Texas Rangers news: A crushing collapse, a homer wasted, and history made elsewhere

The Texas Rangers looked like they were going to have a breakout against the Evil Empire on Wednesday night. After two home runs by Jake Burger and Sam Hagarty, Bruce Bochy’s squad took a 3-1 lead late in the game.

Unfortunately, the Rangers' bullpen wasted yet another great start by Jacob DeGrom and couldn’t hold the lead. Luke Jackson allowed a game-tying single to Aaron Judge in the 8th and then a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 9th to Jasson Dominguez, going home with a 4-3 defeat.

With Thursday’s game very much in danger due to inclement weather, it’s possible that the Texas Rangers just got swept. They will hope to get to play and salvage a win in the series starting at 11:30 a.m. 

Double smashburger wasted by the Texas Rangers

Among the real downers in the loss is that Bochy’s squad wasted what was Jake Burger’s sixth two-home run game of his career. The first baseman has been on fire since being recalled from Round Rock and is finally starting to look like the slugger they thought they acquired in the offseason.

The question now is whether his power surge will be too little, too late for a Rangers team that once again looks out of answers. There’s still plenty of time in the season, but the losses that should have been wins are starting to pile up.

Slammin’ Sam Haggerty leaves the yard

If wasting two homers by Burger wasn’t bad enough, then wasting the ultra rare home run by Sam Haggerty was certainly adding insult to injury. Haggerty has been just okey doke since being recalled from Round Rock, but he had a decent night on Wednesday.

His homer put the Rangers up 3-1 and it felt like that was just a cushion. By losing, it means the team wasted what was his first home run against a right handed pitcher since 2022.

Corey Seager’s record falls

A rookie record set by then-Dodger shortstop Corey Seager back in 2015 was tied by another Dodgers' infielder, Hyeseong Kim late last week.  

Kim reached base in nine consecutive plate appearances last week. The streak began on Wednesday, May 14, against the A's when he singled off Gunnar Hoglund and ended Friday, May 16, after grounding out in the bottom of the eighth. 

Maybe some day, he’ll be a World Series hero for the Texas Rangers and really follow in Corey Seager’s footsteps.