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Texas Rangers’ Josh Jung hits an RBI single to drive in the go-ahead run off Colorado Rockies pitcher Juan Mejia in the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n
David Zalubowski\/AP Photo\/David Zalubowski<\/p>\n
DENVER\u00a0\u2014 The defense-averse designated hitter was in a slick right field partly because the starter lost a negotiation, the manager made an ambitious, offense-first play, two left-handed hitters rose to the occasion and two doses of catcher chaos extended the affair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe go through a bunch of scenarios before the game,\u201d Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. \u201cThat was not one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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This, however, for a National League-bred manager<\/a>\u00a0in the National League\u2019s wackiest ballpark, might\u2019ve been.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThirteen guys were used today and it took all of us,\u201d third baseman Josh Jung said. \u201cIt was awesome to see.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019d need to see it to believe it anyway.<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Rangers<\/a>, in a 5-4 win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field Wednesday afternoon, needed every last position player and then some to execute a ninth-inning rally and escape with a series win. Jung drove in the go-ahead run with a one-out single, left-handed pitcher Jacob Latz earned the win, though the confluence of events that led to both couldn\u2019t have been scripted.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n No, seriously, even the mastermind behind it all adamantly joked that \u201cthat\u2019s not how I\u00a0drew it up\u201d in his postgame debrief.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Rockies, if anything, had it drawn up well. They\u00a0brought left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino on in the top of the ninth inning to face at least two hitters\u00a0\u2014 center fielder Evan Carter and designated hitter Joc Pederson\u00a0\u2014 who\u2019ve combined for all of one hit against southpaws this season. Schumaker, a fan of tactical substitutions, had depleted nearly his entire bench in the game\u2019s first eight innings and was devoid of substitutes who could play the outfield after right fielder Brandon\u00a0Nimmo exited with hamstring tightness<\/a> when he conceded an argument\u00a0to remain in.\u00a0<\/p>\n Schumaker\u2019s only reserve left to\u00a0use was catcher Danny Jansen. He chose to pinch hit Jansen for Carter, the first hitter that frame, because \u201cthe leadoff batter is the most important hitter.\u201d It also triggered a potential\u00a0defensive pinch if the Rangers tied the game or took the lead in which Pederson, effectively a designated hitter only at this stage of his\u00a0career,\u00a0would need to play the outfield in the bottom half of the inning at a rainy stadium where balls tend to fly.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou worry about defense after you tie or win the game,\u201d Schumaker said. \u201cWe knew Joc was going to have to go to right if we tied it or won it, but that was a chance we were willing to take, and we had to worry about that after we scored the runs.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Jansen struck out before Pederson worked a five-pitch at-bat and reached base on a catcher\u2019s interference call. He advanced on a single from second baseman Justin Foscue<\/a>, his seventh hit of the series, took third on an infield hit from left fielder Alejandro\u00a0Osuna, who\u2019d had only one against a southpaw all season prior, and chased Bernardino from the contest.\u00a0The\u00a0Rockies brought on right-handed pitcher Juan\u00a0Mejia to face\u00a0 Jung with the bases loaded, but when his fastball bounced off\u00a0 catcher Brett Sullivan and into the grass behind home plate, Pederson sprinted in and tied the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI thought our best chance was potentially to get [Jansen] on base,\u201d Schumaker said. \u201cI knew Joc was going to fight his way on somehow. I didn\u2019t have the catcher’s interference on my list of things that could potentially happen. That\u2019s what we needed to happen. Something crazy always happens at Coors Field. That wasn\u2019t one of them, I didn\u2019t think, but it\u2019s the start that we needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Jung, four pitches after the passed ball, reached for Mejia\u2019s sweeper and slapped it into left field to score Foscue and give the Rangers a lead.<\/p>\n \u201cI just spread out and tried to touch it,\u201d Jung said, \u201cand just battle.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n