Mitch Garver's 12th-inning homer sinks his former team as the Mariners beat the Rangers 6-4 on June 29, 2025. See how Texas's offense faltered again.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It had to be him. In a painful, drawn-out 12-inning affair that felt like a microcosm of the 2025 season, it was former Ranger and World Series hero Mitch Garver who delivered the final, decisive blows. Garver's two-run homer in the top of the 12th sealed a 6-4 victory for the Seattle Mariners, clinching the series and leaving a stunned Globe Life Field crowd to wonder what has happened to their team's once-mighty offense.
The Rangers' lineup, once a strength, now ranks 28th in MLB in average, OBP, and OPS.
Sunday's game was a slow burn of frustration. After trading blows to a 3-3 tie through nine innings, the Rangers just couldn't find the clutch hit they desperately needed. They managed to tie it again at 4-4 in the tenth, but the offense ultimately stranded 11 runners on base. Jack Leiter gave the team a chance with five innings of three-run ball, and while Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford chipped in with RBIs, the lineup's collective inability to deliver in key moments was the story. The game finally ended when Marcus Semien popped out in the bottom of the 12th, a quiet end to a long and disappointing afternoon.
If the loss itself wasn't painful enough, the identity of the executioner was pure salt in the wound. Mitch Garver, a key piece of the 2023 championship puzzle, was a one-man wrecking crew for Seattle. He drove in four of the Mariners' six runs, delivering RBI hits in the sixth and tenth innings before crushing the game-sealing two-run homer in the 12th. Every time Seattle needed a run, it seemed Garver was at the plate, reminding Rangers fans of the clutch hitting their own team now so sorely lacks.
This loss can't be viewed in a vacuum. It's another symptom of a season-long offensive collapse that has become the team's defining weakness. Despite a solid pitching staff, the Rangers' bats have gone silent. The team ranks near the bottom of the league—28th to be exact—in average, on-base percentage, and OPS. Offseason hopes pinned on Joc Pederson and Jake Burger have yet to materialize, and outside of steady production from Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith, the lineup is a black hole. With the team now three games under .500 at 40-43, the front office faces a monumental decision as the trade deadline approaches.
The Rangers are at a crossroads. The magic of 2023 feels like a distant memory, replaced by the harsh reality of a broken offense. With the trade deadline looming, the question is no longer just 'Can they turn it around?' but 'Should they?' The next few weeks will determine whether this team loads up for another improbable run or begins the painful process of selling pieces and looking toward 2026. After another gut-wrenching loss, the latter feels increasingly possible.
