ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers continued their recent surge Friday night, rallying from an early deficit to edge the Cleveland Guardians 3-2 at Globe Life Field.
Texas improved to 31-32 on the season and moved within one game of the .500 mark, winning for the sixth time in its last seven contests. The Rangers also matched their season-high with a fourth consecutive home victory and secured their third straight win in a one-run game.
Cleveland struck first when Travis Bazzana launched a leadoff home run on the third pitch of the game. The Guardians added another run in the fourth inning on Austin Hedges’ RBI single, building a 2-0 advantage.
Rangers starter Kumar Rocker settled in after the early damage. The right-hander worked five innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five. Rocker escaped a jam in the fifth after a leadoff triple, preserving the two-run deficit and keeping Texas within striking distance.
The Rangers finally broke through in the sixth. Kyle Higashioka opened the inning by crushing a solo homer into the second deck in left field, trimming Cleveland’s lead to 2-1. Moments later, Corey Seager delivered the decisive blow.
Activated from the injured list just one day earlier, Seager drove a two-run home run into the seats, giving Texas its first lead of the night at 3-2. The blast ended a lengthy hitless stretch and proved to be the game-winning swing.
Josh Jung continued his steady production at the plate, collecting two hits and recording his team-leading 20th multi-hit game of the season. Jung has now hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games and remains among the American League’s top hitters.
Texas’ bullpen made the lead stand. Jacob Latz handled the final two innings for his ninth save of the season, allowing just one hit while striking out three. The left-hander has converted saves in four straight appearances and continues to be a reliable late-game option.
For Cleveland, rookie left-hander Parker Messick was dominant through five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He suffered the loss after surrendering both Rangers home runs.
Bazzana paced the Guardians offensively with three hits, including his leadoff homer and a triple. Hedges added two hits and an RBI, but Cleveland was unable to capitalize on several scoring opportunities late in the game.
Wyatt Langford returned to the Rangers lineup after being activated from the injured list and contributed a double in his first game back.
The victory gives Texas momentum as it looks to secure another series win, while Cleveland will try to bounce back after dropping its second straight game.
