Plays at the plate are exciting. But sometimes, they can be especially thrilling when they’re a) unusual and b) symbolic.

Wyatt Langford scored on one such play for the Rangers in their 6-2 win over the Blue Jays at Globe Life Field on Saturday night.

Tagging from third base on a fly ball to center field by Evan Carter in the sixth inning, Langford sprinted home, and with the throw by Blue Jays center fielder Brett Bateman a bit up the line, Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk moved into Langford’s path.

So Langford hurdled him.

The only problem was, once Langford returned to Earth, he had passed home plate without touching it. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a problem since the throw got past Kirk. 

But there was a problem: pitcher Paul Sewald was there to back up the throw, and Sewald had a real shot to tag Langford out before he could dive back and touch the plate. Langford, though, was able to tag the plate and score Texas’ sixth run of the game before Sewald could get to him.

It was an extraordinary leap by Langford that turned out to also be symbolic of what the Rangers did collectively with Saturday’s victory -- they leapfrogged their Lone Star State brethren, the Astros, to take sole possession of first place in the American League West with a week to go in the regular season.