Rangers comeback attempt falls short in 5-3 Opening Day loss to Phillies
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 26: The Texas Rangers stand on the line for introductions on Opening Day against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on March 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - The Rangers lost 5-3 to the Phillies in their first game of the 2026 season.
Texas offense stymied
Texas mustered was quiet for most of the afternoon, scoring their only runs on the day in the 9th inning courtesy of a Jake Burger 2-run home run and a Danny Jansen RBI single.
Burger had three hits on the day, while Corey Seager had two singles.
Andrew McCutchen doubled in his Rangers debut, while Brandon Nimmo was held hitless in his debut.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 26: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers pitches in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park on March 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/
Rough start for Eovaldi
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi, making his third consecutive Opening Day start for Texas, allowed five runs in 4 and 2/3 innings, striking out seven.
All five runs came on two home runs, a 2-run shot from Kyle Schwarber in the 1st and a 3-run homer from Alec Bohm in the 5th.
Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez shut the Rangers’ offense down with 10 strikeouts in six scoreless innings.
A bright spot for Texas was rookie Carter Baumler making his Major League debut out of the bullpen. He struck out former Ranger Adolis Garcia in a scoreless appearance.
What's next:
The Rangers are off Friday and will resume their series against the Phillies on Saturday and Sunday.
They’ll play three games on the road against the Baltimore Orioles next week before playing their home opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, April 3.
The Source: Information in this story came from MLB.com.