Jacob deGrom was nearly untouchable, the Texas Rangers built a 3-0 cushion, and still it all unraveled fast in Seattle.
The Rangers dropped a 4-3 decision to the Mariners on Saturday, giving up the lead after deGrom’s night ended and Jakob Junis took over in the seventh. Junis didn’t retire any of the four hitters he faced, and the Mariners flipped the game from a three-run deficit to a one-run advantage the Rangers couldn’t erase.
Before that collapse, Texas had a game that looked mostly under control. Joc Pederson tied Jake Burger for the team lead in dingers with a two-run homer off Logan Gilbert, and the Rangers also scratched across a run with what was described as Skip Schumaker’s daily prescribed small ball. Texas even had chances to add more, but was thrown out at home three times while trying to stretch the lead.
deGrom was the story for most of the afternoon. He worked six innings on 92 pitches, struck out 12, didn’t issue a walk, and was one out from six perfect innings before a comeback shot back to the mound ended that bid. By the time his day was over, he had done just about everything a starter can do.
Instead, the Rangers wound up with another gut punch in a season that keeps making the playoff chase harder. They scored only five runs across two losses after putting up 10 in the opener, and with more than two weeks left in the season, they still have time to recover. The problem is that the path is getting tougher to see.
The Rangers now head south to Arizona for a series with the Diamondbacks, and neither club has announced a starter for the opener.
In Other News...
Rangers Wild Card Push Just Hit A Brutal Arizona Problem
The Rangers are heading into a series in Arizona with a challenge that goes beyond the standings. The Diamondbacks have suddenly put together a rotation that looks whole again, with Zac Gallen back from the 60-day injured list and Michael Soroka activated from the 15-day injured list, while Corbin Burnes has already worked his way into the mix with a scoreless return against Kansas City.
For a Texas club trying to keep its wild card push moving, that means no soft landing. Arizona is lining up Brandon Pfaadt, Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly for the series, giving the Rangers a run of starters who can make every inning feel like a grind. In a race where every road trip matters, this one now looks like a particularly tough test. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jungs Return Now Hinges On More Than His Bat
Josh Jung gave the Rangers a timely reminder of his power during his rehab stint at Triple-A Round Rock, homering after missing more than a month with a strained left calf. But for Texas, the bat is only part of the equation right now, and the next step in his return is less about what he can do at the plate than whether he can handle the left side of the infield again.
Manager Skip Schumaker said Jung has to show he can play third base before the Rangers bring him back, with plans for him to get progressively longer innings there in the coming games. Texas is still eyeing a possible activation as soon as Saturday, which would force the club to clear a roster spot, so the final checkboxes are no small matter. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Waste Another Cody Bradford Start As Questions Keep Growing
Cody Bradfords seventh start of the season gave the Rangers another familiar look, with the left-hander working four innings and taking the loss as his record slipped to 0-5. Texas managed only two runs in support, and the bullpen of Tyler Alexander, Trevor Williams and Robby Ahlstrom covered the final four innings after Bradford exited.
The bigger concern is how quickly these outings have started to blur together for both Bradford and the club. Since his first major league appearance of 2025, the Rangers have not given him much to work with at the plate, and the recent run of results has only sharpened the questions around what comes next when the team keeps sending him out and getting little return. [Read more 🡒]