The Rangers fell 7-6 to the Mariners on June 28, 2025, after a heartbreaking 12th-inning play at the plate involving Randy Arozarena was upheld by review.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a game of inches, moments, and ultimately, heartbreak. After battling for 12 grueling innings, the Texas Rangers fell 7-6 to the Seattle Mariners on a razor-thin play at the plate. The roar of the Globe Life Field crowd turned to a collective groan as Randy Arozarena's slide just beat Ezequiel Durán's throw, a call upheld by review, sealing another painful loss to a division rival.
Despite the loss, June has been the Rangers' best month so far in 2025, with a 12-10 record and a +22 run differential.
The extra innings were a roller coaster of emotion. Seattle's Miles Mastrobuoni played the hero twice over, first with a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in the 11th to rob the Rangers of a walk-off, and then with the decisive RBI single in the top of the 12th. That hit sent Arozarena racing home, leading to the dramatic, game-ending play at the plate. For the Rangers and their fans, watching the umpire confirm the 'safe' call after the replay review was a gut punch after such a hard-fought comeback.
What makes the loss sting even more is the fight the Rangers showed to even get to that point. Down 5-1 in the sixth inning, it would have been easy to pack it in. Instead, the offense clawed its way back, chipping away at the lead and eventually tying the game to force extras. It was a display of the grit this team has shown throughout June, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to overcome their Seattle nemesis.
Rookie Kumar Rocker got the start, but this quickly turned into an 'all hands on deck' situation for the pitching staff. The Rangers cycled through eight different arms to navigate the 12-inning affair, a heavy workload that could have ripple effects on the bullpen for the rest of this series and beyond. Shawn Armstrong was the last man on the mound and was tagged with the tough-luck loss (2-3), a frustrating end for a relief corps that battled all night.
Here's the frustrating paradox for Rangers fans: June was, by the numbers, the team's best month of the 2025 season. A 12-10 record and a +22 run differential show a team that's playing good baseball. But that success comes with a massive asterisk. The Rangers are now 1-5 against the Mariners this season. You can't climb the AL West standings if you can't beat the teams ahead of you, and Seattle has proven to be Texas' kryptonite.
As the dust settles on this marathon loss, the Rangers find themselves at 40-42, still searching for answers against the Mariners. The fight and the comeback were admirable, but the result is what lands in the loss column. Heading into the final games of June and the start of July, the mission is clear: shake off this heartbreaker, get the bullpen some much-needed rest, and finally solve the puzzle that is the Seattle Mariners. The season may depend on it.
