The Texas Rangers fall 3-2 to the San Diego Padres on July 5, 2025, after a walk-off from Jake Cronenworth. Can the Rangers solve their extra-inning woes?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
If it feels like you've seen this movie before, you're not alone. For the sixth time in their last nine games, the Texas Rangers worked overtime, only to face a familiar, gut-wrenching result. A two-out, walk-off single from the Padres' Jake Cronenworth in the 10th inning sealed a 3-2 victory for San Diego, leaving Rangers fans with that all-too-common feeling of 'so close, yet so far.'
The Rangers have now gone to extra innings six times in their last nine games, losing four of them.
The night started with promise. The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning thanks to a clutch double from Marcus Semien that scored both Josh Smith and Corey Seager. Starter Kumar Rocker looked solid, but a mammoth 440-foot solo shot from Manny Machado in the fourth chipped away at the lead. The Padres managed to tie it up in the sixth after loading the bases, ending Rocker's night after 5.1 innings of two-run ball. The bullpens traded blows until the 10th, when Robert Garcia took the loss after surrendering the game-winning hit to Cronenworth.
One extra-inning game is a battle. Six in nine games is a brutal, season-defining stretch. The Rangers' bullpen is being tested to its absolute limit, and the results are starting to show. While the tenacity to force extras is admirable, the inability to close them out is becoming a critical problem. This loss marks their fourth defeat in these marathon contests, a trend that can quickly derail a team's momentum and tax its pitching staff beyond repair. Finding a way to win these tight games isn't just a wish; it's a necessity.
Amidst the frustration, the team has to turn the page quickly. The series continues Saturday with a chance for redemption. Young right-hander Jack Leiter (4-5, 4.29 ERA) gets the ball, hoping to provide a strong start and give the weary bullpen a much-needed breather. He'll face off against San Diego's Stephen Kolek (3-3, 3.73 ERA). A clean, nine-inning win would be more than just a notch in the standings; it would be a massive psychological boost for a team stuck in a Groundhog Day of extra-inning losses.
The Rangers have a chance to flip the script tomorrow. A strong outing from Leiter and some timely hitting could be the perfect antidote to this stretch of marathon misery. The talent is there, but the execution in crucial, late-game moments needs to arrive, and soon. Here's hoping Saturday brings a decisive victory and a much shorter night of baseball.
