Rangers get the best of Adolis García in reunion during opening series vs. Phillies

PHILADELPHIA – On opening day, Adolis García greeted a handful of his old teammates warmly with hugs and fist-bumps.

On Saturday, with the game on the line, he greeted them in a different manner, like the Garcia they remember. His run-scoring ninth-inning double proved key to Philadelphia rallying back to momentarily tie the Rangers.

CHAOS in Philadelphia as Jake Burger drops what would’ve been the final out. Then Adolis Garcia and Brandon Marsh tie the game! pic.twitter.com/3xr8ZIqOFQ

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 28, 2026

“The kind of moment I like,” Garcia said Sunday morning with the same electric smile that, along with his flair for big moments, made him perhaps the most popular Ranger player of the last five seasons. “But I was just trying to help my team win the game.

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“On opening day, I was happy to see them, but we’re on different sides now.”

All weekend, it seemed García kept showing up in key moments against his former team. On Saturday, it was the ninth inning at-bat. On Sunday, the former Gold Glove winner, lost a fly ball in right field that fell for a run-scoring hit. And then he came up with the bases loaded in a key situation when Philadelphia had a chance to get back in the game. He lined out for a sacrifice fly.

For the most part, the Rangers kept him in check, holding him to a 1-for-11 performance with five strikeouts. But they were aware of how dangerous he could be. For five years, they lived it.

“He loves the dramatic moments,” Rangers third baseman Josh Jung said. “On Saturday, I was just saying in my head ‘please get him out.’ Because, you know, that’s just how baseball goes. Those situations will always find you, especially, it seems, against us. ”

García signed a one-year deal worth $10 million with Philadelphia after the Rangers non-tendered him. The Phillies chose García over Nick Castellanos, eventually releasing the latter. They knew they were getting a streaky player, whose offensive abilities may be on the decline, but also expect him to be a defensive upgrade – at least once he gets used to the Citizens Bank Park’s windy early-season conditions. When he dropped the fly ball, the crowd of 38,013 offered him with a round of hearty boos.

That aside, García said he is looking forward to playing for the passionate Philadelphia fans.

“At some point you have to move on,” he said of his departure with the Rangers. “That’s just how baseball is. I’m so happy to come here to Philly. The crowd is really good. It’s exciting to play here. And I feel like already this is a kind of crowd I want to play for every day.”

But, García said, he will remember his time with the Rangers with fondness.

“I miss [the fans],” he said when asked how he’d like to address Rangers fans. “It was really fun. We did some amazing things. I take five years worth of good memories. And I’ll see you next time.”

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