Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON — There was a two-for-one special at Globe Life Field on Sunday afternoon, and if the Rangers could’ve advertised it on a flyer, it might’ve gone like this.
Overcome one weakness, vanquish another for free.
The Rangers, in a 10-0 win over 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.
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They scored twice in the first inning, courtesy of second baseman Justin Foscue’s two-run home run off 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.
The Rangers 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 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 against left-handed pitchers this season per most major metrics with a .213 batting average (second-worst leaguewide), a 26.7% strikeout percentage (third-worst leaguewide) and a .643 OPS (fourth-lowest leaguewide) before 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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Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue celebrates with third baseman Josh Jung after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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“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 the 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 before, and in that two-week stretch, they’ve recorded their four highest-scoring home games.
The Rangers countered the pitcher’s park phenomenon with a commitment to small ball in their previous series win against the Kansas City Royals, but against 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.”
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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.”
Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martínez can’t make a play on a home run off the bat of Texas Rangers center fielder Michael Helman during the sixth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo walks his grandfather Darrell Nimmo to the field to throw a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Degrom delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford heads to the on deck circle during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue hits a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Fans reach for the ball on a two-run home run by Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford hits a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford celebrates in the dugout after hitting home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager watches from the dugout during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung celebrates with right fielder Brandon Nimmo after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martínez makes a sliding catch on a ball off the bat of Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio turns a double play over Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martínez can’t make a play on a home run off the bat of Texas Rangers center fielder Michael Helman during the sixth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers center fielder Michael Helman celebrates with left fielder Wyatt Langford after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers catcher Elias Díaz (from left), shortstop Ezequiel Duran, pitcher Luis Curvelo and second baseman Justin Foscue celebrate after a victory over the Cleveland Guardians in a baseball game at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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Texas Rangers catcher Elias Díaz celebrates with teammates after a victory over the Cleveland Guardians in a baseball game at Globe Life Field on Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Arlington.
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