PHILADELPHIA — Three years ago, months before they rattled off a historic postseason run, the Texas Rangers erased a five-run deficit vs. the Philadelphia Phillies in their season opener.
There was another five-run deficit against the Phillies Thursday, in this year’s season opener at Citizens Bank Park, but this time around the rally wasn’t seismic enough to catch up.
They’ll now hope the correlation between how a season starts and how it ends was only a one-year thing.
Here are five thoughts from the Rangers’ 5-3 opening day loss.
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Phillies pounce early: The tell-tale signs of a usual Nathan Eovaldi start were there. The right-hander’s signature splitter, a pitch he worked all spring to finetune, elicited eight swings and misses and didn’t cause him much trouble. He threw strikes, didn’t walk a single batter and largely limited mistakes.
The Phillies pounced on the few that he did allow, though, and tagged him for five earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hit Eovaldi’s fifth pitch of the game — a curveball on the opposite side of the plate — for a two-run home run in the first inning after shortstop Trae Turner reached on an infield single.
In the fifth, after Eovaldi had struck out consecutive batters with two runners on, third baseman Alec Bohm swatted a meaty cutter into right field for an opposite-field three-run home run that gave the Phillies a 5-0 lead. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker replaced Eovaldi with left-hander Jalen Beeks after Bohm’s blast.
“They were mistake pitches,” Eovaldi said of the two home runs. “Frustrating, but at the end of the day, I felt like I was able to make some adjustments mid-game. The splitter felt really good and the fastball location felt good too.”
Eovaldi threw 55 of his 80 pitches for strikes and, outside of the two frames that yielded home runs, was largely effective. He worked around a two-out single for a scoreless second, retired the side in order in the third and struck out three batters in the fourth before trouble brewed in the fifth.
The 36-year-old had never allowed more than three earned runs in any of his five previous opening day starts. He’d allowed two in each of the season openers that he’s started with the Rangers.
Sanchez looks the part: Early Thursday afternoon, some two hours before first pitch, Schumaker explained that outfielder Evan Carter will start against left-handed pitchers this season.
Just maybe not the game’s best.
“Philly has some tough lefties,” Schumacher said. “I mean, some tough ones.”
Their toughest looked the part. Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez struck out 10 batters and allowed three hits in six shutout innings vs. the Rangers. Sanchez, 29, finished second in the National League Cy Young award race last season to Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes.
“I’m not sure anybody was going to do much today against Sanchez,” Schumaker said postgame. “He was that good.”
Philadelphia Phillies stating pitcher Cristopher Sanchez reacts to the final out of the top of the sixth inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Chris Szagola / AP
The Rangers were shut out through eight innings until first baseman Jake Burger, who finished a team-best 3 for 4, hit a two-run home run off of Phillies left-hander Kyle Backhus in the top of the ninth, scoring Corey Seager (2 for 4). They scored again in the ninth when catcher Danny Jansen drove in pinch hitter Kyle Higashioka with a single off Phillies right-handed closer Jhoan Duran.
Carter, representing the tying run, pinch hit with two outs in the ninth. He grounded out to end the game.
Seager and Burger singled in the first inning before the Rangers went 0 for 9 in their next nine at-bats. Left fielder Andrew McCutchen hit a 103.9 mph double to center field. That was the last hit that the Rangers recorded against Sanchez.
They were relatively disciplined in their at-bats early but began to expand late. Sanchez struck out the side in his sixth and final inning. Center fielder Wyatt Langford struck out on a well-inside sinker for the second out and Seager chased a low changeup for the third.
The Rangers walked more times than any team leaguewide in spring training but didn’t once against Sanchez and only worked five three-ball counts. To work walks, though, a pitcher needs to either spray the ball or be given a reason to not attack inside the strike zone. Sanchez didn’t have trouble with either. The Rangers did.
“It was a challenging day overall,” Schumaker said, “but I think we’re going to be okay.”
El Bombi reunion: Former Rangers right fielder Adolis García started in right field and hit sixth for the Phillies in Thursday’s opener. The 33-year-old was non-tendered by the Rangers last fall after six seasons that included two All-Star game trips, a Gold Glove award and the ALCS MVP honor three years ago. He was introduced to Phillies fans Thursday as part of opening day festivities and received a warm welcome from his new home crowd.
García went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his Phillies debut. Eovaldi struck him out on a curveball, and rookie right-hander Carter Baumler froze him with a 95.7 mph fastball in the eighth as part of his big league debut.
No one played with their new toy: The Rangers didn’t employ the automatic balls and strikes system at the plate or on the mound. Schumaker acknowledged pregame that he’d prefer to see his players hold onto their challenges for late-game or high-leverage scenarios, though Thursday, the deficit somewhat nullified those opportunities.
The Rangers were one of the least effective teams in baseball with the ABS challenge system in spring training.
The Phillies finished 0 for 1 on challenges. Phillies reliever Zach Pop challenged a called ball in an eighth-inning at-bat vs. right fielder Brandon Nimmo. The call from home plate umpire James Hoye was upheld.
Up next: The Rangers are off Friday and return Saturday with All-Star right-hander Jacob deGrom on the mound.
Of note, they’ll face right-hander Aaron Nola, which should trigger a reimagined lineup and potentially an easier path to success. Expect Joc Pederson to start at designated hitter over McCutchen and for Carter to play center field with Langford in left. It could help alleviate some of their opening day offensive woes; the Rangers posted a .695 OPS against right-handers last season compared to a .653 OPS against lefties.
Jake Burger’s strong spring carried into opening day. Rangers are confident there’s moreDespite opening day loss, there’s still a positive to take from these 2026 Texas Rangers
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