You could certainly make an argument that the Texas Rangers made a statement to the AL West leaders and favorite Los Angeles Angels last night.

And that statement would be "We're not going away."

It looked like a typical Rangers heart breaker when closer Frank Francisco gave up a game-tying three run homer in the top of the ninth, after another strong effort from ace Kevin Millwood.

"Oh no," Ranger fans collectively thought. "Not again."

But the Rangers, as they have so many times in the last two seasons, came back in dramatic fashion, and won on a walk-off game winning bomb from Hank Blalock in the bottom of the ninth.

Usually this time of year is when the Rangers start to melt in the Texas heat, and the sports fans of North Texas turn their attention elsewhere, mainly to Valley Ranch and the Cowboys.

But the Rangers took two of three from the Angels and moved to 5-1 against the Angels in 2009. And they'll see the Angels a bunch before the division is decided -- 13 more times, to be exact.

And the attention of sports fans in North Texas won't be going elsewhere either.

Matt Griffin

KXII.com