ARLINGTON, Texas - The Reds broke the Rangers' hearts in their 2026 home opener, with a 2-run home run in the 9th inning proving to be the difference in a 5-3 loss.
Mackenzie Gore's solid start
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 03: MacKenzie Gore #1 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/MLB Photos via Getty …
Rangers starting pitcher Mackenzie Gore had a solid home debut with the club, pitching six innings and striking out nine batters.
He gave up three runs, all on home runs by the Reds' Spencer Steer and Elly de la Cruz.
Mixed results for the offense
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 03: Evan Carter #32 and Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers celebrate with teammates after scoring in the second inning during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, April 3, 202 …
The Rangers' offense had eight hits on the afternoon. Catcher Danny Jansen had a 2-RBI double in the 2nd inning, and Wyatt Langford tied the game in the 7th inning with an RBI double that drove in Brandon Nimmo.
Langford and Nimmo both hit triples earlier in the game. Evan Carter and Jake Burger chipped in doubles, while Corey Seager went hitless.
The team left seven runners on base, and went 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
Reds go ahead late
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 03: Eugenio Suárez #28 of the Cincinnati Reds greets Spencer Steer #7 at the plate after Steer's home run in the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 03, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ric …
The game was tied 3-3 going into the top of the 9th inning, but the Reds quickly broke that tie.
Reds outfielder Tyler Stephenson hit a 2-run home run off of Rangers reliever Chris Martin that proved to be the margin of defeat. It was the Reds' third home run of the game.
The loss drops the Rangers to 4-3 on the season.
Home opener festivities
Dig deeper:
Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, who won a gold medal with the U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team, threw out the ceremonial first pitch for Friday's game.
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 03: Jake Oettinger throws the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/MLB Photos via Ge …
The 2026 home opener also marked FOX 4 sports anchor Mike Doocy's 30th Rangers Opening Day. At least he thinks so.
Bon Appetite:
Friday was the first day Rangers fans could try out the new menu items at Globe Life Field.
Rangers offer 9th Inning Rally Sombrero among new menu items at Globe Life Field
A tenderloin sandwich, hot dogs with biscuits & gravy and a rally sombrero are just some of the new items fans can enjoy at a Rangers game this season.
The 9th Inning Rally Sombrero got plenty of buzz after it was revealed. It's a gigantic nine-layer dip shaped into a cowboy hat that includes beans, guacamole, jalapeños and more.
Other memorable new options include the Pig Kahuna, a pork sandwich topped with pineapples and peanut butter sauce, and the Hawwt Dawwg Biscuits & Gravy, where deep-fried hot dogs are served with biscuits and gravy.
The backstory:
The Rangers lost their home opener by the same score they lost their first game of the 2026 season.
Rangers comeback attempt falls short in 5-3 Opening Day loss to Phillies
A late comeback attempt fell short as the Rangers lost their first game of the 2026 season to the Phillies.
Texas fell to the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day by a final score of 5-3. Their offense was quiet for most of the day before mounting a late comeback attempt.
However, the Rangers played well on their six-game road trip to open the season. They went 4-2 on the road, winning both their opening series against the Phillies and their second series against the Orioles.
The Source: Information in this story comes from MLB.com and previous FOX 4 coverage.