Rangers Win Over Detroit
ARLINGTON — After a four-day sabbatical, the Rangers kicked off the second half of the season Friday with the same kind of game they lost over and over in the first half.
Only difference this time: They won.
Yes, they squandered chances. Yes, they piled up the strikeouts. Yes, they once again managed fewer than five hits. And when it was all over, after Corey Seager’s sinking eighth-inning liner shot to the wall in right to score a kid making his major league debut, the Rangers had a 2-0 win over Detroit. Otherwise known as the team with the best record in the American League.
Rangers
Getting Back to .500
Sure, it was too reminiscent of so many first-half losses. Right up until it wasn’t. And it’s why the Rangers are somewhere they haven’t been in a month — at .500. They’d had seven previous chances to get back to even in the last month and lost them all. Want to be a contender? Gotta start somewhere. Even is as good a place as any. The next step, obviously, is a winning record, which the Rangers haven’t had since May 20. They can get back there with another win Saturday.
“We’ve had enough shots, so it’s good, you know,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “I guess we broke a barrier there, but it’s not what we’re here for. Still, it’s good to get back to that threshold. You’ve got to get to .500 before you get over it. So, it’s good for those guys. They are doing some good things offensively. We didn’t score a lot of runs today, but these guys should feel good about it.”
Texas Rangers pitcher Robert Garcia celebrates after striking out Detroit Tigers’ Jake Rogers to win a baseball game on Friday, July 18, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)(Sam Hodde / AP)
Scoring Late
It does continue a trend that points in the right direction for the Rangers. They’ve found ways to finally score late. The Rangers have still scored the fewest runs in baseball from the seventh inning on (107), but they’ve scored at least one run in the seventh or later in each of their last eight games. The 15 runs they’ve scored in the seventh or later in that stretch account for 14% of the season total.
Previous Chances
The first seven innings had looked all too familiar for the Rangers. When they were given a great opportunity by the Tigers on a missed tag in the baselines and a throwing error in the third, giving them runners on the corners and one out, Josh Smith swung at a 3-0 pitch at the top of the zone for a pop-up. The inning died on a Seager strikeout.
In the sixth, after a leadoff double by Jonah Heim and a successful bunt by Smith, Seager struck out with the runner on third and Marcus Semien flied out to center.
It set the stage for another potentially deflating loss in which a Rangers’ starter had a scoreless outing only to see the team fall. It had already happened three times this season.
Turning Point
Instead, things changed. Kyle Higashioka, who had half the Rangers’ hits on the night, doubled with one out and was immediately replaced by Cody Freeman, who had been called away from a blackjack table in Las Vegas around noon Friday, where he was with his family ahead of Triple-A Round Rock’s series there, to pinch run. After Jonah Heim grounded to first, moving Freeman to third, Smith walked.
It seemed like reliever Tommy Kahnle was prepared to walk Seager, too, to set up a right-on-right matchup with Semien, falling behind 3-1 with one pitch after another looking less competitive. But he threw his fifth consecutive changeup of the at-bat and it caught the bottom third and the barrel of Seager’s bat.
Manager’s Comments
“A lot of these got away from us, so it’s good to win one like this late in the ball game,” Bochy said. “We got that timely hit. More than anything, they’re just putting together more quality at-bats. They’re not trying to slug or do too much. They’re using the whole field. We’re doing a good job putting it in play and things like that. And it’s all about grinding out at-bats and taking what they give you.”
And that may best describe the biggest difference in the Rangers at the moment. All season, they’ve been offered opportunities. Now, they are finally starting to accept them.
Conclusion
The Rangers’ win over Detroit is a significant step forward for the team. They have been struggling to score runs and have had limited success in the second half of the season. However, their recent performance suggests that they are starting to turn things around. With their newfound ability to score late and capitalize on opportunities, the Rangers may be able to make a push for a winning record and potentially even a playoff spot.
FAQs
Q: What was the final score of the game between the Rangers and Detroit?
A: The final score was 2-0 in favor of the Rangers.
Q: Who made their major league debut in the game?
A: Cody Freeman made his major league debut in the game.
Q: What is the Rangers’ current record?
A: The Rangers are currently at .500.
Q: Who is the manager of the Rangers?
A: Bruce Bochy is the manager of the Rangers.
Q: What is the significance of the Rangers’ win over Detroit?
A: The win is significant because it marks a turning point for the Rangers, who have been struggling to score runs and have had limited success in the second half of the season. The win suggests that the team is starting to turn things around and may be able to make a push for a winning record and potentially even a playoff spot.
