Aug 9, 2025: Phillies rout Rangers 9-1 as Kyle Schwarber homers, Trea Turner drives in 5, and Brandon Marsh goes 4-for-5. Can Jacob deGrom halt Texas’s skid?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
On a night when Globe Life Field had been a safe haven for nearly two weeks, the Phillies blew the doors open. Philadelphia thumped the Rangers 9-1 on Saturday, riding Kyle Schwarber’s first-inning blast, Brandon Marsh’s four-hit night, and a Trea Turner takeover that included five RBIs and a ninth-inning three-run homer. Texas briefly traded punches early behind a Josh Jung RBI single, but Merrill Kelly’s first home start as a Ranger unraveled on command and the bats never caught up. Now at 60-57 and 5.5 games back of Houston, the Rangers turn to Jacob deGrom in Sunday’s finale to stop a two-game home skid before it starts feeling like more than a blip.
“Five walks told the story tonight. Against a lineup this hot, free bases become crooked numbers.”
The game’s tone was set immediately: Schwarber ambushed the first inning with his 41st home run, a reminder that there’s no warm-up period against this Phillies lineup. Texas answered with a Josh Jung RBI single in the bottom half to momentarily level things, but that was the last time the Rangers truly felt within reach. Brandon Marsh was relentless (4-for-5, solo homer), and Trea Turner delivered the backbreakers—first with a two-run double during a fourth-inning surge, then with a three-run shot in the ninth to bury it. The Rangers mustered just one run and couldn’t string together enough quality at-bats to stress Philadelphia’s pitching. When your opponent is stacking extra-base damage and you’re playing station-to-station, the math rarely works in your favor.
The story within the story was Merrill Kelly’s first home start since the trade. The right-hander looked crisp in flashes, but the misses loomed large: five walks (a season high) and a hit batter across 4 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on five hits, with the fourth inning spiraling after traffic and a Turner two-run double. Kelly’s game is built on precision and sequencing; without consistent strike one, the Phillies were able to sit on spin and hunt fastballs in advantage counts. The fit with Texas still has real upside, but the margin for error against a lineup like Philly’s is razor-thin. Expect the Rangers to lean into Kelly’s changeup usage and early-count aggression in his next turn to keep traffic off the bases.
In a tough box score, Corey Seager’s swing remained loud. He went 2-for-5 and continues to trend up, sitting at .263 with 16 homers and 40 RBIs. When Seager is driving the ball gap-to-gap, the entire lineup lengthens—pitchers can’t dance around the middle. The challenge right now is support. Jung knocked in the lone run in the first, but the Rangers didn’t sustain pressure, and Philly controlled leverage all night. With a lefty on deck Sunday, Texas needs quality swings from its right-handed run producers to capitalize on Seager’s table-setting.
Texas falls to 60-57 (.513), 5.5 games back of the Astros atop the AL West. The Rangers have dropped two straight and are 4-6 in their last 10, a speed bump that has wild card implications as the calendar tightens. It isn’t time for alarm bells, but it is time for clean baseball: limit walks, convert free baserunners, and avoid the one-inning avalanche that has bitten them a few times lately. With an elite arm going Sunday, there’s a clear opportunity to stop the mini-slide and reclaim some home-field momentum.
If you could hand-pick a stopper for a series that’s tilted the wrong way, you’d circle Jacob deGrom. He’s 10-4 with a 2.80 ERA, though he’s been nicked for five runs in each of his last two outings. The mission is straightforward: first-pitch strikes to keep Schwarber and Turner defensive, and efficient outs early to preserve the wipeout stuff for traffic moments. On the other side, lefty Jesús Luzardo (10-5, 4.32) brings power and swing-and-miss. Discipline will be the Rangers’ edge—force him into the zone, hunt mistakes, and let the ball travel. A fast start matters here; play with a lead and let deGrom dictate the script. Series on the line. Tone-setter for the homestand.
This one stung, not because of one play, but because the Phillies landed repeated heavy shots and Texas never answered. The Rangers still have a chance to split the set, stabilize the rotation’s vibe with deGrom, and keep the standings from tightening further. Win Sunday, reset the home rhythm, and turn the page quickly—August won’t wait for anyone.
