García plays the hero in Rangers' high-wire walk-off victory

ARLINGTON -- The White Sox were practically begging the Rangers to take the game off their hands.

Texas collected nine hits and five walks on Saturday. They had an additional two more baserunners on Chicago errors, one of which gave the Rangers a one-run lead in the eighth. A wild pitch even scored a run earlier in the game.

Even with the offense going 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position and stranding 12 on base, they went into the top of the ninth inning with a one-run lead.

But time after time, the Rangers allowed the White Sox -- the worst team in the American League -- to punch right back, leading to Texas’ first extra-inning game of the season.

But the Rangers landed the final blow on Saturday.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, Adolis García delivered a walk-off single, to secure a 5-4 win over the White Sox and lock in the club’s third straight series win. It’s the sixth career walk-off plate appearance for García.

This was the first time that Texas overcame a deficit of multiple runs to win a game this season. It was also just the third win of 2025 when trailing after six innings.

“It’s something that I like, making good at-bats and getting the win for the team,” García told Rangers Sports Network field reporter Laura Stickells postgame. “That’s one of the best feelings. That’s great. I was looking for a good pitch and I just made good contact. We’re fighting every game.

“We won the series and we go for another win tomorrow. That’s all that matters right now. Play good baseball. Every win is important. We’ll go home and try to win another one tomorrow.”

Garcia was not available in the clubhouse postgame.

All six of García’s walk-off plate appearances have come since 2021, the most by a Ranger and tied for the third-most in MLB during that span (7, Alex Verdugo and Jorge Alfaro). He had a game-high three hits and is batting .316 (12-for-38) with one home run, three doubles and seven RBIs in his last 10 games since, lifting his season average from .208 to .226 in that span.

“He's been playing well,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He's really getting his timing, I think, a lot better now. He's got a knack for coming through in a moment. He did it tonight. It's just a great way to end that game, because we were out of pitching pretty much.”

The Rangers ultimately stranded 17 runners on base while going 4-for-23 with runners in scoring position. It wasn’t particularly pretty, but a win is a win, no matter how you get to the end result.

“That would have been a tough one to let get away,” Bochy said. “But they fought hard. They kept going. And the pitching, what a great job they did. They battled hard on the other side. It was a hard-fought game on both sides throughout.”

García will -- rightfully -- get the credit for the victory, but reliever Jacob Latz, who turned in two scoreless frames in extras, was the unsung hero of the day.

Latz has thrown 115 pitches since June 8, when he started a bullpen game for the Rangers in a win over the Nationals. With Nathan Eovaldi continuing to work his way back from a triceps injury and Kumar Rocker getting a reset with Triple-A Round Rock, the Rangers have been trying to fill innings any way they can this week.

Over the past week, Bochy has turned to bullpen games in Eovaldi’s spot in the rotation. They may need another on Sunday with Tyler Mahle struggling with shoulder tightness of his own.

Latz being able to give so many innings, especially in extra innings, provides a tremendous boost for a taxed bullpen.

“He's been pitching well, hasn’t he?” Bochy said “It's a tough situation to come in and keep them from scoring [in extras]. He made pitches the whole time. He kept his composure out there. It was really a good effort by him, and really the whole staff. This ‘pen is getting used a lot.”