Simply offensive: Rangers 8, Phillies 3
That weekend could have gone better
Mar 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts after striking out against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Baseball seems to have the longest offseason around. If you have a team that you follow that isn’t in the playoffs (or gets bounced from the playoffs quickly), it feels like forever until Opening Day.
That wait brings hope, promise and hype that this will be the season a championship parade is the endgame. Opening Day brings pomp and circumstance, games are finally played and…. …you get this performance from the Phillies.
Outside of a masterful six innings by Cristopher Sanchez, the Phillies looked rather lackluster against the Rangers. Sure, their comeback Saturday in the ninth inning was somewhat memorable, but what the offensive decided to do (better yet, not do) left a sour taste in the mouths of many. Sunday’s game got out of hand rather quickly.
The game was scoreless to begin, Jesus Luzardo on the mound for the Phillies, Mackenzie Gore opposing him for the Rangers. Both traded scoreless innings to start, but in the third, Texas got going. A one out single by Sam Haggerty was brought around on a home run by Brandon Nimmo to give the Rangers the lead.