Texas Rangers’ Joc Pederson follows through on a single in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Arlington, Texas, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
ARLINGTON – The first inning on Monday said it all about MacKenzie Gore’s season.
Maybe the Rangers’ season, too.
Gore kept stumbling over opportunities to escape the first inning, even when he had leverage. Just like the Rangers this season every time they seem to tease with the chance of getting to or above .500. Come to think of it, that might describe not just 2026, but last season as well.
Article continues below this ad
And the ending was too similar, too: An offense-deficient, 4-2 loss to Minnesota, a team that entered the game with the fifth-worst record in the AL. It was the 38th time this season the Rangers have scored three or fewer runs in a game, which at least for the moment, put them in a tie for the second most such games.
All of which begs to ask this question that fans have asked in increasing numbers: What exactly is different about this Rangers team than the one that finished at exactly .500 a year ago?
“For the most part, we’ve been a plus run differential team and our record against teams at .500 or better is very solid,” President of Baseball Operations Chris Young said, and this was even before the game. “We’ve really had some letdowns against some teams that struggle record-wise and so it feels like right now I think we’re proving to be a .500 team, but I think we all believe we’re better than that, and the hope is that at some point that materializes.
“It’s a fair question,” he added. “I understand the perspective. But I believe in our makeup. I believe in the group. I believe in the quality of our pitching. I believe that we have a more talented offensive unit than what we have shown, and I think in the last 30 days it’s improved. We have to have help. That is an important aspect of this. Our two main guys, Corey [Seager] and Wyatt [Langford[ are really important for that.
Article continues below this ad
Yeah, about that: Seager is absent again, on the concussion-related IL. Langford, who went 0-for-4 Monday, has a .225/.279/.425/.704 slash line in the 10 games since returning from the IL.
It means so much else must be perfect for the Rangers to have a chance.
Unfortunately, while Gore went seven innings and struck out 10 and had some of the best stuff he’s had this year, according to manager Skip Schumaker, his first inning was anything but perfect.
He began by hanging a 0-2 curveball to the game’s first hitter, Austin Martin, who thanked him with a double into the left field corner. In 0-2 counts, pitchers have extreme leverage; Gore entered the game having allowed hitters a .214 average on 0-2 counts, among the 20 highest batting averages allowed by starters in such a count. It’s been a source of frustration for him all year.
“If you had told me four months ago, this would be the question you asked me, I would have probably laughed, but I think a lot of that has to do with [my] curve,” Gore said of his 0-2 struggles. “I haven’t gotten it to the spot where I can go strike to ball [in the way the pitch travels]. It’s been frustrating.”
Article continues below this ad
He nearly escaped the inning, but walked cleanup hitter Royce Lewis with two outs, then allowed a two-run homer to Dallas’ Josh Bell on another curve to put the Rangers in a 3-0 hole. The kind of hole that is too deep for this offense to dig its way out.
Boos rang out among the crowd of 29,957 at Globe Life Field.
They have seen this act too many times over the last two years.