Rangers flip script on season-long weaknesses in series-clinching win over Guardians
The Dallas Morning News

Rangers flip script on season-long weaknesses in series-clinching win over Guardians

Shawn McFarland, The Dallas Morning News | June 7, 2026

ARLINGTON, Texas — There was a two-for-one special at Globe Life Field Sunday afternoon, and if the Texas Rangers could've advertised it on a flier, it might've gone like this. Overcome one weakness, vanquish another for free. The Rangers, in a 10-0 win vs. the Cleveland Guardians, pummeled a left-handed pitcher in a way that they haven't yet this year and drilled home runs at a ballpark where ...

Elias Diaz and Luis Curvelo of the Texas Rangers celebrate after a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on June 7, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.

John E. Moore III/Getty Images North America/TNS


ARLINGTON, Texas — There was a two-for-one special at Globe Life Field Sunday afternoon, and if the Texas Rangers could've advertised it on a flier, it might've gone like this.

Overcome one weakness, vanquish another for free.

The Rangers, in a 10-0 win vs. the Cleveland Guardians, pummeled a left-handed pitcher in a way that they haven't yet this year and drilled home runs at a ballpark where those type of hits have been few and far between this season. It clinched a third consecutive series win for the first time this season and pulled them to within a game-and-a-half of the first-place Seattle Mariners in the American League West division.

They scored twice in the first inning, courtesy of second baseman Justin Foscue's two-run home run off of Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo, and kick started a successful formula in which the Rangers are 24-5 this season when they score first in games. They scored four times in the third thanks to third baseman Josh Jung's solo home run, a two-run double from shortstop Ezequiel Duran and a single from first baseman Jake Burger. They tacked on another run in the fourth when left fielder Wyatt Langford hit his first home run since he returned from the injured list. They scored off of another left-handed pitcher in the sixth when, after Will Dion replaced Cantillo, center fielder Michael Helman pulled the club's fourth home run of the game over the left-field wall.

"We didn't chase as much tonight," Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. "I thought our game plan was really good. We weren't in between, we didn't go back and forth, because sometimes we get in between with the fastball and changeup with the lefties. He had a really good changeup, but we got it where we wanted it to start, and we were able to put good swings on it."

The Rangers were a bottom-five offense vs. left-handed pitchers this season per most major metrics with a .213 batting average (second-worst league wide), a 26.7% strikeout percentage (third-worst league wide) and a .643 OPS (fourth-lowest league wide) prior to Sunday's win. Southpaw starters had a 3.65 ERA in 13 previous starts against the Rangers this season, and of those, only two allowed more than three earned runs. They had hit 12 total home runs against lefty starters this season before they clubbed a third of that total in Sunday's win. The emergence of Foscue (1.268 OPS vs. lefties this season), the continued run from Duran (.868 OPS vs. lefties this season) and the return of Langford (.817 OPS vs. lefties in his career) give the Rangers better collective length against the variety of pitchers they've struggled against.

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Josh Jung of the Texas Rangers hits a home run during the third inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on June 7, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.

John E. Moore III/Getty Images North America/TNS


"I think, as a whole, we've been having really good at-bats as of late," Foscue said. "We're trying to keep that confidence going into each game every day, trying to get better every day, so I would just say everybody has been doing a good job lately [against] lefties and righties."

Especially at Globe Life Field which, for the better part of two-and-a-half seasons, has been a hurdle they've needed to clear. Sunday's win marked the first time that Rangers have hit four home runs in a home game this season. They hit only 13 in their first 21 games at Globe Life Field this season, but in their last three home series, they've hit 16 total. They've averaged nearly two more runs per game at home since May 25 than they did the rest of the season prior, and in that two-week stretch, they've recorded their four highest-scoring home games.

The Rangers countered the pitcher's-park-phenomona with a commitment to small-ball in their previous series win vs. the Kansas City Royals, but vs. the Guardians, both games were won because of extra base hits and home runs.

"The ball is starting to fly better," Jung said. "That's awesome. If you do that often, runs start scoring, and things start adding up, good things happen."

Jung shrugged when asked if he has any theories as to why batted balls have traveled better lately.

"It's above my pay grade," Jung said. "I'll take it all day."

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