Cortes (3-2) had the worst outing of his Yankees career, allowing seven runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings along with four of New York’s eight walks. His ERA climbed from 3.49 to 4.91, double his 2.88 last season when he became a first-time All-Star.

Fellow All-Star Martín Pérez (4-1) gave up one run and six hits in six innings for Texas, which has won three straight following a four-game losing streak. Jung tied his career high with five RBIs.

“Nestor is a really good pitcher and it felt like we kind of suffocated him there,” Jung said. “If we can do that day in and day out, that’s like October baseball stuff. So, truly one through nine, it was just a great day for us.”

New York allowed its most runs since a 19-5 defeat to Cleveland on Aug. 15, 2019. The Yankees are 15-14 following a 2-5 trip, tied for last in the AL East and eight games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

“Adversity is coming for us. We know it and we will get through it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The league waits for no one, and no one is going to feel sorry for us for what we’re going through. Even though we are beat up a little bit, we’re still capable of going out there and winning ballgames. That’s what we’ve got to find a way to do right now.”

Yankees captain Aaron Judge missed his third straight game with a mild hip strain, joining Giancarlo Stanton (left hamstring strain), Harrison Bader (left oblique strain) and third baseman Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain) on the sidelines. New York has totaled eight runs during its last six losses.

Cortes issued consecutive one-out walks to Robbie Grossman and Lowe in the first, and García singled down the right-field line with Oswaldo Cabrera shifted to right-center. Jung hit an opposite-field drive over the right-field wall on a 2-2 slider for his first career slam. Cortes had not allowed a slam since Sept. 28, 2019, at the Rangers’ old ballpark.

“It was tough today to find the fastball,” Cortes said. “I thought the cutter worked really well, but when you don’t have your fastball and you can’t control both sides of the plate, it’s difficult to pitch.”

Lowe and García homered in a three-pitch span of the fifth. After Cortes retired Jung, Albert Abreu relieved and gave up a home run to his first batter, Jonah Heim.

Heim had three hits and three RBIs, and Grossman extended his hitting streak to 11 games. The 13-run win matched the Rangers’ second-largest ever over the Yankees, and it was their first four-game series win over New York since July 1995.

“We pitched well, we swung the bats well, good defense,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “Just a great series for us.”

SPEEDING ALONG

The game took 2 hours, 30 minutes, a day after Nathan Eovaldi pitched a three-hit shutout in 2 hours, 6 minutes, the fastest nine-inning Yankees game since a 2:04 game against Minnesota on June 18, 1996.

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Yankees captain Aaron Judge missed his second straight game with a mild hip strain, joining Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and Harrison Bader on the sidelines. New York was shut out for the first time this season and has scored two runs or fewer in five of its last seven games.

“Classic Nate when he’s really on top of it. He kind of bullied us,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He used both sides of the plate, was a little bit unpredictable between slowing us down a little bit with the curveball.”

Jake Bauers didn’t make it past the first inning of his Yankees debut, crashing headfirst into the left-field wall in a full sprint while catching Adolis García’s drive and leaving with a bruised right knee.

The 27-year-old fell to the ground and held onto the ball for the final out of the inning, stranding Travis Jankowski on second base. New York said X-rays were negative.

Before 40,027, a record crowd at Globe Life Field, Eovaldi (3-2) struck out a season-high eight and walked none against one of his former teams.

“It means a lot to me,” Eovaldi said of the shutout. “I think it’s just being able to use all of my pitches at all times. I was able to get some outs with my slider tonight, which I usually never … I usually hang that pitch, and they end up hitting it.”

His only previous shutout was a five-inning, rain-shortened game for Boston against Tampa Bay last Oct. 4. It was the third career complete game for Eovaldi and the first shutout by a Texas pitcher at Globe Life Field, which opened in 2020.

“I’ve faced these guys a lot and know they’re aggressive,” Eovaldi said. “We wanted to make sure we established the inside part of the plate early, and once we were able to do that, we were able to mix in the splitters first pitch, second pitch the second time around and got some quick outs.”

Rookie Jhony Brito (2-3) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Boone said the team will evaluate Judge through the weekend before determining whether the reigning AL MVP will go on the injured list.

angers: RHP Jacob deGrom was placed on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation after early exits in two of his last three starts. … SS Corey Seager (left hamstring) took some grounders Saturday. He has been on the IL since he got hurt running bases April 11.

UP NEXT

In a matchup of All-Star left-handers with 3-1 records, Martín Pérez starts Sunday for the Rangers and Nestor Cortes for the Yankees. 

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Jacob deGrom was off to a spectacular start in the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night before he left in the fourth inning because of forearm tightness. It was the second time in three games the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner exited early because of injury concerns.

“Just being cautious here,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “We’ll evaluate him tomorrow, and see how he feels.”

DeGrom, who didn’t talk to media after the game, retired his first 10 batters and had a 5-0 lead before he walked Anthony Rizzo with one out in the fourth. DeGrom had thrown only 10 balls to the first 10 batters, but after the walk got a full count on Gleyber Torres before his flyout.

Then ahead 0-2 on Willie Calhoun, deGrom threw a 96.6 mph fastball that sailed outside for a ball. The pitcher reached for his left side, then followed with an 89.4 mph slider. His 50th and slowest pitch of the night was outside, and Calhoun lined an opposite-field single to left.

Athletic trainer Jacob Newburn and pitching coach Mike Maddux went to the mound, and Maddux summoned Bochy and met with the manager in foul territory. Bochy then went to the mound and deGrom walked to the dugout while Dane Dunning (2-0) was called in from the bullpen.

“He was throwing great,” Bochy said. “It was Jacob as we know, and it just started to tighten up there a little bit.”

Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer and doubled twice for Texas, which had lost a season-high four games in a row. Marcus Semien and Jonah Heim each had RBI doubles.

The Yankees played their first game this season without captain Aaron Judge. The reigning AL MVP had tests on his sore right hip Friday, a day after exiting the series opener midway through the fourth inning because of hip discomfort.

While the Yankees were still waiting for team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad to review the results, manager Aaron Boone didn’t discount the possibility of Judge going on the injured list.

“It doesn’t seem too serious. But that said, we don’t, we still don’t have a clear picture of it yet,” Boone said after the game. “It seems like it could it could be day to day, but it also could be a short (IL) stint.”

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt (0-3) struck out eight in his five innings, but allowed five runs and 10 hits — six of them to left-handed batters, who are hitting .385 against him this year.

DeGrom exited his start April 17 at Kansas City after four no-hit innings because of right wrist soreness. Five games later, he made his next scheduled start and struck out 11 on 80 pitches over six innings in a win at Oakland that came before facing the Yankees for the first time since 2018.

Before signing a $185 million, five-year contract with the Rangers in December, deGrom was spent his first nine big league seasons with the Mets. He was plagued by injures that limited him to 156 1/3 innings the past two seasons, and Texas was cautious with him after he reported tightness in his left side before the team’s first scheduled workout of spring training, though he still was ready to start opening day.

Dunning, the first of three relievers, allowed two runs and three hits over 3 1/3 innings. He worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings when deGrom left the Royals game.

Will Smith worked the ninth for his third save.

SHORT HOPS

The roof was closed on a rainy night in North Texas. … Semien extended his on-base streak to 14 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (right lat strain) threw his third live BP session in nine days. Boone said the 40-pitch session went well, but that he wasn’t sure if the next step would be another BP session or the start of a rehab assignment. … The rehab assignment of C Ben Rortvedt (left shoulder aneurysm) was transferred from Class A Tampa to Double-A Somerset. … RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation), who resumed playing catch last week and was sore after a throwing session Wednesday, had tests Friday.

Rangers: 3B Josh Jung, who got hit on his left hand by a pitch Wednesday and didn’t play the series opener against the Yankees, was back in the lineup. So was LF Travis Jankowski, who left that series finale at Cincinnati with left hip tightness.

UP NEXT

Rookie right-hander Jhony Brito (2-2, 6.11 ERA) makes his sixth career start for the Yankees on Saturday night. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.20) makes his sixth start for Texas, and 227th of his career.

The series opener marked Aaron Judge’s first game in Texas since breaking Roger Maris’ single-season American League record with his 62nd homer at the Rangers’ ballpark in October. Judge struck in his only two at-bats in his return before departing because of right hip discomfort.

“Just a little grab in the hip area. After that headfirst dive the other night, just kind of whole right side has been a little locked up,” Judge said. “It wasn’t until the second-to-last swing of that at-bat I felt something grab, and they thought it would kind of best just to shut it down and see how we feel after a couple of days.”

Manager Aaron Boone said Judge would be re-evaluated Friday, but that initially there were no tests planned for the Yankees captain and reigning AL MVP.

On his 31st birthday Wednesday in Minnesota, Judge jammed his right hand, and apparently entire right side, on an awkward slide while trying to steal a base in Minnesota. He had three hits and drove in three runs in that game.

Cole’s scoreless streak reached 25 2/3 innings before the Rangers scored on Jonah Heim’s fielder’s choice grounder in the sixth. That was a potential inning-ending double play, but Cole was unable to keep the ball in his glove when going over to cover first base. Ezequiel Duran followed with an infield single to drive in a run.

“I need to make that play. I’m capable of making that play,” Cole said. “Obviously was pretty tough, but I felt really good about continuing to make our pitches and pitching into the type of contact that we we wanted to get, and eventually went our way and we got out of there with the lead.”

Andrew Heaney (2-2) struck out six and walked one over six innings for Texas, which has a season-long four-game losing streak and dropped into a tie with Houston for the AL West lead.

With his eight strikeouts, Cole (5-0) pushed his season total to 44 Ks, one more than Rangers ace Jacob deGrom for the AL lead. Cole allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, increasing his season ERA from 0.79 to 1.11.

Michael King pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for his first save.

Former Rangers catcher Jose Trevino homered in the ninth for New York.

Heaney had back-to-back strikeouts of Judge and Anthony Rizzo in both the first and second innings. The bases were loaded with one out in the second, after the back-to-back homers by LeMahieu and Torres, when the Yankees’ No. 2 and 3 hitters both struck out again.

After Torres hit a 443-foot homer to straightaway center, Oswald Peraza was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on Anthony Vople’s single that loaded the bases and made it 3-0. Heaney retired the next 13 batters, then hit Peraza with a pitch again before he was caught stealing to end the sixth.

“After a bump in the road he hit in the second inning, he reset and did a great job,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Probably missed some spots there, they took advantage. But overall, that’s a good effort.”

SHORT HOPS

The game was played in 2 hours, 9 minutes, the quickest nine-inning game ever played at Globe Life Field, which opened in 2009. … Rangers leadoff batter Marcus Semien had two hits to stretch his on-base streak to 13 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Boone said RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation), who resumed playing catch last week, was sore after throwing Wednesday and that it was unlikely that he would throw off a mound this weekend. … RHP Luis Severino (right lat strain) is expected to throw his third live BP session in nine days Friday.

Rangers: 3B Josh Jung (bruised left hand) and OF Travis Jankowski (left hip tightness) were both out of the lineup a day after exiting the series finale in Cincinnati. Jung was hit by a pitch and Jankowski got hurt chasing a fly ball. Both could be back Friday.

UP NEXT

DeGrom (2-0, 3.04 ERA), who has 43 strikeouts and only three walks, gets a chance take back the AL strikeout lead when he starts Friday night. The right-hander, who signed a $185 million, five-year contract with Texas in free agency last December, is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last four starts since allowing a career-high six extra-base hits on opening day. It will be deGrom’s first start against the Yankees since Aug. 13, 2018.

Brad Mills’ sacrifice fly off Lucas Sims (1-0) tied the score in the ninth. Kevin Newman singled leading off the bottom half against Jonathan Hernández (0-1) and took second on shortstop Josh Smith’s throwing error.

Senzel hit a full-count slider off the yellow padding along the top of the left-field wall, ending the Reds’ streak of 79 innings without a home run since Kevin Newman’s second-inning drive against Tampa Bay on April 17. The eight games without a long ball were the most for the Reds since 1991.

“We knew it was going to come,” Reds manager David Bell said. “It was a matter of time. It couldn’t come at a better time. We’ve been scoring in other ways, which was great. We have the ability to hit homers, too. They will come without trying to do it. That was certainly not on Nick’s mind in that at-bat. It just happened because that is what happens when you put a good swing on the ball.”

After crossing home plate, Senzel was greeted by teammates who put a Viking helmet and cape on him. The Reds had not gotten a walk-off homer since Nick Castellanos beat Washington on Sept. 25, 2021.

“I was talking to David after the game,” Senzel said. “I told him we were making it hard on ourselves trying to scratch hit after hit. It’s nice to hit one out every now and again.”

“It’s in our DNA and in everyone’s character to keep battling in games like this,” Senzel added. “Some things haven’t gone our way, but we’re going to keep fighting.”

Cincinnati (10-15) completed a three-game sweep of AL West-leading Texas (14-10), the first series sweep for the Reds since last July 8-10 over Tampa Bay. The Reds never trailed in the series finale after overcoming a four-run deficit in the opener and a six-run margin on Tuesday.

“Mistakes here and there,” Texas starting pitcher Jon Gray said. “That’s not our game. We’ve got to get back to where we are. We’d have really good innings and then we tapered off. You have to stay on top of your game.”

Texas has lost three in a row for the first time since a seven-game skid last September.

“There’s nothing to be concerned about,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “I mean, we’ve got a lot of baseball left. These guys will bounce back. We have a tough team ahead of us, so we will have to play our best ball but no, no one is concerned, and we will continue to get better.

“It’s a bump in the road. That’s what it is, and like I’ve been saying, every club’s going to hit one.”

Reds starter Graham Ashcraft tied a season-high with four walks, allowing two runs and six hits in three innings. He pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam, in the second, retiring Robbie Grossman on a popout, striking out Brad Miller and getting Josh Smith on a grounder to the right side. After beating Smith to the first-base bag, Ashcraft celebrated with an underhand fist pump.

Henry Ramos hit an RBI triple in the second and scored on Newman’s grounder to third, beating Josh Jung’s throw home. Nathanial Lowe hit a run-scoring double in the fifth and Adolis García tied the score with a sacrifice fly. TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly put the Reds ahead 3-2 in the bottom half.

HEAVY HEART

Ashcraft’s appearance was his first since the death on Monday of his grandmother, 82-year-old Ann Ashcraft, a Fort Worth, Texas, resident and Rangers fan until her grandson joined the Reds.

LATE RUNS

Cincinnati’s comeback Tuesday was its first from a deficit as large as six runs since a 7-6 win over Arizona on July 19, 2012, in Cincinnati.

FOUR FIGURES

Gray’s strikeout of Spencer Steer to end the fifth was Gray’s 1,000th.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: C Mitch Garver (mild left knee sprain) is starting to hit. Manager Bruce Bochy estimated Garver might need another four weeks … Jung left after two innings with a bruised left hand when he was hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative … OF Travis Jankowski left after three innings with left hip tightness.

Cincinnati won by the same score on Monday night, rallying from a 5-1 deficit.

Nick Senzel had two RBI singles in the Reds’ latest comeback, one in the seventh for the Reds’ first run and another with two outs in the eighth that made it 6-3. Pinch-hitter Jake Fraley followed with a two-run double against Ian Kennedy (0-1), and India’s single off Kennedy completed the rally.

Reiver Sanmartin (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth, and Alexis Diáz pitched the ninth for his second save in two nights.

The American League West-leading Rangers lost consecutive games for the first time since April 7-8 at the Chicago Cubs. The Reds won back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game win streak from April 1-3.

Martín Pérez pitched a season-high 6 1/3 innings for Texas, allowing one unearned run on six hits, and Nathaniel Lowe, Marcus Semien and Josh Smith homered to help the Rangers build their big lead. Josh Jung, who homered twice on Monday, added a two-run double in Texas’ three-run fifth.

The Reds finished with 11 hits but have still gone eight straight games without a home run. Senzel went 3-for-4.

Luke Weaver lasted 5 2/3 innings for Cincinnati, allowing eight hits and six runs.

RAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Ezequiel Duran was hit on the left hand by a pitch with two outs in the fourth inning. He stayed in the game.

Reds: RHP Connor Overton (right elbow strain) is scheduled to leave on Wednesday for Cincinnati’s training facility in Goodyear, Arizona, to focus on getting the soreness out, manager David Bell said on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

RHP Jon Gray (1-1, 3.72 ERA) starts for the Rangers as they try to salvage the finale of the three-run series. Graham Ashcraft (2-0, 1.88) takes the mound for the Reds.

Gilberto’s Taco Shop on Arlington’s Park Row is still not open. But already, the restaurant is creating buzz.

Owner Jose Ruiz said he always knew he wanted something iconic on the outside as he prepared to open his second location, so he commissioned DFW artist Juan Velazquez to paint a mural.

Earlier this year Velazquez painted the infamous right hook delivered by Texas Ranger Rougned Odor to Toronto Blue Jay Jose Bautista during a May 2016 game.

“This represents Arlington,” Ruiz said. “The mural represents Arlington. I love it.”

Yet, a different, unsuspecting blow came Monday. The restaurant owner learned through the permitting process the city of Arlington may have an issue with the mural.

“We can’t take down the mural,” Ruiz said. “How are we going to take something so nice down?”

Muralist Juan Velazquez posted about the issue on social media and it drew a quick reaction.

NBC 5 reached out to the City of Arlington and was told wall murals are not currently allowed in that part of the city, but the city had no immediate plans to take action and would seek feedback from the city council.

Response from City of Arlington spokesperson:

“The City of Arlington’s Planning and Development Services Department is working with the owner of Gilberto’s Taco Shop to process the restaurant’s request for sign permits ahead of its opening.

The City has notified the owner that the painted wall mural on the side of the restaurant at 611 W. Park Row Drive is not allowed under the Unified Development Code. Painted wall murals are currently only allowed Downtown and in the Entertainment District. Gilberto’s is located just outside of Downtown.

The City has no immediate plans to take action regarding the mural at Gilberto’s Taco Shop and will seek feedback from the Arlington City Council on whether it would like to make changes to the mural policy.“

Ruiz hopes the situation can be resolved without a fight.

“This is for the culture, you know,” Ruiz said. “This is something different. This is all I wanted to do, have something different in the city of Arlington.”

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According to the team, this is the second time El Bombi has won the weekly award in his career after taking the honor two years ago for exceptional play during the week of April 19-25, 2021.

In 2021, García started the year on the taxi squad for the first two road trips before his contract was selected on April 13 when Ronald Guzmán was sidelined with a knee injury. It didn’t take him long to ramp up, winning the player of the week honors less than two weeks later and joining Oddibe McDowell as the only two Rangers players to win it as a rookie.

This time around, the Cuban native batted .400/.458/.1.100/1.558 (8-20) in his five games last week with four home runs, two doubles, 14 RBI, and eight runs scored. His 14 RBI led all MLB players for the week and he led the AL in HRs and extra-base hits (six) and 22 total bases. García’s eight runs scored were tied for 2nd-most in the AL, trailing only teammate Marcus Semien’s nine runs.

García capped the week with a historic night Saturday against the A’s when he went 5-for-5 with three HRs, two doubles, eight RBI, five runs, 16 total bases and five extra-base hits. He was also hit by a pitch.

“He became just the second player in MLB history to have five extra-base hits and eight RBI in a single contest, joining the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton in his four-homer game on May 8, 2012 at Baltimore,” the Rangers said in a statement. “He is just the third player in the modern era (since 1901) with at least three home runs, eight RBI, five runs, and 16 total bases in one game, joining Brooklyn’s Gil Hodges on Aug. 31, 1950, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon on April 30, 2017. García five extra-base hits matched the MLB record, and he matched Texas club marks with five runs scored and six times on base.”

Since 2019, García is the only Texas player to win Player of the Week multiple times and is the first Texas player to win the honor since Nathaniel Lowe won it for the week of Aug. 22-28, 2022.

The team said García’s batting helmet from Saturday will be donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

García is batting .250 with an .853 OPS figure for the season, posting seven home runs, 28 RBI, and 18 runs. His 28 RBI lead MLB, and he also ranks among American League season leaders in home runs (2nd, 7) and runs (T2nd, 18).

José Leclerc (0-1) walked Jonathan India to lead off the ninth. India went to second on a passed ball and scored on Friedl’s single to right.

The Reds came back from a 5-1 third-inning deficit and tied the game in the eighth on back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Henry Ramos and Nick Senzel by Leclerc.

Alexis Díaz (1-1), Cincinnati’s fourth relief pitcher, pitched a perfect ninth for the win.

Josh Jung hit home runs in consecutive innings and drove in three runs for the AL West-leading Rangers.

Jung, whose career-high 10-game hitting streak was snapped Sunday, hit a game-tying solo homer 392 feet down the left field line in the second inning before blasting a two-run shot 418 feet to center field for a 5-1 lead in the third.

Ezequiel Duran had three hits for the Rangers, who had won six of seven, seven of nine and and 10 of 13 while climbing into first place.

Nathan Eovaldi tied his season highs with six innings and seven strikeouts. Eovaldi allowed six hits and four runs — three earned — with one walk. He also hit a batter.

The Reds scored more runs than they had during the losing streak.

Nick Lodolo, who allowed a career-high 12 hits in his last start, gave up nine and six runs with two walks and six strikeouts in four innings.

Jung committed a two-out error in the first inning, allowing Jonathan India to score from third base and giving the Reds their first lead since an 8-1 win over Tampa Bay on April 17.

The lead lasted one out into the second inning. After Jung’s one-out shot, Duran and Leody Taveras hit back-to-back doubles before Marcus Semien delivered a two-out RBI single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: SS Corey Seager (left hamstring strain) is tossing and taking swings on soft tosses, manager Bruce Bochy said.

Reds: Friedl was hit in the right upper arm by a pitch in the third inning.

UP NEXT

Texas LHP Martín Pérez (3-1) is scheduled to face Cincinnati RHP Luke Weaver (0-1) in the second of the three-game series on Tuesday.

Robbie Grossman hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs for the AL West-leading Rangers (14-7), who took two of three from major league-worst Oakland (4-18).

DeGrom (2-0) was pulled from his start last Monday at Kansas City after pitching four hitless innings. He threw 80 pitches on Sunday, allowing a two-run homer to Shea Langeliers. Only one run was earned. The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed three hits and walked none.

“He’s one of the best for a reason,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “His slider was really good today.”

DeGrom finished by striking out the side on 12 pitches for his 60th career game with double-digit strikeouts, fifth among active pitchers and 15th all-time during the modern era. His 43 Ks this season are two ahead of Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, who also fanned 11 on Sunday.

DeGrom, who struck out his final five batters he faced after allowing the home run, said he doesn’t focus on strikeouts.

“It’s just one pitch at a time trying to throw it where I want to the best of my ability,” deGrom said.

Since giving up five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings on opening day to Philadelphia, deGrom has allowed four earned runs in 23 innings (1.56 ERA).

Will Smith worked a scoreless ninth to complete the five-hitter and earn his second save. The Rangers have won six of seven and 10 of 13.

Kyle Muller (0-2), who grew up in nearby Dallas, gave up four runs on seven hits and four walks in five innings.

Muller said he wasn’t unnerved being matched up against deGrom.

“If anything I was more excited about it,” said Muller, who made one previous appearance at Texas, with Atlanta last season.

“You want to face a guy like that, just kind of see how you stack up.”

The A’s have lost their first seven series for the first time and their record through 22 games is the worst in franchise history.

Grossman’s homer in the second inning, his second this year, gave Texas a 3-0 lead. He had a sacrifice fly in the fourth after Marcus Semien had an infield hit to second that was called a groundout on the field. Texas successfully challenged the call.

Langeliers, from nearby Keller High and Baylor University, homered on a first-pitch slider from deGrom in the fifth after Jordan Diaz reached on a throwing error by shortstop Ezequiel Duran.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Globe Life Field, which opened in 2020, has a retractable roof primarily because of north Texas’ sapping summer heat. On Sunday, it provided sanctuary from temperatures near 50 degrees at first pitch with intermittent rain.
Sunday’s crowd was 34,916, second largest at Globe Life Field this season to the 38,387 on opening day.

SHORT HOPS

Oakland starters are winless through a franchise-record 22 games to begin the season (0-11) … Rangers C Jonah Heim singled in the third inning, giving him a career-best 12-game on-base streak. … Texas CF Leody Taveras matched a career best with three hits. … The national anthem was sung by a 10-student choir from Muller’s high school, Jesuit College Prep.

TRAINER’S ROOM

A’s: RHP Drew Rucinski (strained left hamstring) was scheduled to throw 75 pitches on Sunday in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Las Vegas.

UP NEXT

Athletics: The road trip continues with LHP Ken Waldichuk (0-2, 7.65 ERA) facing the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a four-game series on Monday.
Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.40) on Monday will open a three-game road series against Cincinnati Reds and LHP Nick Lodolo (2-1, 4.98).

All three of García’s homers were two-run shots, and his first double also scored two to give him a career high for RBIs to go with the 30-year-old Cuban slugger’s first three-homer game.

García’s final at-bat came against infielder Jace Peterson in the eighth. Because of position switches, Texas reliever Josh Sborz batted ahead of García and took three of four pitches for a strikeout.

The line-drive double down the line in left field from García could have scored Travis Jankowski, but he jogged to third, preserving Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez’s club record of nine RBIs in a game set in 1999.

García had the second three-homer game in the major leagues this season. Trayce Thompson did it for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 10-1 win over Arizona on April 1.

Some in the crowd of 32,388 stood in anticipation in the seventh, when García had his first of two chances to tie the big league record of four homers in a game. He lined a two-run double to right-center for the first eight-RBI game by a Rangers player in 11 years.

Each of his homers went at least 400 feet, starting with a 432-foot drive into the second deck in left field off Japanese right-hander Shintaro Fujinami in the first inning.

García cleared the center-field wall on a 419-foot drive off reliever Adrián Martinez in the third. Texas’ cleanup hitter went deep off Martinez again in the fifth, 401 feet into the Oakland bullpen in left-center.

García has seven home runs and 28 RBIs this season.

After the first homer, García was hit on the left arm by the first pitch from Fujinami in the second inning, a 97 mph fastball. Plate umpire Jordan Baker quickly stepped in front of García, who appeared upset but walked to first base without any words exchanged with the pitcher.

With the bases loaded, Josh Jung grounded a two-run single to left and Jonah Heim followed immediately with a two-run double to right-center.

Andrew Heaney’s streak of 10 scoreless innings over two starts ended with Oakland’s two-run first, but the Texas left-hander limited the damage with Aledmys Díaz’s inning-ending double play.

Heaney (2-1) answered with five scoreless innings, allowing five hits, two walks and a hit batter with four strikeouts in six innings.

Fujinami (0-4) had improved in his two previous starts but matched the ugly numbers from his major league debut: eight runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The 29-year-old rookie gave up seven hits, walked three, hit a batter and threw two wild pitches as his ERA rose to 14.40. Fujinami has lost all four starts.

The A’s, who lost for the eighth time in nine games, extended a franchise record with a 21st consecutive game to start the season without a victory for a starter. Oakland starters are 0-10 while allowing 95 runs — all earned — in 95 1/3 innings.

UP NEXT

Texas ace Jacob deGrom (1-0, 3.48 ERA) is “full go,” according to manager Bruce Bochy, in the series finale. The right-hander was pulled as a precaution because of right wrist soreness after four hitless innings in the Rangers’ 4-0 win at Kansas City on Monday. A’s LHP Kyle Muller (0-1, 7.23) allowed 13 hits and six runs over four innings in his previous start, a 10-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Diaz, called up Wednesday from Triple-A Las Vegas and appearing in his 17th major league game, homered on a 1-2 pitch from Will Smith (0-1) with one out, sending the ball sailing over the left-field wall and helping the A’s rally from a four-run, first-inning deficit.

“I’m just happy to hit my first home run in the big leagues, especially a game-winner,” Diaz, who made 14 starts last September and October, said through an interpreter. “I was just trying to put on a good at-bat.”

Zach Jackson (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the win. Jeurys Familia worked a scoreless ninth for his first save this season.

Jonah Heim hit a three-run homer for the second consecutive game for Texas, which had its four-game winning streak stopped despite taking an early 4-0 lead.

Rangers starter Jon Gray allowed only one hit through the first three innings before running into trouble. He gave up four runs – three earned – in 5 1/3 innings on five hits with five walks, one hit batter and two wild pitches.

Heim, acquired from Oakland in February 2021, pulled a high fastball from JP Sears into the lower deck in left field. He has four homers in his last eight games after hitting none in his first six games. Heim also picked Ryan Noda off first base in the fourth inning and threw out Conner Capel trying to steal second in the second inning.

The A’s battled back with one run in the fourth inning, two in the fifth and one in the sixth. The first of their fifth-inning runs came on Tony Kemp’s first homer of the season to end an 0-for-23 slump.

Sears allowed four runs just six batters into his start, but then gave up only two more singles through six innings. He set career highs in strikeouts (11) and pitches (101).

“I was pretty upset with myself, not the way I wanted to start it,” said Sears, acquired at last year’s trade deadline from the New York Yankees. “I (then) just tried to stay in the zone and do my thing.”

“He started hitting his spots,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said of Sears. “He was probably a batter away from leaving that ballgame.”

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

On the 51st anniversary of the Rangers’ first home game ever in Arlington in 1972, they wore their new City Connect uniforms for the first time. It was also on that date in 1836 that Texas gained independence and in 1868 that the first championship baseball game in Texas was played.
The uniforms pay homage to those events, along with the area’s two professional teams of the 1950s – the Dallas Eagles and Fort Worth Panthers/Cats – plus the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs that played in Arlington before the American League’s Washington Senators moved there.

SHORT HOPS

Rangers rookie 3B Josh Jung extended his hitting streak to nine games. … A’s manager Mark Kotsay played for Bochy 2001-03 with San Diego. During Thursday’s off day, the two had lunch and later attended a Kenny Chesney concert together at Globe Life Field.

TRAINER’S ROOM

A’s: OF Ramon Laureano (groin strain) is playing catch and hitting back in California.
Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom threw a bullpen Friday and is on schedule to start Sunday after leaving last Monday’s game at Kansas City after four hitless innings with wrist soreness.

UP NEXT

A’s rookie RHP Shintaro Fujinami (0-3, 11.37 ERA) has improved after allowing eight runs in 2 1/3 innings in his big league debut. He’ll face LHP Andrew Heaney (1-1, 4.97), who gave up no earned runs over 10 innings in his last two starts.

Ezequiel Duran added a bases-clearing double, and Leody Taveras and Adolis García also drove in two runs apiece, helping the Rangers (12-6) win their fourth straight and match the fifth-best start in franchise history.

Martin Pérez (3-1) allowed three runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He’s gone at least five in 34 straight starts, the longest streak ever by a Rangers left-hander, though he allowed more than two runs for the first time this season.

It hardly mattered against the Royals.

They’ve been outscored 52-15 while losing six straight games, and they have lost nine of their last 10 to fall to 4-15 under first-year manager Matt Quatraro. Kansas City has won just once in 13 games at home this season.

Brady Singer (1-2) didn’t give them much of a chance Wednesday. He allowed five runs on six hits and three walks while using 97 pitches just to get through five innings. He had four strikeouts, two of them coming on full-count pitches.

Singer looked like he was developing into a staff ace last season, but this year has been a struggle. The young right-hander allowed eight runs on 10 hits in his last start against Atlanta, and he’s allowed 18 runs over 16 innings in his last three outings.

Just like the previous night, when the Rangers jumped on erratic Royals starter Brad Keller, they took advantage of Singer’s early trouble finding the strike zone to jump to a 3-0 lead by the end of the second inning.

Semien led off the game with the first of his three singles and Travis Jankowski worked a four-pitch walk before Garcia’s sacrifice fly gave Texas a 1-0 lead. Then in the second, Heim drew a leadoff walk before scoring on a double by Taveras, who proceeded to score when Semien sent a single to right field for a 3-0 lead.

Taveras and Semien also drove in runs in the fourth as the Rangers pushed their advantage to 5-1.

The Royals scratched out two runs in the sixth to make it a game, but the Rangers answered with four in the seventh — the binge beginning with a free base due to catcher’s interference — before Duran’s punctuating three-run shot in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom (wrist soreness) had no discomfort while playing catch Wednesday and expects to make his next scheduled start. DeGrom left Monday’s game in Kansas City after four hitless innings. “We’ll continue to watch him,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said, “but all went well today.”

UP NEXT

Both teams are off Thursday. The Rangers will be back at home Friday night and send RHP Jon Gray (1-1, 3.21 ERA) out for the opener of a three-game series against Oakland. The Royals will be in Los Angeles the same night to face the Angels.

All except for the one that Marcus Semien sent over the center field wall.

Semien’s three-run shot highlighted a five-run inning that broke open a close game, and Adolis Garcia added another three-run homer in the eighth, as the Rangers routed the Royals 12-2 to reach their best 17-game start since the 2013 season.

Sandy León also drove in a pair of runs, and three Rangers that reached base on walks from erratic Royals starter Brad Keller also scored, as Texas (11-6) improved to five games over .500 for the first time since July 16, 2019.

“That’s fun when it’s on your side,” Bochy said of the Rangers’ big sixth inning, which began with seven consecutive hits. “It did get contagious and that’s baseball.”

The Rangers also dealt the Royals their fifth straight loss. They are 1-11 at home this season, and their 4-14 start is the second worst in franchise history behind only the 2-16 start that Kansas City had in 1992.

“You look at that game, it’s close. They blew it open with that big sixth inning, but I didn’t think the guys came out here thinking about yesterday,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We were in a good, competitive game and it fell apart.”

Nathan Eovaldi (2-2) went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five. It was quite the bounce back after last week, when the Rangers’ right-hander allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings against Kansas City.

“It took me a little bit to find my rhythm,” said Eovaldi, who allowed just one baserunner over his last two innings.

Keller (2-2) allowed three runs on three hits and five walks, including leadoff walks in three of his four innings.

In the third, Brad Miller walked before Travis Jankowski’s single gave Texas a 1-0 lead. Then in the fourth, Josh Jung and Robbie Grossman walked before the pair scored on a single by Ezequiel Duran and Miller’s fielder’s choice.

Still, the Royals were within 3-2 after RBIs by MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel when the Rangers put the game away in the sixth.

Hernández allowed four straight singles to start the inning, including the two-run base hit by León that extended the Rangers’ lead. Semien followed with his three-run shot that traveled 417 feet and made it 8-2.

The line for Hernández: five runs on five hits without a batter retired.

“We had role players that did some major contributions and you’re going to need that throughout the season,” Bochy said. “You are going to have guys that need to sit, they’re going to miss games, and you’re going to need someone to step up.”

Amir Garrett gave up two more hits in the sixth, running the Rangers’ streak to seven straight to begin the inning. Isbel cut down Jankowski trying to score from second with a spectacular throw from deep center field, though, and Garrett finally was able to settle down enough to prevent Texas from scoring any more runs in the frame.

Given the way the Kansas City offense has performed this season, they already had more than enough.

DEGROM OK

Rangers ace Jacob deGrom plans to make his next start after leaving Monday night’s game after four hitless innings with a sore right wrist. But the Rangers want to see him throw Wednesday before penciling him into the rotation.

“That’s good news for us,” Bochy said. “Right now it’s all positive, and he’s positive on where he’s at with that arm.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Jon Gray (bruised right forearm) is “good to go” for his next start, Bochy said. Gray threw two shutout innings against the Astros on Saturday before taking a line drive off Yainer Diaz’s bat off the forearm.

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (forearm flexor strain) will get a second opinion on his injury Thursday. He experienced tightness during his start Saturday against Atlanta and the Royals have some “underlying concerns,” Quatraro said.

UP NEXT

Rangers LHP Martin Perez (2-1, 2.87 ERA) faces Royals RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91) in the series finale Wednesday.

The Rangers said deGrom was removed as a precaution. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner struck out five and walked one, throwing 39 of his 58 pitches for strikes.

“I felt it a little bit warming up,” deGrom said. “I thought it was going to loosen up and it actually tightened up a little bit as the game went on.

“We’re playing it smart. Could I have kept going? Probably. But it was lingering and it got a little bit worse as the game went on. I just want to play it safe. We’ve got a long season ahead of us.”

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said there’s concern any time you have to take a player out of a game because of injury, but he’s optimistic.

“We’ll re-evaluate him tomorrow,” Bochy said. “Any time you take somebody out, that’s a fair question. I think I can answer it better tomorrow. Right now, I feel pretty good about it.”

Josh Jung launched a three-run homer in the first inning and Marcus Semien added a solo shot in the third. Dane Dunning (1-0) struck out five and walked none in 4 1/3 innings of relief.

“He’s been doing a terrific job for us,” Bochy said. “With the confidence in Dane coming in, we felt good. We brought in a guy who’s been throwing the ball well. He was set to go, so that was an easy call.”

Matt Duffy’s one-out single in the fifth off Dunning was Kansas City’s only hit. José Leclerc got two outs to end it.

Beset by injuries the past two seasons with the New York Mets, deGrom signed a $185 million, five-year contract with Texas as a free agent in December.

“I’m honestly not too concerned,” he said. “I would like to think I’ll make my next (start), but we’ll see how it is tomorrow.”

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA in four starts for the Rangers.

Kansas City (4-13) dropped to 1-10 at home this season. Jordan Lyles (0-3) gave up four runs — one earned — and three hits in eight innings. He walked three and struck out three.

The Rangers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier committed a throwing error on Semien’s leadoff grounder and then a fielding error on Travis Jankowski’s bunt. One out later, Jung sent a drive over the left-field bullpen.

“(Lyles) was incredible, and that’s why I felt so bad when I didn’t make those two plays,” Dozier said. “He looked really good for us, and I wish we could’ve played better behind him and got some runs for him.”

Semien led off the third with a 412-foot shot to left.

The only baserunners deGrom permitted came on an error by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in the third and a walk to Vinnie Pasquantino in the fourth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals LHP Kris Bubic had additional tests on the flexor strain that landed him on the 15-day injured list after Saturday’s start. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said the first test confirmed the strain but also revealed some “underlying concerns” that required a second opinion.

UP NEXT

The teams continue their three-game series Tuesday night, when Texas sends RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 6.32 ERA) to the mound against RHP Brad Keller (2-1, 2.12).

The two starters matched up last Wednesday, with Keller picking up the win and Eovaldi taking the loss in Kansas City’s 10-1 victory. Keller allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings, while Eovaldi gave up six runs in five innings.

The City Connect jerseys are a partnership between MLB and Nike to celebrate the relationships between the clubs and the regions that host and support them.

The team said Monday that its City Connect jersey “celebrates the origin story of the Rangers and the Texas spirit that brought Dallas and Fort Worth together in Arlington. Through baseball.”

The uniforms have gothic-style lettering influenced by the Dallas Eagles and include a spur “as a tribute to the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs.” On the right sleeve is a Peagle, a mythical creature inspired by blending the mascots of two Texas League teams the Dallas Eagles and the Fort Worth Panthers.

The jersey also includes a subtle nod to Tom Vandergriff, whose “big dream” and bold vision helped bring Major League Baseball to North Texas. The words “Dream the Big Dream” appear near the bottom of the jersey, on the jock tag, though it may not be visible when tucked into pants.

The font on the jersey’s “speed red” numbers is in a style inspired by the Fort Worth Panthers who won six straight Texas League championships in the 1920s and “are regarded as one of the greatest teams in minor league history.”

The uniform has dark blue pants with rope braid piping, which is another nod to the DFW Spurs who once called Arlington’s Turnpike Stadium home. Near the belt, there’s a version of the DFW Spurs logo of the state of Texas merged with a spur.

The team will wear dark blue caps with the uniform. The gothic TR lettering is on the face with 4-star-21 on the side. The number represents several dates the team said are significant for baseball in Texas including the day Texas gained independence (1836), the date of the first championship baseball game in Texas (1868), the date of the first home game for the Texas Rangers (1972) and the date of the on-field debut of the City Connect jerseys (2023).

The Texas Rangers are one of six MLB teams featured in the 2023 City Connect program. The jerseys will be worn during 13 Friday home games this season and on Saturday, April 22.

To follow the “four plus one” policy on uniforms, four uniforms plus the City Connect uniform, the Rangers had to drop one of their uniforms. In recent years they’d played in white, blue, gray red and powder blue. The powder blue was for Sundays and red for Fridays. The team said in February they chose to keep the powder blue because it was more popular with fans than the red ones.

On Friday, a pair of promotions highlight the uniform debut as the first 30,000 fans take home the commemorative City Connect Program giveaway and the first 15,000 collect the City Connect-themed Marcus Semien Bobblehead giveaway. The Semien bobblehead is the first of a three-part City Connect bobblehead series also featuring Corey Seager on Friday, May 19 and Jacob deGrom on Friday, June 16. Additionally, as part of the Rangers Poster Series, a City Connect edition poster designed by DFW artist Chris Perez will be available for purchase at the Authentics kiosk behind section 134.

The City Connect jerseys are, of course, available for purchase in the team store. More information on sales can be found here.

TEXAS RANGERS CITY CONNECT UNIFORMS

Texas Rangers Apr 16

Semien's Grand Slam Caps 6-Run 7th Inning, Rangers Beat Astros 9-1

Texas Rangers Apr 15

Astros Take 8-2 Win Over the Rangers Saturday Night in Houston

Texas Rangers Apr 14

García Homers, Lowe Has 3 RBIs as Rangers Down Astros 6-2

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The Rangers last won a series in Houston in July 2018 when Texas swept the Astros. Since that series, Texas had lost 10 straight series in Houston.

Nathaniel Lowe doubled to lead off the seventh, tying his career high with an 11-game hitting streak. After an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña allowed Adolis García to reach,

Josh Jung singled and Jonah Heim drew a bases-loaded walk to score Lowe.

Robbie Grossman followed with an RBI single to chase Astros starter Framber Valdez (1-2). Héctor Neris retired the next two batters before Semien’s grand slam to left field.

Heim added a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and Leody Taveras hit a two-run double.

Andrew Heaney permitted two hits over five shutout innings for Texas. He struck out four and walked three.

The Astros threatened in the seventh as Brock Burke (1-0) walked the bases loaded. Jonathan Hernández struck out the next two hitters but walked Alex Bregman to force in Peña, who doubled to start the inning. Will Smith induced a groundout from Yordan Alvarez to end the inning.

Valdez yielded five runs – one earned – and four hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. He retired 18 of the first 20 batters he faced before running into trouble in the seventh.

Mauricio Dubón stretched his career-long hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the fifth, but was thrown out trying to advance to second.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: C Mitch Garver (left knee) will be “down a while,” manager Bruce Bochy said. Garver was placed on the injured list on April 9.

Astros: OF Chas McCormick was out of the lineup for a second straight game after leaving Friday’s game with vision problems. Houston manager Dusty Baker said McCormick wasn’t 100%, and he didn’t know if McCormick would be available on Monday. … OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder) took live batting practice, Baker said.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Bochy turned 68 on Sunday. He improved to 11-11 when managing on his birthday, including 8-5 in road games.

UP NEXT

Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom (1-0, 4.32 ERA) starts Monday opposite Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (0-2, 5.19 ERA) in the opener of a three-game series at Kansas City.

Astros: RHP Cristian Javier (1-0, 4.24 ERA) starts Monday at home in the opener of a three-game series against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (1-1, 1.35).

Alvarez tied the game with a two-RBI double in the third, and his bases-loaded walk started the scoring in a five-run seventh that pushed the lead to 8-2.

Brown (2-0) allowed five hits and two runs — none earned — with five strikeouts in seven innings to lower his ERA to 1.93.

Texas right-hander Jon Gray left the game with no outs in the third inning with a bruised forearm after being hit on the throwing elbow with a comebacker.

Rangers’ manager Bruce Bochy was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes as Texas struggled after winning Friday’s series opener 6-2.

The Astros led by 1 in the seventh when Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubón hit back-to-back singles before Alex Bregman walked to load the bases. Ian Kennedy then walked Alvarez to make it 4-2.

José Abreu reached on a fielder’s choice after hitting a chopper to shortstop Josh Smith that he deflected for an error, allowing two runs to score.

Kennedy was replaced by Josh Sborz, who walked Kyle Tucker to load the bases again and send Bochy out onto the field to argue with home plate umpire Erich Bacchus. Jeremy Peña drove in two more runs with a line drive to left field that made it 8-2.

The Rangers took an early lead thanks to a miscue by Houston. Robbie Grossman reached to start the second on an error by Dubón, when he overthrew first base.

Travis Jankowski singled to send Grossman to third. But Grossman got caught in a rundown when Leody Taveras reached on a fielder’s choice.

Marcus Semien singled to score Jankowski and make it 1-0 before Brown plunked Josh Smith. There were two outs in the inning when Adolis García drove in a run with an infield single to put Texas up 2-0.

There were no outs in the bottom of the third when Yanier Díaz hit a comebacker that bounced off Gray’s elbow. He threw a couple of warmup pitches after being looked at by a trainer, but eventually left the game and was replaced by Cole Ragans (2-1).

Ragans struck out Meyers before a Dubón singled to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games. Alvarez’s double came with two outs to score both runners and tie it at 2.

Peña and Corey Julks hit consecutive singles with one out in the fourth before the Astros took the lead when Peña scored on a sacrifice fly by Díaz.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: CF Chas McCormick was out of the lineup but feeling better a day after leaving the game in the third inning with vision problems. He could return Sunday.

SPECIAL GUEST

Ralph Garr, who had a 13-year MLB career and won the NL batting title in 1974, threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of Houston’s celebration of Jackie Robinson Day. His best friend, manager Dusty Baker, who played with Garr for eight seasons in Atlanta, caught the throw and gave his old friend a big hug afterward.

UP NEXT Houston RHP Framber Valdez (1-1, 1.89 ERA) opposes LHP Andrew Heaney (1-1, 8.22) when the series wraps up Sunday.

García’s homered to make it 3-0 in the third and Lowe drove in two runs with a single in the fifth to extend the lead to 5-1.

Yordan Alvarez and Martín Maldonado hit solo home runs for the Astros, but they struggled to do much else offensively, going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

It was the first game between the Rangers and Astros this season, renewing an old National League rivalry between Bruce Bochy, who is in his first season as the Texas manager, and Houston skipper Dusty Baker.

Friday was the 192nd regular-season meeting between Baker and Bochy. The pair, who both managed the Giants, are the two winningest active managers in MLB history with Baker ranking ninth with 2,099 wins and Bochy at No. 11 with 2,011.

Bochy collected the win Friday but needs plenty more to close the gap in their head-to-head series. Baker leads the regular season matchup between the two at 110-82, and the 110 losses are Bochy’s most to an opposing manager.

But Bochy got the best of Baker in their biggest postseason meeting. Baker’s Reds were up 2-0 in the 2012 National League Division Series before Bochy’s Giants won three straight on the road to advance and go on to win the World Series.

Despite their long history of competition, the pair developed a close friendship off the field where they share everything from wine recommendations to the best fishing holes.

On Friday, Martín Pérez (2-1) helped Bochy to the win with a solid start, allowing five hits and two runs in 5-plus innings.
Houston’s Luis García (0-2) had his third tough start to open the season, yielding six hits and five runs with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings to raise his ERA to 7.71.

Marcus Semien drew a leadoff walk before Lowe put the Rangers up 1-0 with an RBI double with one out in the inning.

There were two outs in the third when Lowe walked. García then knocked his third homer of the season to left-center field to make it 3-0. It was initially ruled a double, but the play was reviewed and overturned.

Alvarez connected off Pérez with two outs in the third for his fourth home run this season to cut the lead to 3-1. It gave him 300 career RBIs, making him the 36th player in franchise history to reach the mark.

There were runners on second and third with one out in the fifth when Lowe singled on a line drive to left field to score them both and push the advantage to 5-1.

Maldonado launched his first homer this season to left-center with one out in the fifth to get the Astros within 3. Jake Meyers walked before a single by Alex Bregman. But Alvarez struck out before José Abreu lined out to end the threat.

Abreu went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts to end a streak of 13 straight games where he reached safely to open the season.

Josh Jung had a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth to make it 6-2.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: CF Chas McCormick left the game in the third inning with what the team called vision issues. He was replaced by Meyers. … 2B Jose Altuve, who has been out all season after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic, had the large cast that covered his thumb and most of his forearm removed this week. He now has only a splint around his thumb and part of his hand as he continues his recovery. General manager Dana Brown said that Altuve could resume baseball activities in two months when he had surgery March 22.

DELAYED

The game was briefly delayed with two outs in the top of the ninth when a man ran onto the field and across most of the outfield before being tackled by a security guard and escorted away.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 3.09 ERA) opposes RHP Jon Gray (1-1, 3.00) when the series continues Saturday night.

The Rangers had their second three-game winning streak of the season stopped on the day they announced star shortstop Corey Seager would miss at least four weeks with a hamstring strain.

Vinnie Pasquantino homered, and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI triple among three hits with a career-high three stolen bases against his hometown team as the Royals ended a three-game losing streak.

The Royals, who came in hitting .190 as a team and averaging 2.8 runs per game, had season highs in runs and hits (14).

Keller (2-1) didn’t allow a run after giving up Nathaniel Lowe’s first-inning homer, leaving after his two-out walk in the seventh ended a streak of 10 consecutive batters retired.

The right-hander, who gave up three hits and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings, has half of Kansas City’s four victories without allowing more than two runs in any of his three starts.

It was Keller’s 18th consecutive start with a decision, the longest streak in the majors in three years and longest for the Royals since Tim Belcher’s 21-start streak in 1996-97.

Melendez lined a tiebreaking two-run double into the gap in right-center for a 3-1 lead in the second and an RBI single in the fourth before scoring on Witt’s triple into the right field corner.

Nathan Eovaldi (1-2), one of three free agent additions to the Texas rotation, allowed 10 hits and six runs with seven strikeouts and a pitch clock violation over five innings in a second consecutive loss.

Josh Smith started in place of Seager, who was injured running the bases a night earlier, and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts from the second spot in the order normally occupied by the three-time All-Star.

Franmil Reyes, Michael Massey and Edward Olivares had consecutive run-scoring singles off reliever Taylor Hearn in Kansas City’s punctuating four-run seventh.

UP NEXT

Both teams are off Thursday going into three-game weekend series. Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to face Atlanta at home. Texas LHP Martín Pérez (1-1, 2.53) is set for the first meeting of the season with Houston.

General manager Chris Young said Seager had an MRI that showed a Grade 2 strain. Seager, who got hurt in the fifth inning of Tuesday night’s game against Kansas City, spent nearly a month on the IL with a left hamstring strain during the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Somebody of Corey’s caliber is not replaceable, but it leads to [an] opportunity for other players to step up. And that’s what good teams do,” Young said. “All good teams, every team, goes through injuries. And we knew something like this would happen, didn’t know when or to whom.”

Texas went into Wednesday night’s game against the Royals leading the AL West with a 7-4 record.

While Seager went on the 10-day IL, the Rangers activated switch-hitting center fielder Leody Taveras from that list. Taveras, who was set to return from his rehab assignment sometime this week, began the season on the IL because of a left oblique strain sustained during batting practice early in spring training.

Taveras was back in the lineup batting seventh for the Rangers. Josh Smith was the starting shortstop and hitting second, Seager’s usual spot in the order.

Seager was off to an impressive start in the second year of his $325 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers. He got hurt running out an opposite-field double into the left-field corner, his fifth consecutive game with an extra-base hit. He was seventh in the American League hitting .359 overall, and with nine walks had a .469 on-base percentage.

“He’s disappointed. Obviously, no player wants to be injured. Corey is off to a great start. He’s been swinging, even through spring training to the beginning of the season, as well as anybody in the game,” Young said. “He’s bummed about it, disappointed not to be out there with his teammates. … We’ll get him back healthy and he’ll pick right up where he left off.”

After cleanly making the turn around first, Seager took a few more steps before he suddenly pulled up and then limped the rest of the way to second base. He briefly reached toward the back of his leg, bent down and then almost immediately started going back toward the Rangers dugout, even before a team trainer got all the way out to check on him.

Smith took over as the pinch-runner and stayed in the game at shortstop. Smith avoided an IL stint last week after he got hit by a pitch in the face and needed six stitches. The Rangers also have utility player Ezequiel Duran on the roster who can play short.

“We feel like we have good depth and versatility in the infield with Smith and Duran and certainly we are excited to see more of them and hopefully fill the void as best we can until Cory is ready to come back,” Young said.

Seager played 151 games in his debut with the Rangers last season, when he never missed more than three games in a row. He hit a career-high 33 homers and was an All-Star for the third time.

But he missed about 2 1/2 months of the 2021 season with the Dodgers because of a fractured right hand after getting hit by a pitch. Along with the previous hamstring injury, he was limited to only 26 games in 2018 because of right elbow surgery.

Heim hit a three-run shot in the 10th inning for the Rangers in their 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. The 403-foot, three-run shot to right off Scott Barlow (0-1) came after Josh Jung’s two-out walk that followed a tying RBI single by Adolis Garcia.

“That was a good one. Just sometimes you just kind of know,” Heim said of his third career walk-off homer — the other two came in back-to-back games in 2021. “We don’t get there unless Adolis and Jung do their job. That’s a great team win right there.”

Texas shortstop Corey Seager left the game in the middle of the fifth inning with left hamstring tightness. Seager was running between first and second base after hitting an opposite-field double into the left-field corner. He appeared to make the turn around first base cleanly, but then pulled up after a few steps and gingerly went to second base.

Seager wasn’t in the clubhouse when it was opened to reporters after the game. Manager Bruce Bochy said he had spoken only briefly to the shortstop, who will be revaluated Wednesday.

Michael Massey had a sac fly for the Royals in the 10th after they had scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to force extra innings.

Cole Ragans (2-0) retired the only two batters he faced, the first being Massey on the sacrifice fly.

While deGrom ended up with a no-decision, the nine Ks pushed his season total to 27 and set a new mark for a Rangers pitcher in his first three appearances — that had been Ryan’s 26 after he joined the team in 1989. It came a night after Andrew Heaney, like deGrom new to the Texas rotation this season, had nine consecutive strikeouts to tie an American League record and surpass Ryan’s single-game club record of seven in a row in 1991.

“He has such great stuff,” Bochy said. “I enjoy watching Jacob when he pitches.”

DeGrom left with a 4-2 lead in his third start for Texas — all at home since signing his $185 million, five-year contract in free agency last December. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner didn’t have a walk while throwing 68 of his 98 pitches for strikes over seven innings, and three innings later his catcher ended it at the plate.

“That’s big, picking each other up and playing good baseball,” deGrom said. “So definitely exciting. Huge for Jonah there to come up and hit that walk-off homer. … He did a great job behind the plate. We were on the same page the whole time.”

Seager, in the second year of a $325 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers, is hitting .359 after going 2 for 2 with a walk against the Royals.

It was the fifth game in a row for Seager to have an extra-base hit. But after touching second base, he bent down and then almost immediately started going back toward the dugout even before a team trainer got all the way out to check on him.

“Gosh, he’s been swinging the bat so well,” Bochy said. “You hate to see it because he’s been on fire. I mean he’s just squaring up everything.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: CF Leody Taveras, who started the season on the IL with a left oblique strain, was 2 for 4 with a grand slam and a bases-loaded walk Tuesday after his rehab assignment was moved from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock. He went 1 for 10 in three games for Frisco.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Brad Keller (1-1, 2.61 ERA) has the longest active streak of consecutive starts getting a decision — going 6-11 over 17 starts since last May 21. He is still short of Tim Belcher’s team record of 21 consecutive starts with a decision that ended in June 1997. Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 4.22) makes his third start for Texas in the series finale Wednesday night.

Heaney matched a record shared by Detroit reliever Tyler Alexander against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, 2020, and Detroit reliever Doug Fister against Kansas City on Sept. 27, 2012.

The major league record for consecutive strikeouts is 10, set by the New York Mets’ Tom Seaver on April 22, 1970 and matched by the Philadelphia Phillies’ Aaron Nola on June 25, 2021 and the Milwaukee Brewers’ Corbin Burnes on Aug. 11, 2021.

Heaney recorded his first out by fanning Edward Olivares with one runner on in the first. After the Royals scored an unearned run, Heaney whiffed Matt Duffy to begin the streak, then struck out Nicky Lopez to end the inning.

In the second, Heaney set down Hunter Dozier and Nate Eaton swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr. looking for five straight. In the third, Bobby Witt Jr., Edward Olivares and Vinnie Pasquantino all struck out swinging.

Heaney’s ninth straight came against Salvador Perez, who went down swinging to lead off the fourth. Duffy then became the first Royals batter to record an out on a ball in play — a flyball to right.

Heaney departed after five innings and 10 Ks. He allowed two hits, two walks and one unearned run.

Heaney broke Nolan Ryan’s club record for consecutive strikeouts in a game with seven. Ryan fanned seven straight against the California Angels on July 7, 1991.

Heaney, who signed with Texas as a free agent last December, had a rocky outing in his Rangers debut, recording only eight outs and allowing seven runs in a 7-2 loss to Baltimore last Tuesday.

The young left-hander knows what he does well, and he makes it work for him.

“I think he settled into who he was last year, and we’re seeing a really good version,” Ross said.

Steele pitched six effective innings and Patrick Wisdom homered, helping the Cubs beat the Texas Rangers 10-3 on Saturday.

Trey Mancini had three of Chicago’s 14 hits in its third consecutive win. Yan Gomes hit a solo homer in a four-run eighth, and Wisdom, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal each had two hits.

“It’s a team offense,” Wisdom said. “Everybody’s coming up with big knocks, especially with guys in scoring position.”

Swanson is batting .429 (12 for 28) in his first seven games with the Cubs after signing a $177 million, seven-year contract as a free agent. He emphatically pumped his right arm twice after scoring the team’s final run.

“He just makes things happen,” Mancini said.

Texas committed five errors in its fourth loss in five games, and a Martín Pérez balk helped set up Chicago’s first run. The Rangers have managed just three runs and 10 hits through the first two games of the weekend set at Wrigley Field.

“It got a little sloppy out there, and hey, we’ve got to wash this off,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “This is not the baseball we’ve been playing. Five errors, that’s a lot.”

Steele (1-0) allowed one run and four hits, walked four and struck out three. He has pitched 12 innings of one-run ball through his first two outings this year.

Steele retired 10 in a row after Josh Jung’s RBI single in the third. Following a two-out walk to Mitch Garver in the sixth, he got Jonah Heim to bounce into a fielder’s choice.

“Overall, I felt like I was putting good pitches together, good sequences and stuff,” said Steele, who had a 3.18 ERA in a career-best 24 starts and 119 innings last year.

Pérez (1-1) permitted three runs, two earned, and five hits in five innings. The lefty also made a terrific play on Madrigal’s comebacker in the fifth, gloving the ball behind his back before throwing to first for the out.

Wisdom hit a leadoff drive in the fourth for his third homer, giving Chicago a 3-1 lead. The Cubs have six homers as a team.

It was the first homer allowed by Pérez in 62 innings, halting the longest active streak in the majors.

“Threw a good pitch for the homer, and he swing the (bat) really good,” Pérez said.

Chicago got two more runs in the sixth on Eric Hosmer’s pinch-hit single through a drawn-in infield.

Texas tried to rally in the seventh. Nathaniel Lowe’s RBI single off Keegan Thompson made it 5-2, but Jung struck out swinging with runners on second and third for the final out of the inning.

Stroman (2-0) struck out six and allowed two hits and three walks a few days after opening the season with a six-inning, eight-strikeout effort.

Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi (1-1) allowed only a walk his first time through the order but the Cubs made the most of it when they got a few hits in the fourth. Dansby Swanson reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second before coming home on Bellinger’s RBI single for what turned out to be all the offense they’d need.

Ian Happ doubled in a run two innings later to chase Eovaldi, who finished with six strikeouts while allowing five hits and a walk.

Stroman loaded the bases in the sixth with a pair of walks but killed the threat by getting Josh Jung to gently ground out. Mark Leiter Jr. worked a clean seventh and Michael Fulmer came on for the final two to convert his first save opportunity of the new season.

NICE GRABS

Leiter appeared to be just finishing his follow-through in the seventh when Brad Miller smacked a liner to his glove side. The reliever didn’t have to reach far, however, to catch the ball and end a scoreless inning. Swanson added a nifty backhanded stop at short in the ninth before Eric Hosmer dug out the throw to rob Jung of a hit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Josh Smith started in left field, his first action since being struck in the jaw by a pitch in Monday’s loss to Baltimore. He was hit in the lower leg by a Stroman pitch in the sixth but stayed in the game. … Leody Tavaras (oblique) is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list but the outfielder will get at least one more start at Double-A Frisco.

UP NEXT

The Rangers’ Martín Perez (1-0, 1.59) faces fellow left-hander Justin Steele (0-0, 0.00) on Saturday afternoon.

DeGrom (1-0) retired the first 12 batters he faced and finished with 11 strikeouts, but the game was tied 2-2 after he ended the sixth with back-to-back Ks. The right-hander, who in free agency signed a $185 million, five-year contract after his first nine big league seasons with the New York Mets, got a no-decision in the season opener.

Jung’s second homer this season came in the bottom of the sixth off Austin Voth (0-1), who had taken over in relief after top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez went five innings in his big-league debut and finished with a no-decision.

José Leclerc worked a perfect ninth for his first save and extended the scoreless streak for Rangers relievers to 21 1/3 innings.

Texas avoided a series sweep and ended its eight-game skid against the Orioles, who won all six of their games against the Rangers last season.

After striking out Baltimore’s 1-3 batters on 10 pitches in the fourth, deGrom needed 25 pitches to get out of the fifth. That included Ryan Mountcastle’s leadoff double to deep center, a four-pitch walk and second baseman Marcus Semien’s fielding error before Adam Frazier’s game-tying RBI single tied the game.

In his Rangers debut last Thursday, deGrom struck out seven, but allowed five runs on six extra-base hits over 3 2/3 innings. He limited Baltimore to two hits, and walked two while throwing 58 of 92 pitches for strikes.

Rodriguez settled down after needing 30 pitches to get through the first inning, when he allowed back-to-back RBI hits to Adolis García and Jung as Texas took a 2-0 lead. The right-hander retired 13 of the last 15 batters he faced, and struck out All-Star shortstop Corey Seager twice.

The Orioles called up the 23-year-old Rodriguez after Kyle Gibson, their scheduled starter for the finale, was moved up a day to pitch Tuesday in place of Tyler Wells, who ended up having to pitch in long relief Monday.

Rodriguez was the 11th overall pick by the Orioles in the 2018 draft out of Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas, which is about 175 miles from Globe Life Field. He threw 53 of 83 pitches for strikes and walked only one batter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish, the starter who exited Monday’s game with a bruised right foot after being struck by a liner in the second inning of the series opener, was put on the 15-day injured list. Manager Brandon Hyde said the expectation is that he will “come off the IL on time.”

UP NEXT

Orioles will play their home opener Friday against the New York Yankees. The game had been scheduled for Thursday, but was pushed back a day due to the forecast of severe inclement weather.

Rangers are off Thursday before their first road game of the season, Friday at the Chicago Cubs.

Mountcastle hit a towering, three-run homer to cap a five-run second inning, and Mateo’s two-run shot in the third chased Andrew Heaney from his Rangers debut. It was the second homer of the season for both hitters.

The Orioles have multiple homers in the first five games of a season for only the second time in team history. They matched the franchise record set by the 1994 team.

Adolis García and Nathaniel Lowe homered off Gibson for the Rangers, who have lost eight in a row to Baltimore.

Gibson (2-0) was supposed to start the series finale Wednesday, but pitched a day earlier after Tuesday’s scheduled starter, Tyler Wells, threw five no-hit innings of relief in the series opener. Baltimore’s pitching plans got altered when starter Kyle Bradish took a liner off his right foot and exited with a bruise in the second inning Monday night.

Gibson started on opening day last Thursday and the Orioles had a day off after that, so the right-hander was working on normal rest. He threw 58 of 88 pitches for strikes and finished by striking out the side in the seventh. He fanned five overall without a walk.

Heaney (0-1) was the third starter to make his Rangers debut in the season’s first week, following Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. The lefty, who signed a $25 million, two-year contract in the offseason, allowed seven runs and seven hits over 2 2/3 innings.

Mountcastle’s homer that ricocheted off the right-field foul pole traveled a projected 348 feet — the shortest of any of his 62 career home runs. Mateo went deep for the second night in a row after a two-homer game last season at Globe Life Field, where he’s hit four of his 19 career home runs.

RANGERS RELIEF

Dane Dunning and Taylor Hearn combined for 6 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed only one hit after Heaney was pulled. That lowered the ERA for Rangers relievers to an MLB-low 0.83, including a scoreless streak of 18 1/3 innings since opening day.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: Manger Brandon Hyde said before the game that Bradish was sore and “pretty tender” and there was a possibility the right-hander could end up on the injured list. … INF/DH Gunnar Henderson got a game off after a ball ricocheted off his hand when playing the field Tuesday night.

Rangers: LF Josh Smith had six stitches, a cut inside his mouth and some minor swelling a day after getting hit in the face by a pitch. The Rangers have no immediate plans to put him on the IL.

UP NEXT

The series finale Wednesday, when two-time NL Cy Young Award winner deGrom makes his second start for Rangers since signing a $185 million, five-year contract. The right-hander allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision against Philadelphia in the season opener.

Smith dropped to the ground and was quickly attended to by Rangers athletic trainer Matt Lucero Monday night after he was hit on the right side of his face in the third inning by a 88 mph slider coming from the left hand of Baltimore’s Danny Coulombe.

The team said Monday night Smith was taken to a hospital for scans and testing. He has six stitches on the lower right side of his face, a cut inside his mouth and some slight swelling, but no fractures.

On Twitter late Tuesday morning, Smith thanked everyone who reached out and sent prayers, adding that he was doing fine and hoped to be back in the lineup soon. The Rangers retweeted Smith’s tweet and replied with two emojis, a blue heart and folded hands.

“I feel pretty good actually. I slept good,” Smith said later Tuesday in the Rangers clubhouse. “It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Really no pain or anything like that.”

Smith said he had cleared concussion protocol, though he anticipated he would continue to be monitored to make sure there are no issues. He said he also would probably see a dentist, though he didn’t lose any teeth.

Manager Bruce Bochy said there were no immediate plans for Smith to go on the injured list.

Smith has watched the replay a couple of times.

“Looks like a boxer, like when they get punched and their whole face comes off their body,” Smith said.

The Rangers lost to the Orioles 2-0 Monday night — it was the first loss for the Rangers at home this season after they swept the Phillies in the season’s opening series. The Rangers have two more shots at the Orioles in this series — Tuesday’s game is at 7:05 p.m. and Wednesday’s game is at 1:05 p.m.

Texas Rangers Apr 3

Rangers Outfielder Josh Smith Hospitalized After Being Hit in His Face by Pitch

Texas Rangers Apr 3

Texas Rangers Defeat Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 Sunday, Completing Series-Opening Sweep of Defending NL Champs

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Smith, a left-handed hitter, was struck on the right side of his face by a 1-0 slider from Danny Coulombe. Smith spun back to his left and dropped to the dirt in the batter’s box, breaking his fall with his left hand while holding his face with his right hand.

Gunnar Henderson and Jorge Mateo homered for Baltimore, and Tyler Wells provided a lift with five hitless innings in relief.

Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish departed with a bruised foot after he was struck by Jonah Heim’s liner with runners on first and second and one out in the second. The ball rolled to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who tagged the base with the runners moving up.

Coulombe (1-0) then got four outs before Wells entered. Felix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second save.

Texas’ only hit was a second-inning single by Josh Jung. It was the first loss for the Rangers in four games under new manager Bruce Bochy.

Wells was scheduled to start on Tuesday night. He struck out two and walked none.

Henderson, one of baseball’s top prospects, singled in the second and hit an opposite-field drive to left in the fourth. He went 0 for 8 in his first three games of the season.

Mateo pulled a homer in the fifth that went off the facing of the second deck in left.

Jon Gray (0-1) allowed four hits in 6 1/3 innings for the Rangers. He struck out seven and walked two.

Smith, a left-handed hitter, was struck on the right side of his face in the third inning by a 1-0 slider from reliever Danny Coulombo. Smith spun back to his left and dropped to the dirt in the batter’s box, breaking his fall with his left hand while holding his face with his right hand.

The Rangers said Smith, who started in left field, went to a hospital for testing on his face and jaw. NBC 5 hopes to learn more about Smith’s condition on Tuesday.

Coulombo was pitching because Orioles starter Kyle Bradish left after being hit on his right foot by a line drive in the second inning. Baltimore announced Bradish has a bruised foot.

Jonah Heim lined a 2-2 changeup back to the mound — the exit velocity measured at 104 mph — with runners on first and second and one out. The ball struck Bradish on the outside of the foot as he was completing his follow-through. The ball rolled to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who tagged the base with the runners moving up.

Manager Brandon Hyde and a team trainer visited with Bradish, who walked around the back of the mound. Hyde then pulled Bradish, who was able to walk to the dugout. Coulombo came in and struck out Brad Miller to end the inning.

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Martin Perez (1-0) allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings to win his season debut after setting career marks for ERA and strikeouts last season. Perez left with runners on first and second before Brock Burke, the first of three Texas relievers, retired Cristian Pache on a first-pitch foul out down the first-base line.

Jonathan Hernandez got five outs and Will Smith pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. Perez gave up eight hits, walked three and struck out seven to help the Rangers to their first 3-0 start since 2011 — when they won their second straight AL pennant.

The Rangers, under first-year manager Bruce Bochy, are also three games over .500 for the first time since August 2019.

“The whole weekend, we executed so well,” Bochy said. “The guys just did a great job of picking each other up.”

Jung gave Texas a 1-0 lead when he led off the second inning with an opposite-field home run off Bailey Falter (0-1), who gave up both runs by the Rangers on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Philadelphia tied it in the fourth inning when Josh Harrison’s double-play grounder brought home Nick Castellanos.

The Phillies, who won last year’s NL pennant from the last wild-card position, are 0-3 for the first time since losing their first four games in 2016. They left eight runners on base, were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, struck out eight times and hit into three double plays.

“That’s baseball, guys,” Falter said. “It’s always tough, but we’ve got a great group of guys. We’re going to bounce back.”

Sunday’s one-run loss followed defeats of 11-7 and 16-3 that saw Texas tie for the second-most runs scored in a team’s first two games.

“Tonight was a better ballgame,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We played well. All in all, it’s encouraging.”

Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber, who led the National League last season with 46 home runs, got off to an 0-for-12 start this year before singling in the seventh. After striking out in his first two at-bats, Schwarber launched a 416-foot shot to dead center that would have been a homer in most ballparks but was caught by Adolis Garcia at the top of the wall.

“It was good to see him square up two balls those last two at-bats and finally get a base hit,” Thomson said.

“If we keep making regular plays, we’re going to win a lot of games,” said Perez, who returned to Texas a year ago on a one-year contract, made the All-Star team for the first time and now is signed through 2024.

But the Rangers also made some outstanding fielding plays: Garcia’s grab to rob Schwarber, a running basket catch in the eighth inning by Garcia and a basket catch by shortstop Corey Seager with his back to the plate in the ninth.

Phillies: LHP Ranger Suarez (left forearm tenderness), out until at least late April, threw a bullpen Sunday that went well, Thomson said.

Garver ripped a three-run shot over the left-field fence off Phillies reliever Yunior Marte to extend the Rangers’ lead to 7-3 in the fifth inning. Then, Garver sparked what became a six-run seventh with another three-run shot, this time off Seranthony Dominguez.

The Rangers followed their 11-7 victory in the season opener by tying three other teams with 27 runs in two games, second-most since 1900. The 1951 White Sox scored 30.

“It’s good to see these bats come alive here these last two days,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “You see games like this, it just gets contagious. That’s what happened today with the offense.”

Semien got things going early, leading off the bottom of the first with a homer off Phillies starter Zack Wheeler (0-1), but Garver became the star of the game.

It marked Garver’s first action at catcher in a regular-season game since May 8, 2022. Garver was limited to just 15 games at catcher in 2022 due to a forearm injury.

“It feels good to hit two hard balls and have a little bit of resemblance of what I used to do,” Garver said.

Garver said jokingly that “today” was the best he’s felt swinging the bat since his 2022 season ended on July 11 with right forearm flexor tendon repair surgery.

“You’re constantly tweaking with your swing, trying to figure out something that feels good for the day,” he said. “It’s the nature of the beast, just trying to feel good. Then it’s all about competing.”

The Phillies cut a 4-0 deficit to 4-3 with a two-run double by Nick Castellanos in the fourth and an RBI groundout by Kyle Scwarber in the fifth.

But the Rangers pulled away and the Phillies had just one baserunner get into scoring position the final four innings.

Texas right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (1-0) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts over five innings in his debut with the team.

Wheeler allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

Grossman, a free-agent addition who earned the starting left field job in spring training, hit a three-run homer that tied the game at 5-5 in the middle of a nine-run outburst in the fourth inning. An inning later, Miller became the first Rangers player in 11 years to homer in consecutive season openers. His two-run shot made it 11-6.

While deGrom struck out seven without a walk, the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner allowed five runs on six extra-base hits in his 3 2/3 innings. He threw 49 of 73 pitches for strikes. DeGrom signed a $185 million, five-year contract in free agency and made his fourth career start on opening day — he threw 17 scoreless innings in his three openers for the New York Mets, his team for the past nine seasons.

Aaron Nola, the 29-year-old right-hander making his sixth and maybe final opening-day start for the Phillies, also allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings. Nola is in the final year of his contract and discussions about an extension ended just before the start of the season.

The game also marked the Rangers debut of Bruce Bochy, the three-time World Series champion who was back in the dugout after a three-year retirement for his 26th opener as a manager. He had previously managed 13 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, who clinched their 2010 title in Texas, and 12 seasons with the San Diego Padres.

The Phillies, who last season made it to their first World Series since 2009, took a 5-0 lead when No. 9 hitter Brandon Marsh, the first batter after deGrom departed, had an RBI single off Cole Ragans (1-0).

Ragans, the second of five Rangers pitchers, got his first big league victory even while also giving up a walk while facing only three batters.

Alec Bohm hit a two-run homer in the second inning on a 99 mph fastball from deGrom. Marsh and Trea Turner, in his first game with the Phillies after signing a a $300 million, 11-year deal in free agency, had back-to-back triples in the third before J.T. Realmuto had an RBI double.

Grossman’s homer came immediately after an two-run double by Jonah Heim. The Rangers went ahead 6-5 when, with the bases loaded, Nathaniel Lowe hit a dribbler in front of the plate that turned into an RBI single off reliever Gregory Soto (0-1).

OPEN AND CLOSE

The retractable roof was opened to start the game, but was closed during the fourth inning because of potential thunderstorms in the area. It was the first time at Globe Life Field, which is in its fourth season as the Rangers’ home, that the roof was closed during a game. It was overcast and 69 degrees at first pitch.

UP NEXT

The second game of the series Saturday is a matchup of 2021 All-Star pitchers. RHP Nathan Eovaldi makes his Rangers debut after signing as a free agent. RHP Zach Wheeler is 30-19 with a 2.82 ERA in his 69 starts the last three seasons since joining the Phillies.

Texas Rangers Mar 30

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The team released the following ahead of their Opening Day game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The first pitch is at 3:05 p.m. at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Pitchers (13)
Brock Burke (L)
Jacob deGrom
Dane Dunning
Nathan Eovaldi
Jon Gray
Andrew Heaney (L)
Tayor Hearn (L)
Jonathan Hernández
Ian Kennedy
José Leclerc
Martín Pérez (L)
Cole Ragans (L)
Will Smith (L)

Catchers (2)
Mitch Garver
Jonah Heim

Infielders (6)
Ezequiel Duran
Josh Jung
Nathaniel Lowe
Corey Seager
Marcus Semien
Josh Smith

Outfielders (5)
Adolis García
Robbie Grossman
Travis Jankowski
Brad Miller
Bubba Thompson

TEXAS RANGERS OPENING DAY LINEUP

Below is the Texas Rangers’ starting lineup for Opening Day, March 30, 2023.

Marcus Semien (R) 2B
Corey Seager (L) SS
Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B
Adolis Garcia (R) CF
Josh Jung (R) 3B
Jonah Heim (S) C
Robbie Grossman (S) RF
Brad Miller (L) DH
Josh H. Smith (L) LF

Arlington Mar 27

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globe life field Mar 30

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Texas Rangers Mar 27

Texas Rangers Unveil Food Options for Upcoming Season

The team also put the following players on injured lists or moved them to Round Rock.

• OF Travis Jankowski and RHP Ian Kennedy contracts selected from Triple-A Round Rock.
• OF Leody Taveras was placed on 10-day Injured List, retroactively to March 27 (left oblique strain).
• RHP Spencer Howard was placed on 15-day Injured List, retroactively to March 27 (right lat strain).
• RHP Josh Sborz was placed on 15-day Injured List, retroactive to March 27 (left ankle sprain).
• RHP Jake Odorizzi was placed on 60-day Injured List (right rotator cuff strain).
• RHP Glenn Otto was placed on 60-day Injured List (right shoulder strain).
• LHP Brett Martin placed on 60-day Injured List (left shoulder surgery)

The first date Taveras would be eligible to be activated from the Injured List is April 6. The first date Howard and Sborz are eligible to be activated from the Injured List is April 11.

After Thursday’s game, the Rangers will be off Friday and will finish up the weekend with two more games against the Phillies at Globe Life Field. Fans are cautioned to expect extra traffic on Saturday and Sunday as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is playing next door at AT&T Stadium. Traffic info is here.

General manager Chris Young said Wednesday, when discussing roster moves the day before the season opener, that Taveras has made significant progress. But the team didn’t want to rush him.

“We were kind of waiting, holding out maybe a little bit of hope that Leody would turn the corner,” Young said. “While he’s made great progress, and I just got an update that today’s been a really good day, the right thing to do is be cautious here and make sure we get Leody for the duration, and not push him to be ready for opening day.”

With Taveras on the IL, the Rangers will have Travis Jankowski on the opening day roster after he went to spring training as a non-roster player. He is a center fielder who has played for five teams over eight major league seasons, including 43 games for the New York Mets last year.

Young said pitcher Jake Odorizzi (arm), who was acquired in a trade from Atlanta early in the offseason, and reliever Glenn Otto (shoulder) were going to the 60-day injured list. Relievers Josh Sborz (ankle) and Spencer Howard (arm) are going to the 15-day IL.

Taveras could return as early as the team’s series opener at the Chicago Cubs on April 7.

This season the team and food service partner Delaware North are debuting The Boomstick Burger, Brisket Croissant, Corn Ribs, a Flamin Hot Cheetos Pretzel, a Pizza Dawwg and a vegan PLT Sandwich. Details on each of the items are below.

• The Boomstick Burger: A new take on the iconic 2-foot-long hot dog, this variation features a 2-foot Nolan Ryan Beef patty topped with Texas Chili Company Chili, Rico’s Nacho Cheese and Jalapenos, and Crisp Onion Rings – much like the original Boomstick – and served on a fresh-baked brioche bun. Designed to feed up to four people. Available at the Texas 24″ stand at Section 132 for $34.99.
• Brisket Croissant: Generous pieces of house-smoked Nolan Ryan Beef Brisket are hand-rolled between layers of buttery croissant dough and baked until golden. Topped with a Sweet Baby Ray’s donut-style glaze. Available at the Sweet Baby Rays stand at Sections 3, 123, and 230 for $9.99.
• Corn Ribs: Fresh sweet corn on the cob split into finger-lickin’ “ribs” – tossed with spicy lime crema and coated with cotija cheese and tajin spice. Available at the concession locations at Sections 3, 121 and 230 for $9.99.
• Flamin Hot® Cheetos Pretzel: A pillowy soft Bavaria-style sourdough pretzel dipped in Flamin Hot® Cheetos Cheetle and then coated in crushed Flamin Hot® Cheetos. Available at the concession locations at Section 3, 12, 121, 208 and 233 for $8.99.
• Pizza Dawwg: A Texas Chili Company All-Angus Beef hot dog topped with marinara, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni – and then baked to bubbly golden perfection. Available at the concession locations at Sections 3, 133 and 214 for $11.99.
• The PLT Sandwich: A vegan twist on a classic sandwich featuring a balsamic-glazed, grilled portabella mushroom topped with bibb lettuce and sliced tomato. Served on fresh-baked vegan bread with vegan mayo. Available at the Visiting Vegan Stand at Section 101 for $14.99.

You don’t even have to leave your seat to enjoy the new menu items. The park is expanding mobile ordering to all seats via the MLB Ballpark app. Without missing a pitch, fans can order hot food, snacks and beverages through the app and have them delivered directly to their seat.

If the new menu additions weren’t enough, there’s Arlington Eats (Section 101) which rotates five popular Arlington restaurants through a shared space on Friday, Saturday and Sunday games. This year The Tin Cup and Cartel Taco Bar are joining Ella B’s, Prince Lebanese Grill and Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery. There will also be select premium services offered on weekdays.

Hurtado Barbecue, which was featured at Arlington Eats in 2022, is now the official barbecue partner at Globe Life Field and has a standalone location at Section 141 where they’ll serve beef ribs and brisket three ways — elotes, nachos and sandwiches.

7-Eleven will serve a variety of Slurpee flavors (Sections 101, 205) and Big Bite Pizza (Sections 133, 214).

Express Grill (Sections 108, 124) will be equipped with Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One. Express Grill will offer cheeseburgers, hot dogs, brats, sausage, corn dogs, beer, seltzers, soda, chips, water, candies and sundries. Just Walk Out allows customers to enter a store with a card or by hovering their palm over an Amazon One device, grab what they want and then leave without stopping at a checkout stand. Details on how that magic works can be found here.

“We are continuously evaluating our operations and customer insights to understand how we can add even more variety – including with local partners – and bring new levels of convenience for fans at Globe Life Field,” said Casey Rapp, Delaware North’s general manager at the ballpark. “Between the culinary offerings, bolstered retail selection and new fan-facing technology, there’s a lot to be excited about for the upcoming Rangers season.”

It’s not just food either, there are new merchandise offerings from BaubleBar and Lusso at the team store. The BaubleBar collection of fashion jewelry includes earrings, necklaces and bracelets ranging from $27 to $62. The Lusso collection is “unapologetically fashion-forward fan gear” and includes wearable luxury apparel, handbags and luggage tags ranging from $27 to $350.

Opening Day is Thursday and the Rangers will host the Philadelphia Phillies. The first pitch is at 3:05 p.m. and pregame ceremonies begin at about 2:30 p.m. Details on pregame events can be read here.

Texas Rangers Mar 28

Greg Abbott, George W. Bush, Nolan Ryan Taking Part in Texas Rangers Opening Day

Texas Rangers Mar 27

Texas Rangers Unveil Food Options for Upcoming Season

For the ceremonial first pitch, the team will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Texas Rangers, the law enforcement group that is part of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Rangers “conduct major violent crime, public corruption, cold case, and officer-involved shooting investigations, and oversee the department’s tactical and crisis negotiation.”

Team officials said Lt. Reuben T. Mankin, a 21-year veteran of the Texas DPS who is assigned to Company B in Hurst, will throw out the first pitch. He’ll be joined on the field by a distinguished list of Texans including former Texas governor and former President George W. Bush and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Mankin will be joined on the mound by MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan and his pitch will be caught by MLB Hall of fame catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez.

The Star-Spangled Banner will be performed by three-time Emmy Award-winning vocal group The Texas Tenors. Amber Nall, of Abilene, will sign the national anthem. The colors will be presented by the Texas DPS and large US and Texas flags will be unfurled in centerfield by members of the team’s front office after the flags are escorted onto the field by DPS Rangers and members of the Arlington Police Department mounted patrol. Weather permitting there will be a flyover at the end of the national anthem.

Arlington Mar 27

How to Navigate Taylor Swift and Texas Rangers Traffic, Parking in Arlington

Texas Rangers Mar 27

Texas Rangers Unveil Food Options for Upcoming Season

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will be in the stadium on Opening Day. MLB awarded Globe Life Field the 2024 All-Star Game, the 94th, which will be held on July 16.

Rangers Hall of Fame members Nolan Ryan (2003), Ivan Rodriguez (2013), Jim Sundberg (2003), Toby Harrah (2009), Tom Grieve (2010), Jeff Russell (2015), Michael Young (2016) and Ian Kinsler (2022) will be introduced on the field ahead of the game.

All fans attending Thursday’s home opener will receive a 2023 Texas Rangers magnet schedule.

Parking lots will open at 11 a.m. and ballpark gates will open at noon. Rangers’ batting practice begins at 12:05 p.m. followed by the Phillies at 12:55 p.m., and the pregame ceremonies are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.

The Rangers haven’t had a great track record on Opening Day. They’re 23-28 overall, losing two straight, five of six, and eight of ten, the longer span beginning 2013.

After Thursday’s opener, they’ll be off on Friday and will finish a three-game set against the Phillies on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the first 15,000 fans will also take home a Rangers Replica Cap and on Sunday the first 15,000 fans will receive the Corey Seager Powder Blue Replica Jersey.

Fans attending games on Saturday and Sunday will want to give themselves extra time to get to the ballpark — Taylor Swift fans will be filling AT&T Stadium next door, so expect traffic delays. Some tips are here.

They’ll next host the Orioles from April 3-5.

For more on the schedule and stadium events visit rangers.com.

Texas announced the move Monday before an exhibition game at home in Texas against Kansas City, the team they share a spring training complex with in Surprise, Arizona.

León signed with the Rangers just before the start of spring training. The 34-year-old catcher played 533 games with five teams over the last 11 seasons.

Mitch Garver is back after missing the second half of last season with the Rangers because of surgery on his right (throwing) arm last July. Jonah Heim caught 111 games last season and Texas also has catching prospect Sam Huff.

The Rangers were the fourth different franchise León has been with since last year. He went to spring training last season with the Cleveland Guardians, was released before the season, then he signed as a free agent with the

Cincinnati Reds on April 16. The Guardians reacquired him on June 28, and traded him to Minnesota on Aug. 2 before he became a free agent after the season.

In 33 games combined for the Guardians and Twins last season, he hit .169 with no homers and four RBIs. He is a career .210 hitter, also appearing in the big leagues for Boston, Washington and Miami.

Swift’s “Eras Tour” will play three consecutive nights at AT&T Stadium, starting Friday, March 31. Just down the street, the Rangers open their season Thursday at Globe Life Field, with games set for Saturday and Sunday.

So, Arlington Police are urging fans heading to any of the events to come up with a game plan. We’ve put together a day-by-day guide to events as well as answers to other questions you might have.

traffic Mar 30

Heavy Traffic Expected in North Texas as Fans Flock to Taylor Swift Concert, Rangers Games, Women's Final Four

Taylor Swift Mar 30

Taylor Swift Fans Line Up for Merch Ahead of Weekend Shows

SCHEDULE

Thursday

11 a.m.: Parking lots open for Rangers Opening Day.
12 p.m.: Gates open at Globe Life Field.
3:05 p.m.: First pitch.

Friday

2 p.m.: AT&T Stadium Parking lots open for Taylor Swift concert.
4:30 p.m.: Doors open at AT&T Stadium
6 p.m.: Arlington Renegades game begins at Choctaw Stadium.
6:30 p.m.:Taylor Swift concert begins.

Saturday

1 p.m.: Parking lots open for Rangers, gates open for season ticket holders.
1:30 p.m.: Gates open for all fans at Globe Life Field.
2 p.m.: AT&T Stadium Parking lots open for Taylor Swift concert.
3:05 p.m.: Rangers first pitch.
4:30 p.m.: Doors open at AT&T Stadium
6:30 p.m.: Taylor Swift concert begins.

Sunday

2 p.m.: AT&T Stadium Parking lots open for Taylor Swift concert.
3:30 p.m.: Parking lots open for Rangers.
4 p.m.: Gates open at Globe Life Field.
4:30 p.m.: Doors open at AT&T Stadium
6:08 p.m.: Rangers first pitch.
6:30 p.m.: Taylor Swift concert begins.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Arlington Police expect heavy traffic all four days, but fans heading to the stadiums Saturday or Sunday will likely see the most backups.

They recommend planning where you’ll park ahead of time, to make sure you take the most direct route.

Drivers may run into street closures or lane closures on their way in and out of the entertainment district.

PARKING

Taylor Swift fans can purchase parking in the AT&T Stadium lots. You have to pre-purchase and the Cowboys expect passes will sell out. Fans will also be able to pay to park in the Rangers’ non-reserved lots.

Rangers fans can purchase reserved parking in the Globe Life Field parking lots, as well as park in non-reserved lots.

People attending either event should be aware of special events parking restrictions in place Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in neighborhoods surrounding the stadiums. Any vehicles parked in a no-parking zone will be towed. Click here to see maps of the special event with no parking zones.

Some businesses around the stadiums do sell parking, and others farther out have shuttle services to take fans to the stadium for a fee.

globe life field Mar 30

WATCH: NBC 5's Grant Johnston Stumbles in Texas Rangers Dot Race Costume

Texas Rangers Mar 29

2-Foot Boomstick Burger, Corn Ribs Coming to Globe Life Field for 2023 Rangers Season

RIDESHARE & TAXIS

Taylor Swift concert-goers should expect high demand and potentially long waits for rideshare service over the weekend.

There will be a designated rideshare drop-off and pickup location at Lot 15, which is just west of AT&T Stadium on Randol Mill Road. Arlington Police encourage people to use this location to request rides after the event because road closures and congestion could keep your driver from reaching you in other areas around the stadium. Police say they will have extra officers on hand at that location to ensure fans waiting for rides feel safe.

Taxi dropoff and pick-up are located outside the gate to the West Plaza, near N. Collins Street and Cowboys Way.

Police say Rangers fans using rideshare services are encouraged to set their dropoff and pick-up locations to Chapman Cutoff, just east of Globe Life Field near Lot C.

DROPOFF AND PICK-UP

If you’re getting a ride to the concert with a friend or family member – or if you’re the lucky driver – there are designated spots to drop people off and pick people up.

Dropoffs can happen at two locations: Lot 1 off Randol Mill Road or Lot 6 along Cowboys Way.

Pickups will happen at a different spot: The entrance to the Miller LiteHouse on N. Collins Street and Cowboys Way, which is the same location as the taxi pickup.

AT&T STADIUM BAG POLICIES AND PROHIBITED ITEMS

AT&T Stadium’s website has a list of rules for what fans can and cannot bring with them to the stadium. On Monday, the stadium updated a ban on portable chargers to allow certain types to be brought inside. Here’s what fans should leave at home:

• No clothes or costumes that will block the view of concertgoers around you.
• No banners and/or poles.
• No signs larger than 11 in. x 17 in.
• No selfie sticks.
• No lights or battery packs, including lights and batteries on signs and clothing, as well as devices with removable batteries. Portable chargers that are sealed, like the kind many people use for cell phones, will be allowed if they fit within your bag.

AT&T Stadium also has strict restrictions on bags and purses, illustrated in the diagram below:

RANGERS BAG POLICY AND PROHIBITED ITEMS

Rangers fans bringing in bags cannot exceed the MLB bag-size restrictions of 16” x 16” x 8”. All backpacks are banned, with an exception for single-pocket drawstring bags.

Coolers of any kind cannot be taken into the stadium.

Fans are allowed to bring outside food if it is sealed into a clear quart-sized plastic bag. Sealed, non-flavored water in a plastic bottle smaller than 1 liter is also allowed. Fans are limited to one bag of food and one bottle of water per person.

Exceptions can be made for medical reasons.

According to court records obtained by NBC 5, on March 23 the state decided against trying Wetteland again and the charges were dismissed by Denton County District Court Judge LeeAnne Breading.

Wetteland had been accused in 2019 of molesting a child three times from 2004 to 2006, beginning when the child was 4 years old. The former World Series MVP pitcher said he was innocent of the charge and his attorney Derek Adame said the accusations were “based on a lie.”

A Denton County trial ended in a mistrial in September 2022 with the jury hopelessly deadlocked 10-2 — it’s not clear if the majority of the jury favored acquittal or conviction.

Following the mistrial, the Denton County District Attorney’s Office said they planned to move forward with the case and that “whether it ends through negotiated plea bargain or retrial is up to him.” The Denton County District Attorney has not issued a statement since the charges were dismissed.

Wetteland played 12 seasons in the majors for the Rangers, Yankees, Expos and Dodgers before retiring in 2000. After winning a World Series in New York in 1996, where he was named the series MVP, he landed in Arlington where he spent the final four years of his career setting a team record of 150 saves.

His final game was on Sept. 20, 2000; at age 33, after his Rangers contract expired during the offseason, he retired from baseball. Wetteland was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2005.

According to a biography published by the Seattle Mariners, Wetteland spent three seasons as a roving pitching coordinator for the Texas Rangers beginning in 2002. In 2006 he worked as a bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals before heading to Seattle for two seasons in 2009 and 2010.

Wetteland was hospitalized in 2009 after reportedly considering suicide, though he later said his hospitalization was due to his elevated blood pressure and heart rate and that it had been addressed.

In between MLB coaching gigs, Wetteland, a longtime born-again Christian, coached baseball and taught Bible studies at Liberty Christian School, in Argyle, from 2007 to 2008, according to a report in The Dallas Morning News. A vice president of the school told the paper that Wetteland has had no association with the school since his departure.

“As many of you know, for years I have been an advocate for those with mental health issues. I now find myself dealing with anxiety, insomnia and depression which are currently preventing me from doing the job I love,” Nadel said in a statement released by the team. “So, I regret to say I will not be in the broadcast booth when the season starts.”

The 71-year-old Nadel said he was receiving treatment as he goes through the healing process and encouraged others with similar issues to reach out for help.

There was no timetable given for his return.

Nadel has been part of Rangers broadcasts for 44 years. He called games on television and radio from 1979-81 before teaming up with Mark Holtz on the radio in 1982. Except for doing television during the 1984 season, Nadel has been on the radio since and became the main play-by-play voice in 1995 after Holtz moved to the TV booth.

Only two current MLB broadcasters have been with their teams longer. Denny Matthews has been a part of Kansas City Royals broadcasts since the team’s inception in 1969, and Bob Uecker has been with the Milwaukee Brewers since 1971.

Nadel in 2014 received the Ford C. Frick Award presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He is also in the team’s hall of fame.

Nadel said he was “tremendously grateful” to his radio partners Matt Hicks and Jared Sandler, who will handle broadcasts like they do when Nadel gets days off during the season. Nadel said Rangers management has been wonderful to him.

“I thank them for their concern, kindness and understanding,” he said. “Rangers fans have always given me tremendous support, and I ask for their continued support at this time and in the future.”

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To stay in accordance with Nike baseball’s new “four plus one” policy on uniforms — four uniforms plus a “city connect” uniform — the Rangers had to shed one combination. A year ago, they had white tops, blue tops, gray tops, powder blue tops and the red tops. The powder blue uniforms were worn only on Sundays and the reds only on home Fridays.

The powder blues were more popular than the red tops with fans and consumers, team spokesman John Blake said.

The Rangers, however, are not doing away completely with red caps. They will still be able to work in the red cap with the White “T,” and can use that for another look. However, the team last year did away with the initial red caps that featured an outline of the state of Texas along with an interlocking “T” and “X.” That looked too much like a bad pickup from Buc-cees. The Rangers were just 3-8 in the red tops in 2022. Their most “successful” fashion choice were throwback uniforms, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first season in Texas. They went 4-1 in the throwbacks.

The Rangers will unveil their City Connect uniform later this year.

Click here to read more from our partners at The Dallas Morning News on the Rangers’ uniform plans.

Each of deGrom’s past two seasons with the New York Mets were shortened substantially by injuries, but Rangers general manager Chris Young insisted the decision to hold out deGrom was precautionary. It was an unusually chilly day in Arizona and some fields were slick from overnight rain.

“It’s as much about it being Day 1 of spring training as anything,” Young said. “He’s been throwing. His arm feels great.”

Young said deGrom, who signed a $185 million, five-year deal in December, wanted to participate in the first workout of spring training. The GM said deGrom has already thrown about six bullpens. He felt tightness after his latest bullpen a few days ago.

“Nothing major, but having him come in today with the weather conditions, I made the decision that we’re going to hold him off from throwing for a day or two until we can treat him and things return to normal,” said Young, a former big league pitcher. “We wanted to make sure that we play things slowly.”

The 34-year-old deGrom spent the first nine years of his big league career with the Mets.

Before missing the final three months of the 2021 season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, he had a career-low 1.08 ERA over 92 innings.

The right-hander was then shut down late in spring training last year because of a stress reaction in his right scapula and didn’t make his first big-league start until Aug. 2. He went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA over 64 1/3 innings in 11 starts, then opted out of a $30.5 million deal to become a free agent for the first time.

DeGrom is 82-57 with a 2.52 ERA and 1,607 strikeouts in 1,326 career innings.

In the short term, experts predict that fans will still be able to watch their teams’ games on the channel they are familiar with. But long-term, the anticipated bankruptcy filing of a prominent regional sports network calls into question the viability of the current broadcast rights model.

Outside of the NFL, most major pro sports are broadcast on regional networks that pay top dollar for the rights to air the games. For example, under the current contract Bally Sports Southwest pays the Texas Rangers $100 million a season for the broadcast rights.

The cable companies that pay to air the games generate most of their revenue from subscriber fees. But tens of millions of people have ‘cut the cord’ over the last decade, in favor of a la carte streaming options that, individually, cost significantly less than cable does.

“I think one of the bigger questions is, ‘Does the entire model change?’ said Maury Brown, who covers the business of sports for Forbes. “For most people, if they have a cable provider, they get their sports interspersed with other things. It is called a bundle. That would likely go away.”

“[The regional sports network model] is only sustainable as long as you have a solid customer base. If you look at how linear television, traditional television is, subscribers have been peeling away from it in droves. So, if you don’t have that subscriber money coming in then of course the ability to sustain those rights fees back to the teams becomes much more difficult,” Brown said.

Diamond Sports, which is a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, is expected to miss a $140 million interest payment on Wednesday. The company is struggling under the weight of $8.4 billion in debt, according to Bloomberg.

Once that payment is missed, it would start a 30-day grace period that could eventually lead to a bankruptcy filing, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Bases loaded, one out, full count and Justin Verlander knows exactly what pitch he wants to throw.

Starting this month, he can call it himself.

In yet another nod to new technology, Major League Baseball will permit pitchers in spring training to wear wristbands that will let them signal to the catcher what’s coming next.

The experiment begins Feb. 24 when exhibition play opens with the Seattle-San Diego and Texas-Kansas City games in the Cactus League. All 30 teams are scheduled to be in action the next day.

It’s an extension of the PitchCom system that MLB teams were allowed to employ last season, when catchers could push buttons on their wristbands to call for fastballs, curves, changeups and anything else, along with the location. The pitcher would then hear the result on an earpiece inside his hat.

Now, pitchers can make the calls themselves.

MLB will evaluate how things go and then decide whether to approve it for the regular season, executive vice president Morgan Sword said Thursday.

Worries over clubs stealing catchers’ signals — either by alert opponents or illicit electronic schemes — prompted the rise of the PitchCom system. Some teams and pitcher/catcher batteries immediately embraced the new method; others were a bit more hesitant.

As the season went on, and boosted by tweaks to the tech aspects, more and more clubs became comfortable with putting it in play. Along with the pitcher, usually the shortstop and second baseman had earpieces so they knew what was coming.

Catchers often wore earpieces, too, so they could hear audio confirmation of what pitch they called.

Over the years, there have been plenty of baseball stories about pitchers calling their own games, working out a set of hidden signals with catchers.

In a few weeks, there will no need for secrecy — pitchers can make their calls out in the open, right on the mound.

Young said Monday that Kinsler, who was part of the franchise’s only two World Series teams in 2010 and 2011, will be heavily involved in player development and providing mentorship to both players and staff.

Kinsler, a four-time All-Star, was part of a World Series championship with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, a year before his retirement. Kinsler played 14 seasons in the major leagues and spent the last three years in the front office of the San Diego Padres as a special assistant in baseball operations and player development. The 40-year-old has been living in the Dallas area, as he did throughout his playing career.

Kinsler played for the U.S. in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and Israel in last summer’s Olympics, and he will manage Israel in next month’s WBC.

Young and Kinsler were teammates for several weeks at Double-A Frisco in the summer of 2004, the same year the pitcher made his big league debut. They were in big league spring training together in 2005, then Young was traded after that season.

A 17th-round draft pick by Texas in 2003, Kinsler played 1,066 games for the Rangers from 2006-13, hitting .273 with 156 homers, 539 RBIs and 172 stolen bases. He hit .311 with a .422 on-base percentage in 34 postseason games. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame last summer.

Kinsler hit .269 with 257 homers, 909 RBIs and 243 stolen bases in 1,888 career games overall with Texas, Detroit (2014-17), the Los Angeles Angels (2018), Boston (2018), and San Diego (2019). He is one of only two MLB second baseman with 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in multiple seasons, and had the only six-hit cycle in a nine-inning game since 1900 on April 15, 2009.

All Saturday home games from April through August will start at 3:05 p.m. except for April 22 vs Oakland and April 29 vs. New York. Both of those games will start at 6:05 p.m. The final two Saturday home games in September will also start at 6:05 p.m.

For weekday games, those will stay at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday games will stay at 1:35 p.m.

There are also seven 1:05 p.m. games, Monday, July 3 vs, Houston and six selected Wednesdays and Thursdays. Texas has scheduled 3:05 p.m. starts for the season opener on Thursday, March 30 vs. Philadelphia and Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4 against Houston.

The first Sunday game of the season will be on April 2 against the Phillies. The first pitch will be at 6:08 p.m. to accommodate a national ESPN telecast.

The Rangers will also have national telecasts on FOX on April 1 against the Phillies and on Sept. against the Twins.

Individual game tickets go on sale on March 3 for all games except Opening Day.

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Lowe gets $4.05 million, Hearn $1,462,500, Hernandez $995,000, and Martin $1,275,000.

The only other Texas player eligible for arbitration was catcher Mitch Garver, who missed the final three months last season after undergoing surgery on the flexor tendon in his right arm. Garver and the Rangers were set to exchange proposed salaries Friday, and the sides would go to a hearing in February if they don’t reach an agreement before then.

Lowe set career highs by hitting .302 with 27 home runs and 76 RBIs last season. He was the Rangers’ first .300 hitter since 2016 and his AL-high 150 starts at first base were the most for Texas since Mark Teixeira in 2006.

Martin was 1-7 with three saves and a 4.14 ERA in 55 appearances last year, but the left-hander is scheduled to have shoulder surgery next week that could keep him from pitching in 2023.

Hearn, a lefty, was 6-8 with a 5.13 ERA over 13 starts and 18 relief appearances last season. Hernández went 2-3 with four saves and a 2.97 ERA in 29 relief appearances, all after July 16 when the right-hander returned from Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the 2021 season.

Seven other coaches are returning this season including first base coach Corey Ragsdale, bench coach Donnie Ecker, hitting coach Tim Hyers, third base coach Tony Beasley, catching coach Bobby Wilson, bullpen coach Brett Hayes and assistant hitting coach Seth Conner.

“Beasley will be in his ninth season with Texas, the longest-tenured member of the Rangers coaching staff. He served as the club’s interim manager from August 15 through the end of the 2022 season,” the Rangers said in a statement Friday. “Ragsdale will be in his fourth season on the staff, while Wilson is on the staff for a third year. Ecker, Hyers, Hayes, and Conner will all be in their second season with Texas.”

Bochy joined the club after the dismal 2022 season where the club finished 38 games back in fourth place in the AL West with a 68-94 (.420) record. Boch agreed to lead the team for three years and is the 20th manager in club history and the first to join the team with a World Series win.

He’s also the first to join the team with a World Series win against the Rangers. Bochy was the manager of the San Francisco Giants when the teams faced off in 2010.

Here’s more from the Rangers on Venable and Maddux.

Venable was hired on November 16 after stints as a coach for the Boston Red Sox (2021-22) and Chicago Cubs (2018-20). He played nine seasons as a Major League outfielder with the Padres (2008-15), Rangers (2015), and Dodgers (2016).

Maddux was hired on November 23 in a return to the Rangers, as he was the pitching coach of four Texas postseason clubs during his previous stint with the club from 2009-15. He has spent the last 20 seasons as a Major League pitching coach with four teams: Milwaukee (2003-08), Texas (2009-15), Washington (2016-17), and St. Louis (2018-22).

Spring Training begins in mid-February with the Rangers’ first Cactus League game being held Feb. 24.

Report: Nathan Eovaldi finds new team in free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Nathan Eovaldi is moving on from the Boston Red Sox after five seasons.

The veteran right-hander has agreed to sign with the Texas Rangers in free agency, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports the deal is for two years and $34 million. Texas will give up its third-round pick since Eovaldi rejected the qualifying offer.

Eovaldi, 32, joined the Red Sox in 2018 and was a key contributor during the club’s World Series run. He joins Xander Bogaerts (San Diego Padres) and J.D. Martinez (Los Angeles Dodgers) as members of the 2018 Red Sox World Series team to leave in free agency this offseason. Rafael Devers, Chris Sale, Matt Barnes, and Ryan Brasier are the only four players from that championship roster still with the club.

Last season, Eovaldi posted a 6-3 record and a 3.87 ERA in 20 starts. He showed what he’s capable of when healthy in 2021, when he finished fourth in Cy Young award voting with a 3.75 ERA and league-best 2.79 FIP.

Eovaldi will boost a Texas Rangers rotation that also consists of Jacob deGrom, Martin Perez, Andrew Heaney, and Jon Gray.