The Texas Rangers have made one thing painfully clear in 2026: if they carry a lead into the eighth inning, good luck catching them.
They’re 61-1 in those games, a staggering number that puts a spotlight on just how dangerous this club becomes once the game reaches its final stretch. That record is the kind of thing that makes you wonder how the Rangers aren’t sitting several games above .500 and cruising toward October. Instead, the real story has been what happens before the eighth.
From the All-Star Break through the end of August, Texas relievers gave up the most runs in baseball in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. That middle stretch has been the soft underbelly of the bullpen, especially when the club was forced to lean on rookies and lesser options. With some injured arms back in the mix, the picture has changed a bit, but the Rangers still need that bridge from the starters to Jacob Latz to hold.
And that bridge has to be sturdier now than ever. The Rangers don’t tend to erase deficits late, so when Jacob deGrom, Cal Quantrill, or Nathan Eovaldi hands over a lead, the bullpen has to protect it. Latz has been nails at the back end, but the middle relief group has been the difference between a comfortable win and a blown opportunity.
Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Red Sox offered a clean example of how Texas wants this to look. The middle relievers handled their business, and that’s the formula Skip Schumaker would like to keep using when he pulls starters with a lead after the fifth or sixth inning.
The plan, as it stands, starts with Chase Silseth. From there, Schumaker can mix and match based on the matchup, using Jakob Junis and Eovaldi against righties or Robert Garcia and Tyler Alexander against lefties in the seventh and into the eighth.
Silseth has settled in since arriving from LA at the deadline. Outside of one rough outing against the D-Backs, when he gave up three earned runs in 0.2 innings, he has allowed one earned run over his last five appearances, covering 3.2 innings.
Alexander has also given Texas a steadier look, with three earned runs allowed over his last 10.2 innings. Junis has been hit around a bit lately, but Schumaker still trusts him in high-leverage spots.
The ideal setup does not call for Latz to be collecting too many four- or five-out saves. But if the middle relievers can keep handing him the ball in the eighth, Schumaker is more than willing to let his dominant closer work beyond a standard one-inning save, usually with at least a day of rest.
It may not be pretty, and it may not be clean, but the Rangers’ best path is obvious. Get through the middle innings, turn it over to Latz, and let that 61-1 record keep doing the talking.
In Other News...
Rangers Make A Pitching Choice That Says Plenty About This Finale
The Rangers are leaning on Cody Bradford for the series finale, and the assignment says plenty about how they want to navigate the end of this stretch. The left-hander will take the ball against Bostons Sonny Gray on extra rest, giving Texas a chance to get through a game that matters without overtaxing a pitching staff that has already had to be managed carefully.
Bradford has been held to limited innings in recent starts, so the Rangers are clearly prepared to monitor him closely and adjust on the fly if needed. With several bullpen options available behind him, Texas is trying to balance winning the finale with keeping enough arms fresh for the games ahead, a calculation that has become part of the rhythm this time of year. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Turn Tense September Night Into A First-Place Push
A tense September night at Globe Life Field ended with the Rangers back at .500 and back in first place in the American League West, a place they have spent much of the month trying to claw toward. In a come-from-behind win over the Red Sox, Texas got enough from a pitching staff that was asked to keep piecing things together, with MacKenzie Gore and Nathan Eovaldi both covering multiple innings and Jakob Junis helping bridge the middle of the game.
The bigger takeaway for Texas is how much tighter the race has become as the final stretch approaches. The Rangers are tied for first in the division and still right in the mix in the Wild Card chase, which gives every late-inning at-bat a little extra weight. They were sharp with runners in scoring position against Boston, and now they carry that urgency into a September where one good night can change the picture quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Face Late Twist With AL West Lead Suddenly There To Grab
The Rangers head into a pivotal matchup with Boston with a chance to move alone atop the American League West, and the pregame plans have already shifted in a meaningful way. Texas is turning to Tyler Alexander as the opener rather than Cody Bradford, a change that adds another layer to a game with division implications and raises the importance of every inning against a Red Sox club that can complicate the race.
There is also some uncertainty around Joc Pederson because of a hand injury, leaving another lineup piece unresolved as the stakes rise. Corey Seager, Brandon Nimmo and Josh Jung have each been part of the conversation because of their recent form and how they match up with Sonny Gray, so the Rangers are still carrying enough offensive firepower to make this a dangerous night even with the late twist. [Read more 🡒]