Is Jake Burger back? Rangers 1B leads walk-off win after spending weekend on the bench
Burger provided most of the Rangers' offense in their comeback win over Arizona as he breaks out of a ghastly slump.
Texas Rangers Ezequiel Duran (left), Jake Burger (21) and Josh Jung (6) mob Danny Jansen (9) after Jansen hit a walk-off single to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington, May 12, 2026. The Rangers won 6-5 over the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News) ARLINGTON — Rangers manager Skip Schumaker believed that first baseman Jake Burger was only "a hit or two away from getting extremely hot and carrying a team" when he benched their once-cleanup hitter amid a ghastly slump this weekend.
A hit, or two, might've been dead on. Burger, in a 6-5 walk-off win vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field, hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth inning and a game-tying single in the ninth inning to plate half of the club's runs in a game-tying win.
His ninth-inning single off Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Paul Sewald set catcher Danny Jansen up for a walk-off single in the next at-bat. "We need him," Schumaker said of Burger. "Middle of the lineup, bottom of the lineup lately, and he's provided some huge runs and runs batted in.
" Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen (9) is congratulated on his walk-off single by winning pitcher Cal Quantrill (44) during the bottom of the ninth inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington, May 12, 2026. The Rangers walked it off with a 6-5 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News) The Rangers needed a rally after their usually reliable bullpen had an uncharacteristic night.