Road woes continue for Texas
The Texas Rangers scored four runs but the Tampa Bay Rays scored five runs.
You know the rules. Only one Vandy boy can be good at any one time. Right now, that’s Jack Leiter. With Leiter on the upswing, that means Kumar Rocker is destined to be trending down.
Tonight, after being MIA since late April, Rocker returned to the rotation and was, well, not very good. The 2022 No. 3 overall pick lasted just 3 1⁄3 innings and allowed five runs to bring his 2025 season ERA to 8.87.
The Rangers trailed 5-0 when Rocker departed and that might as well be 1,000 to nothing for this team. However, Texas did score a trio of runs in the fifth inning to suddenly make this one a game.
Nevertheless, the spigot was shut off as quickly as it was turned on and it wasn’t until a two-out error in the ninth that came around to score gave the Rangers hope in a sudden one-run game. Unfortunately, former Ranger Pete Fairbanks made quick work of Corey Seager and the Rangers lost.
Tonight’s four runs would have won Texas thirteen other games in which they lost while allowing less than four runs, but that’s just the way things are going for them this year. They’ve had excellent pitching and aren’t winning, so they almost surely aren’t going to win the games when they don’t have that.
Player of the Game: Jonah Heim hit a two-run home run for the Rangers out of the No. 9 spot in the order. It was Heim’s 200th career dinger.
Up Next: The Rangers will try to avoid losing their 21st game on the road in 30 tries, while also trying to avoid a sweep. RHP Leiter is expected to pitch for Texas against RHP Ryan Pepiot for Tampa Bay.
The Thursday evening first pitch from Steinbrenner Field is set for 6:35 pm CT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.