When veteran outfielder Brandon Nimmo joined the Rangers in Surprise, Ariz., for the start of Spring Training, his first impression of Ezequiel Duran was simple. “We got to find a way to get this guy on the field,” Nimmo recalled. Nimmo, a lifelong Met before he was traded to Texas this past offseason, didn’t really recall who exactly Duran was. Was he a prospect? A journeyman utility infielder? Nimmo quickly learned who Duran was. And on Saturday afternoon, Duran recorded the first walk-off plate appearance of his career, capping a ninth-inning rally with a flare RBI single to score Nimmo from third and propel the Rangers to a 7-6 win over the Royals at Globe Life Field. “When I was watching him play in spring, I was kind of just wondering, like, ‘Why have I not heard of him?’” Nimmo continued. “I know I was in the National League, but I didn't really remember him in the lineups. I was just asking around. Come to find out, he's just coming into his own. He has earned his spot, and I think, as you've seen over the last two months, he deserves to be an everyday guy. I couldn't be more proud of him.” Duran said he didn’t know how to explain the feeling of the walk-off hit. But his day didn’t exactly start off on a high note. In the top of the second inning, Duran didn’t swing at all in a five-pitch plate appearance, futility striking out after using an ABS challenge. Afterwards, Duran regrouped to reach base three more times, including the walk-off single.
