The Texas Rangers’ sixth straight win didn’t start like a team that’s been stacking victories. It started with a jolt, a lineup hole, and a familiar early-inning scare from Jacob deGrom.
Corey Seager never made it into the game, with Cam Cauley taking his place in the top of the first as Seager again appeared to be dealing with a balky back. That’s the same issue that kept him out several weeks, after a concussion had already cost him multiple series. With Brandon Nimmo out and Wyatt Langford on the injured list, Texas was missing another key piece near the top of the order.
Then Cleveland punched first. After three Guardians batters in the bottom of the opening inning, the Rangers were staring at a 2-0 deficit. Chase DeLauter opened the damage with a one-out double, and Kyle Manzardo followed with a two-run homer.
That kind of start has been a problem for deGrom and for Texas this season, but he settled in quickly. After a leadoff single in the next inning, he didn’t allow another hit until two outs in the seventh. Once he found his rhythm, the Rangers gave him room to work.
Joc Pederson brought Texas all the way back in the third, launching a two-run homer to tie the game at 2-2. From there, the score held until the seventh, when Cleveland handed the Rangers a gift.
With one out and Ezequiel Duran on second base as the go-ahead run, Alejandro Osuna lofted a harmless fly ball to left. Cooper Ingle caught it, jogged in a few steps, and then tossed the ball into the stands while forgetting there were only one out. By rule, Duran was able to advance two bases and score the go-ahead run on a mistake that had to feel brutal for Cleveland.
Ingle probably wanted the ground to open up. He may have felt a little better when Josh Jung added a solo homer in the eighth to push the lead to 4-2, because at least then the game wasn’t decided by his lapse alone.
Texas finished it off with Peyton Gray throwing a scoreless inning and Jacob Latz working a scoreless ninth for his 18th save of the year. In a final twist, Ingle was also the last batter for Cleveland, and he struck out looking.
The Rangers’ win streak is now at six, their longest of the season.
deGrom earned Player of the Game honors after going seven innings and allowing two runs on four hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. He picked up his seventh win of the season and kept building a case for an All-Star nod.
Texas opens July with a shot at a second straight sweep in the road trip finale, with LHP MacKenzie Gore set to start for the Rangers against LHP Joey Cantillo for Cleveland.
In Other News...
Corey Seager Exit Leaves Rangers Facing Another Alarming Problem
Corey Seagers latest exit only added to the uneasy feeling around the Rangers offense. Removed from the game against the Guardians because of back discomfort, he has been trying to navigate a managed workload after already missing time earlier this season with lower back inflammation and then again after a concussion. For Texas, the concern is bigger than one night, because Seager has spent much of the season trying to stay on the field while the team carefully balances his health and his production.
The Rangers had recently placed him on a planned off-day schedule to help keep another injury from surfacing, but that approach now appears to be under strain. Seagers playing time has already been affected by the sequence of issues, and any further setback would leave Texas scrambling to preserve one of its most important hitters while also trying to keep the bigger picture intact. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Roster Moves Sent A Clear Message About Their Rotation Trouble
The Rangers kept busy on Monday, adding veteran right-hander Chris Paddack and selecting the contract of Cameron Cauley as the latest sign they are still trying to patch together their pitching depth. Paddack made it through four innings against the Cleveland Guardians, and the moves fit a roster picture that has been shifting for a while as Texas looks for ways to stabilize the staff.
With Jack Leiter out until at least August after ankle surgery and Jordan Montgomery still about a month away from returning from Tommy John surgery, the need for reinforcements is hard to miss. Texas has also kept a 40-man roster spot open for the possibility of another veteran free-agent arm, which leaves the door open for more movement if the right pitcher becomes available. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Could Find The Deadline Help They Need From The Mets
Fresh off a four-game sweep that pushed Texas to the top of the AL West, the Rangers have given themselves a clearer path into deadline season. With the Mets stumbling through a disappointing year and already moving on from Carlos Mendoza, New York has started to look more like a club that could listen than one that will try to add, and that kind of shift can create opportunity for a contender looking to tighten a roster for the stretch run.
For Texas, the appeal is obvious: help in the bullpen and another bat that could fit around the current lineup without forcing a major overhaul. The Rangers have not confirmed any pursuit, but the Mets situation has naturally put a few names into the conversation as possible fits for a club trying to keep its division lead while patching holes before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]