By admin 
ARLINGTON, Texas – It’s too deep into the regular season for the Texas Rangers to meaningfully improve their run-down pitching staff, but at the very least, they can offer it a sound defense to work alongside.
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Well, theoretically, at least.
The Rangers lost 6-3 vs. the New York Mets at Globe Life Field Tuesday night in a game littered with costly defensive miscues. It dropped them back under .500 at 78-79 and cut their AL West lead to a half-of-a-game over the Houston Astros with five games left to play in the regular season. The Astros could re-take first place if they win their series opener against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park Tuesday night.
“They’re really good [defensively], they play fundamentally sound, they’ve been playing fundamentally sound baseball,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “We made a couple of miscues tonight, it cost us, and that’s part of the reason why we lost.”
Rangers right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi – in his third relief appearance of the homestand as he continues to pitch out of the bullpen – was tagged for three runs in a sixth inning that flipped the game. He was handed a one-run lead by left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore after five innings, but allowed two doubles, a single and a walk that scored three runs thanks in part to suspect defense behind him.
The first two runs scored on designated hitter Francisco Alvarez’ double into left-center field. The second of those two runners that scored was second baseman Marcus Semien, who reached on a fielder’s choice groundout in the previous at-bat when third baseman Josh Jung fielded his ground ball, tagged the bag for one out but made an errant throw to first base. The third run scored when catcher Luis Torrens hit a pop fly into foul territory that first baseman Jake Burger caught, double-pumped and failed to throw home quick enough before Alvarez scored from third base.
“I just lost my grip on the ball,” Burger said. “It can’t happen.”
The Mets scored again in the top of the seventh inning when first baseman Brett Baty scored from first base on right fielder Carson Benge’s double off of left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia.
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Gore navigated the decrease in his velocity and the decrease in his defense’s aptitude in a start that was one frame shy of quality. Gore allowed two runs – only one of which was earned – despite the fact that his four-seam fastball ran anywhere from one to two miles per hour slower than usual. He left his previous start vs. the Boston Red Sox with muscle spasms, checked all necessary medical boxes over the weekend and even remained in the game after a third-inning mound visit from the training staff.
It was the defenders behind Gore, not his health, that ultimately caused the most damage. The 27-year-old allowed one run in the third inning when Alvarez scored on left fielder Juan Soto’s single up the middle that neither shortstop Corey Seager or second baseman Justin Foscue were able to corral. He allowed another run in the fourth when Benge scored after center fielder Ezequiel Duran and right fielder Brandon Nimmo nearly collided while in pursuit of a fly ball hit by Alvarez.
The ball landed in-and-out of Nimmo’s glove before it hit the grass.
“I think Zeke, maybe, was running it down, had a beat on it and might’ve called it a little too late,” Schumaker said. “I think there was just a miscommunication there.”
The Rangers scored once in the third inning (on third baseman Josh Jung’s double vs. left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea) and twice in the fourth (on consecutive sacrifice flies with the bases loaded from catcher Elías Díaz and left fielder Wyatt Langford). Their 1 for 8 line with runners in scoring position didn’t help.
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Neither did their defense.
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This story was originally published September 22, 2026 at 9:17 PM.