Back-to-Back Statement Wins: The Rangers Take Game Two of the 2026 Series
The Texas Rangers’ offense stormed Rogers Centre early yet again in back-to-back games to take an early lead and never look back, winning 5-4. For the Rangers, ‘Big Game Nate’ Nathan Eovaldi took the mound and had a great day, and the Blue Jays started Patrick Corbin, and he had a day he’d rather forget. Corbin’s day ended in the fifth inning as he had allowed seven hits and five runs in 94 pitches. For Eovaldi, it’s great to see him back to his all-star form as he went the distance, pitching seven full innings, only allowing five hits and no runs, and punching out nine hitters. For tomorrow, Toronto has former San Diego Padre Dylan Cease on the mound for them, hoping to simmer down the hot bats of the early-game production from the Rangers. For the Rangers, with the injury to Jack Leiter throwing a wrench in the lineup, Cal Quantrill will start on the mound. Game Three of this four-game series will be tomorrow, June 27th, at 2:07 PM CT.
Early Runs are the Solution
It’s no surprise that the Rangers have had their ups and downs this season when it comes to their offense. Still, the last two games against their American League rivals have proven that this offense can come alive at any given moment, and they showed out yet again in game two of this four-game series. It all started with Wyatt Langford, yet again finding a way to get on base, and the veteran outfielder Brandon Nimmo golfed an 82 MPH double to right field. Then, the Rangers' 2020 first-round pick Justin Foscue drove in Josh Jung with a single to left to make the lead 2-0. It was like dominoes falling as Ezequiel Duran got the third hit of the first inning on a single lined to right field to get Nimmo across home plate. Corbin had continued to work long innings, but on the 66th pitch in the top of the third, the 27-year-old Foscue seemingly forgot about his batter blues from last season and the season before that, and has been an extremely productive bench player for the Rangers this season, and was able to get a hold of one and towered a two-run home run to left field to extend the lead 5-0. Just like yesterday, the Rangers got early runs against the Blue Jays and held on to the lead to end the day with a W. Even though the Blue Jays mustered up some late-game heroics, the team from Texas prevailed.
Junis and Latz Can’t Be the Only Answer
Jakob Junis and Jake Latz have been the Rangers’ go-to arms in the bullpen to secure a win or get some productive innings in relief, but it seems they’ve been overworked recently, and it’s starting to show. Junis had a great outing in Game One of the series, throwing fewer than 20 pitches to retire the side in his inning of relief, but Game Two was the complete opposite. He couldn’t finish a full inning as he was ambushed, allowing three hits, which amounted to two earned runs, and allowing a home run to Kazuma Okamoto. Junis has already appeared in 30 games this season and pitched over 33 innings. He may be due for a day off or two, in all fairness. Jake Latz has been sensational this season, as he’s somewhat seen as the Rangers' secret weapon in that bullpen. He can either be a long reliever or a closer for any team, but he’s been used just a little more than Junis, as he’s appeared in 31 games this season, and carries a rather impressive 1.85 ERA. Pitching on back-to-back nights is already tough as it is, and sooner rather than later, one of these guys is going to be called up to pitch on an exhausted arm, and it’s not going to go in the Rangers’ favor. Some names that can be called upon are Peyton Gray, who was actually warming up before Junis was able to claw himself back out of the hole he was in, Quantrill, the starting pitcher-turned reliever, and Tyler Alexander when he’s not pitching the first inning of a Kumar Rocker start.
