Texas Rangers’ home-opening loss has familiar feel to it
Tyler Stephenson smashed a two-run homer in the ninth inning against Chris Martin to lift the Reds to a 5-3 victory and spoil the Texas Rangers' 2026 home opener (Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images). The Texas Rangers lost their home opener for a second consecutive season, and both losses were eerily similar in how they played out. ARLINGTON — A winning road trip to open season created optimism that the 2026 Texas Rangers are going to be different.
The brand so far had been good offense, a good vibes and solid starting pitching. That’s what the sellout crowd at Globe Life Field was hoping to see that Friday in the home opener. What they didn’t want to see is the continued bullpen issues and missed opportunities that plagued the team in 2025.
And it plagued the Rangers right from the home opener. So if the Rangers’ 5-3 loss Friday felt familiar, it was. Chris Martin allowed a two-run homer in the ninth inning to break a 3-3 tie, and the Rangers’ offense didn’t cash in on an opportunity in the sixth inning that led to their demise against the Reds.
“Obviously, you want to win on the home opener,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “I thought the fight was great in the second inning, two outs, nobody on, fighting back and tying the game, and then tying it again late. We gave it up in the ninth.
” In the 2025 home opener, which doubled as the season opener, Luke Jackson surrendered a three-run homer in the ninth inning that led to a 5-2 Red Sox victory. Nathan Eovaldi pitched well enough in that game for the Rangers to win it, and MacKenzie Gore did that Friday. Making his first home start with the Rangers, Gore struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter over six innings.