The Texas Rangers ended their regular-season home schedule on a high note, beating the New York Mets 3-1 at The Shed and avoiding a sweep in the final scheduled game in Arlington.
Texas had already dropped the first two games of the series, and another loss would have sent the Rangers out of town on the wrong kind of note. Instead, they got an early jolt from Josh Jung, a steady outing from Kumar Rocker, and enough relief work to close it out.
The game opened badly for Texas when Rocker allowed a first-inning run, and for a moment it looked like the Mets might be on their way to finishing off a sweep. But Jung answered immediately, blasting a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame to put the Rangers in front 2-1. It was the kind of swing that changed the tone of the night and, as Texas has shown all season, early leads tend to matter.
Rocker settled in after that shaky first inning and gave the Rangers exactly what they needed. He worked five innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out four. With the rotation and bullpen both being stretched thin, that was a big lift.
The bullpen then pieced together the final four innings. Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, Chase Silseth, and Jordan Montgomery handled the late work, with only Alexander allowing a baserunner. In a one-run game, that kind of clean relief mattered just as much as the early offense.
Corey Seager added some breathing room in the sixth with a solo home run after a rough series of his own, pushing the lead to 3-1. That extra cushion allowed Montgomery to finish the game and earn the save, the second of his career, with Jacob Latz unavailable.
The win left Texas at 79-80 and 14th in baseball, with a half-game lead over Houston for the American League West crown.
Josh Jung was the clear difference-maker. He went 3-for-3 with a walk and reached base in every plate appearance, and his first-inning homer erased the Mets’ early lead before the game had a chance to get away from Texas. He has become a central piece of the offense, and on this night he was the one carrying it.
Texas now heads to Minnesota for its final regular-season series. The Rangers were swept by the Twins in Arlington back in June and have not beaten them this year. A starter has not been named for the opener, while Minnesota will send right-hander Joe Ryan to the mound.
In Other News...
Astros Deadline Gamble Just Added New Drama To The AL West Race
The Astros went to the deadline with one clear move, picking up Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays in exchange for Spencer Arrighetti, but the addition has quickly come with some extra baggage. Varsho has struggled at the plate, and now he is expected to land on the injured list because of wrist cysts, with surgery even being considered.
For the Rangers, the timing matters because they are still locked in a tight AL West race with Houston and both clubs are trying to patch together pitching in the stretch run. A deal that was supposed to give the Astros a boost instead has introduced more uncertainty, and with only a few games left, every bit of roster drama can ripple through a division chase that has stayed this close. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Finally Have A Little Life In The Playoff Race
A badly needed win gave the Rangers a little breathing room in a playoff race that had started to feel like it was slipping away. Kumar Rocker steadied the game with five innings of one-run ball, Jordan Montgomery finished it off for a save, and Josh Jung and Corey Seager supplied the power with home runs that gave Texas enough offense to stop the bleeding.
There is still a long road ahead, but at least the math has not gone completely stale. Fangraphs still gives the Rangers a 28.7% shot at the postseason, which means this is less about comfort than survival, and every clean outing or timely swing matters a whole lot more now than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Rotation Mystery Shows How Far Texas Is Pushing This Race
Jacob deGrom is lined up to start Fridays series opener against the Twins, a sign the Rangers are still leaning on their biggest arm as the division race tightens and the calendar starts dictating more of the conversation than usual. With Texas trying to squeeze every edge out of a crowded schedule, the club is managing its rotation carefully and keeping an eye on who can take the ball when the margin for error keeps shrinking.
The final two games of the series are still unsettled, which says plenty about where this race stands and how much the Rangers are willing to juggle to stay in it. Several pitchers availability is still shaping what comes next, and until those decisions are finalized, the rotation remains part strategy, part chess match, with Texas trying to protect both the present and what comes after. [Read more 🡒]