ARLINGTON -- The Rangers didn’t play a single extra-inning game across the first two and a half months of the season. To that point -- June 14 against the White Sox -- they were the only team in baseball without an extra-inning contest.
Texas had gone a franchise record 70 games to open the season and 95 games overall dating to 2024 without playing extra-innings.
Now, following a 10-6 loss to the Orioles in 11 innings on Monday night, the Rangers have played extras in six of their last 15 games, the most extra-inning games in MLB since June 14. It’s also the Rangers’ fourth straight extra-inning game, which ties a club record last done Sept. 16-19, 2002. Three of those have been losses.
“I don't think we had many [extra-inning games] coming into this last week,” said Patrick Corbin, who recorded a quality start in the loss. “It's definitely tough with the pitching when these games keep going. All of these guys have stepped up, and no one's complaining, and they're taking the ball. All these innings, all these extra innings, and it does add up and takes a toll on some people.”
Monday’s loss came down to a combination of an overworked bullpen and an offense that -- once again -- couldn’t capitalize on chances throughout the night. Manager Bruce Bochy entered the day knowing he would want to stay away from some of the relievers due to the workload over the last week.
But with another extra-inning game looming, Bochy was forced to use Robert García (two runs) for more than one inning and Hoby Milner (four runs) in the 11th.
“It caught up with them, there’s no getting around it,” Bochy said. “They have been doing such a great job. Believe me, I felt for them to be out there, and we just couldn't punch a run in the eighth and ninth. The guys fought back. I feel for these guys. They're getting after it, and they're continuing to fight. It's been a tough four days for extra-inning games.”
Additionally, the Rangers hit .154 (4-for-26) with runners in scoring position in extra innings during this four-game stretch.
There were multiple times between the series loss to the Mariners and Monday’s loss to the Orioles that Texas couldn’t put the final nail in the coffin. Each time, they failed to rise to the occasion.
“Baseball is hard,” Marcus Semien said. “It's hard, so we just gotta continue to try and grind out those at-bats and do the best we can. But it's not always gonna be perfect. We just didn’t do enough.”
Texas fought hard these last four games, especially on Monday when an electric stolen base by Michael Helman tied the game in the seventh and Adolis García’s three-run homer tied it again in the 10th. But all those things became footnotes in another disappointing loss for the Rangers.
And there are no moral victories in the clubhouse.
“We didn't win,” Semien said. “I think when we get to extra innings and you're the home team, you have the advantage and when you don't win, it hurts more. So I don't really think we can say, ‘Oh, we still played well.’ We should win the games in extra innings at home. It’s very frustrating.”