Rangers Take Down Tigers 5-4 In Series Opener

Sometimes in baseball, games feel like a very elongated seesaw ride, and the Texas Rangers series opener against the Detroit Tigers was just that. After watching an early four-run lead evaporate, the Rangers used an eighth-inning RBI double from Alejandro Osuna and some clutch pitching to claim a 5-4 series-opening victory over the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit. Texas was able to get to Tigers starter Jack Flaherty early and often, starting in the first inning with Josh Jung continuing his hot hitting with a two-out RBI single to open the scoring.

In the third, Rangers catcher Danny Jansen drove one into the Tigers' bullpen in left field to make it 2-0. Later that same inning, Jung came through with another RBI single, and Joc Pederson lifted a sac fly to double the Rangers' lead at 4-0. In the fourth, things unraveled for Texas starter MacKenzie Gore, who was unable to complete the inning after allowing three runs.

Gore pitched just 3 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and three runs with three walks and three strikeouts. With Gore’s short outing, the Rangers once again needed their bullpen to cover several innings, and once again, they came through. Cole Winn allowed an earned run in the fifth, which tied the game for the Tigers, but after that, four Rangers relievers combined for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball to secure the victory.

Following Osuna’s go-ahead hit in the eighth inning, Jakob Junis relieved Tyler Alexander and retired all three Tigers he saw, setting up Jacob Latz, who earned his second save of the season. For the second time in as many attempts, Latz came on with the Rangers clinging to a one-run lead and threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn the save. With the win, the Rangers climb back to .