Wyatt Langford homered in his return, but the Rangers fell to the Pirates 6-2 on June 22. See why Langford's power wasn't enough to save Jack Leiter.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a classic 'good news, bad news' day for the Texas Rangers. The good news? Rookie phenom Wyatt Langford announced his return from a brief injury layoff with a towering home run. The bad news? It was one of the few bright spots in a frustrating 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, costing the Rangers a series sweep at PNC Park.
'We have to string some wins together, but I like the fight in this group.' - Bruce Bochy
After missing two games with back spasms, Wyatt Langford didn't waste any time making his presence felt. The rookie outfielder stepped back into the lineup and promptly launched his 14th home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning that served as a powerful reminder of what this offense has been missing. Manager Bruce Bochy expressed pregame caution, but Langford proved ready. 'We wanted to be cautious, but Wyatt felt good in batting practice and was eager to get back out there,' Bochy said. The official team account echoed the sentiment, celebrating that 'Wyatt is back and launching baseballs!'
Langford's heroics aside, the rest of the team couldn't get much going. Starter Jack Leiter (4-5) had a difficult outing, surrendering multiple early runs that put Texas in a hole they couldn't climb out of. The offense, which has been inconsistent, was stifled by Pirates starter Bailey Falter, managing just two runs on the day. Outside of Langford's homer and a multi-hit day from Marcus Semien, the bats were quiet. The bullpen couldn't hold the line, allowing late insurance runs that put the game out of reach and sealed the 6-2 defeat.
The day began with some tough news as first baseman Jake Burger was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique, an injury expected to sideline him for at least two weeks. This opened the door for infielder Justin Foscue, who was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock. Foscue, who was tearing it up with a .298 average and 12 homers, was immediately inserted into the lineup at first base and went 1-for-4. Meanwhile, down on the farm, another prospect is making noise. Pitcher Owen White, the club's No. 4 prospect, was dominant for Round Rock, firing seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. With the big-league rotation showing some cracks, a performance like that certainly gets the front office's attention.
Sunday's loss drops the Rangers to 37-40, keeping them in third place in the AL West. The analytics aren't particularly kind at the moment, with Baseball-Reference pegging their playoff odds at just 21.5%. Still, the clubhouse mentality remains positive. 'Tough loss today, but we keep fighting,' Adolis García wrote on Instagram after the game. 'Proud of this team and ready for the next series.' It's a sentiment echoed by his manager, who knows the challenge ahead but believes in his squad's resilience.
While missing out on a sweep is a definite sting, the Rangers leave Pittsburgh with a series win and a healthy Wyatt Langford back in the fold. The team sits below .500 and knows it has a climb ahead, but the fight is still there. With reinforcements like Justin Foscue now in the majors and Owen White dominating in Triple-A, the pieces are in motion. Now, it's about putting it all together and, as Bochy said, stringing some wins together to get back in the thick of the playoff hunt.
