling their 2023 World Series Champions banner. Catcher Jonah Heim said he got out on the field early ahead of the game just to take everything in.
“It was special to be able to celebrate this night with not only our teammates but our fans,” Heim said. “We wouldn't be here without them and I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did, and it was a truly special night.”
Heim ended the season opener for the World Series champions with a 10th-inning RBI single, after not finishing a play on a disputed foul tip that had given the Chicago Cubs the lead. Heim made up for his miscue with a two-out liner that lifted Texas to the 4-3 win.
“The big thing is, he put it behind him and got that big hit,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.
Adolis García and Travis Jankowski homered for the Rangers, and Wyatt Langford had a memorable big league debut. Jankowski led off the ninth with a tying pinch-hit homer after Chicago went ahead in the top half of the inning.
More than 42,000 fans attended — the highest ever attendance for a regular season contest at Globe Life Field and the fourth-highest attended game in venue history. Thursday’s game has fans like Clem Manning hopeful the Rangers can make it to the Fall Classic again.
“A lot of things change in baseball during the offseason, but I think we have a good team, I think we can compete in each and every game we play,” he said last night. “We have a good manager, so I think we’ll be good.”
The Rangers return to Globe Life Field Thursday night was their first-ever Opening Day as World Series champions. The team beat the Houston Astros in the 2023 American League Championship Series before going on to shock the baseball world when they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 in November.
Bochy told reporters ahead of Thursday's game he reminded the players to enjoy that victory.
"Yeah, we got to get ready for the game, but this is a special time," he said. "Not just tonight, but next game when they get their rings. Really soak it in, because it's so hard to do."
North Texas fans are still giddy from that win. Tailgaters lined up in tents outside Globe Life Field Thursday afternoon with hats, shirts, necklaces and beer koozies bearing the World Series Champion markers proudly. Some said they arrived as early as 8 a.m. just to snag a spot on the grass.
This was Grapevine resident Laura Reta’s 15th straight year tailgating for a Rangers home opener and the third with her parents. As a lifelong fan, she said the World Series win was surreal.
“There’s been years where we haven’t had great seasons,” Reta said. “But, you know, we see the camaraderie with them and how much they love the fans, and we love them just as much.”
Overall, the Rangers are now 25-28 in season openers. This is the second time the Rangers have played the Cubs in their home opener, previously losing to Chicago in 2019.
This new season has Rangers fans wondering whether they can not only return to the World Series, but to win it again. Texas has been close before — the team made it to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, losing both times.
If the Rangers win it again this year, they would become the first Major League Baseball team to win back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees, who won three straight championships in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Arlington resident Mike Lara said he won $8,000 when he took a chance and bet on the Rangers winning the World Series last year. He feels confident the team can do it again — even though they’re down several pitchers.
“If our offense can just do enough to keep us where we need to be in striking distance when those pitchers come back in June or July, I think we’ll have a great path to get back where we were,” Lara said.
Among the crowd of Rangers fans was a lone tent decked out in Chicago Cubs memorabilia. Marissa Lopez of Dallas — originally from Chicago — said she had been there since 9:30 a.m. with her family.
The Chicago Cubs are three-time World Series champions, but it’s been almost eight years since their last, which ended a 108-year World Series drought.
As she prepared peppers and onions to go on top of hot dogs while her husband grilled behind her, Lopez said she had yet to experience any bad blood from Rangers fans.
“It’s opening day, which is exciting for everybody,” Lopez said. “The most important part is bringing our family out, having a good time and enjoying the game.”
Globe Life Field hung the team’s 2023 World Series Championship banner for the first time in history near the right field video board. The Rangers also received their Commissioner’s Trophy on the field.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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