The Rangers' home win streak ends at eight as Paul Goldschmidt's late homer gives the Yankees a 3-2 win on Aug 7. Ezequiel Duran starred in the loss.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
All good things must come to an end. For the Texas Rangers, that meant their sizzling eight-game home winning streak, which was extinguished Wednesday in a tense 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees. A seventh-inning pinch-hit solo shot by Paul Goldschmidt was the difference-maker, leaving a sold-out Globe Life Field disappointed and the Rangers looking up in a crowded playoff picture.
This marks the third consecutive appearance in which reliever Robert Garcia has allowed a home run, a troubling trend for a key bullpen arm.
It was a nail-biter from the start, a game that felt destined to be decided by a single swing. And it was. Rookie Jack Leiter battled through command issues, walking four but managing to limit the damage to just one earned run over 3 1/3 innings. The offense, meanwhile, found its spark from an unlikely source. No. 9 hitter Ezequiel Duran was a one-man wrecking crew, accounting for both Rangers runs with his three hits. He scored on a Sam Haggerty single in the third and a Marcus Semien sac fly in the fifth. But the Yankees bullpen was just a little bit better, with David Bednar striking out five to slam the door, including a crucial K of Adolis García with the tying run on base in the ninth.
While the loss stings, you can't overlook the performance of Ezequiel Duran. Going 3-for-4 and scoring both runs from the bottom of the order is exactly the kind of production that wins games in the dog days of August. Unfortunately, his heroics were overshadowed by some concerning pitching trends. Jack Leiter's high pitch count (73 in 3.1 IP) and four walks show he's still refining his command at the big-league level. More alarmingly, lefty reliever Robert Garcia (1-7) was tagged with the loss after surrendering the go-ahead homer to Goldschmidt. It was the third straight appearance he's given up a long ball, a major red flag for a pitcher the team relies on in high-leverage spots.
Let's not panic, but let's be realistic. The loss drops the Rangers to 60-56 on the season. They remain 4.5 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West and are now neck-and-neck with these same Yankees for the final AL Wild Card spot. Every game, every series from here on out is magnified. Dropping a series finale at home hurts, especially when a sweep was on the table. The margin for error is shrinking, and the team needs to find consistency on the mound to support an offense that can clearly compete.
The Rangers get a much-needed off day on Thursday to lick their wounds and reset before another massive test. The NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies come to town this weekend for what promises to be a challenging series. It's time to put this tough loss in the rearview, tighten up the pitching, and get ready to defend home turf once again. The playoff dream is still very much alive, but the path is only getting tougher.
