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Final thoughts from Texas Rangers’ fifth straight loss: A light at the end of the tunnel?

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Final thoughts from Texas Rangers’ fifth straight loss: A light at the end of the tunnel?


ARLINGTON – Buried deep beneath the rubble of their fifth straight loss, perhaps the heartbeat of the Rangers’ offense started to beat once again Tuesday.

Adolis García’s bat has been located.

García homered and doubled in the Rangers’ 7-4 loss to Cleveland. It was double his previous total for the first two weeks of May in which he had a lone double. He hadn’t homered since April 28. He was in a bad way with 11 strikeouts in 21 at-bats over the previous five games. As he is prone to do, García was in a stretch of chasing fastballs out of the zone. And the deeper the funk of the Rangers’ offense became, the more García tried to do, which only exacerbated the problem.

“He’s been trying too hard,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had said before the game. “And when things aren’t going well, he can get a little down on himself because he wants to help the team. He’s set the bar pretty high for who he is.”

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Though García is so physically imposing, he is at his best when he doesn’t try to overpower fastballs, particularly those above the strike zone. When he falls into that habit, an extended slump can follow. He went through a stretch like this late last year. He does his most damage on secondary stuff. Both his homer and double came on sliders from Ben Lively and Scott Barlow. On the homer, it’s worth noting that Lively had tried to get García to chase with three straight fastballs either wide of or above the zone. García did not swing.

It’s also worth noting that with García’s homer in the second and Corey Seager’s in the third, it marked the first time this year the Rangers’ best homer-hitting duo both homered in the same game. If Seager and García get hot at the same time, the offense becomes exponentially better.

Alright, that said, here are some other VERY IMPORTANT observations from the Rangers’ loss Tuesday:

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Jack Leiter’s third Texas Rangers start made it clear: He’s not yet ready for the majors

Best silver lining: Jack Leiter’s loss was a chance for others to gain, namely Jonathan Hernández and Yerry Rodriguez, both of whom were called on to pitch multiple innings. Both have struggled with command and to come out of the gate firing their best stuff. Bruce Bochy has all but begged for them to step up.

Granted, coming in with a big deficit is the definition of low leverage, but both were very effective. Rodriguez especially so. He entered the game throwing 97 mph, compared to 95 mph over the weekend in Denver. Bochy had mentioned the need for him to bring his max velocity with him rather than needing a hitter or two to ramp up.

Pitched four hitless innings, allowing only a hit batter who was then erased on a double play. Even made a nice reaction on a hard-hit comebacker off his glove that knocked his hat clean off his head.

“When you are aggressive and attack the zone, good things happen,” Bochy said. “We need these guys to step up. And they did.”

Worst prediction: The Rangers are going to need a relief arm to boost the bullpen on Wednesday. There is only one healthy reliever on the 40-man roster, lefty Antoine Kelly. Put those factors together and it’s easy to believe Kelly will be the callup. He might be, but here’s why he might not: Kelly, who returned from a three-week stint on the IL just 10 days ago, still hasn’t pitched two full innings and hasn’t pitched on consecutive days.

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Think the Rangers either need somebody who can go two-plus innings or somebody who can pitch on consecutive days. Think it makes it just as likely that either veteran Shaun Anderson or Gerson Garabito, signed to a minor league contract this winter after pitching the last two seasons in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, would be added. It would force the Rangers to create a spot on the 40-man roster. Reliever Austin Pruitt (knee) would seemingly be easy enough to move to the 60-day IL since he’s not even around the team right.

So, if I’m making a prediction for who replaces Jack Leiter in the short-term on the 26-man roster, I’m as inclined to go with Anderson or Garabito as I am with Kelly.

Worst collision: The collision between Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio and center fielder Ty Freeman was hard to watch. From the summit of the Globe, you could see the two converging on Adolis García’s pop to shallow center in the fifth and you kept thinking ‘’uh, nobody’s slowing down.”

Rocchio hit Freeman in the face with his extended glove and also in the elbow with his own face. Both crumpled to the ground. I was sure somebody had a broken jaw. Honestly, was also amazed that Freeman held on to the ball. And more amazed that after being visited by athletic trainers, both stayed in the game. It was scary and about as solid contact between two players as I’ve seen in some time.

Freeman took a beating Tuesday, getting hit twice by pitches and also making a diving catch in center field.

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Watch: Texas Rangers game delayed by scary collision between Cleveland Guardian fielders

Worst stretch: Final score from Colorado this week: Stars 9, Rangers 6. Which tells you something about both teams, just how well the Stars played in Denver and just how poorly the Rangers did.

Worst sign of the apocalypse: When I got home from the ballpark, did another check of Ebay, just to see what people were seeking for Corey Seager World Series replica rings. Mind you: This is a replica. The stones are not real. The metal is not gold. It is a replica. It says so on the box. There were people on Ebay asking for $800 and $1,200 for their rings. Granted, they included “or best offer” in their ads. The going rate appeared to be about $125 a pop from what I saw. This was two hours after the game ended. What a racket.

Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant

    Houston Astros’ Ronel Blanco ejected from game for foreign substance on glove
    Jack Leiter’s third Texas Rangers start made it clear: He’s not yet ready for the majors

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Betting Texas A&M-Texas: Why the balanced Aggies pose problems for Longhorns

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Betting Texas A&M-Texas: Why the balanced Aggies pose problems for Longhorns


No. 3 Texas A&M walks into Austin with everything still on the table, while No. 17 Texas is clinging to the final thread of a postseason dream that’s been unraveling since the team was ranked preseason No. 1 for the first time in their history.

One side is chasing a conference title, and the other is trying to keep its season from folding in its own backyard. The matchup has urgency, consequence and an energy that guarantees excitement, twists and everything in between, but the reasons why sit beneath the surface.

Saddle up … Aggies versus Longhorns is about who can handle the ride.

All odds by ESPN BET


No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies at No. 17 Texas Longhorns
Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Line: Texas A&M -2.5
Money line: Texas A&M (-120), Texas (Even)
Over/Under: 51.5 (O -110, U -110)

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Texas: a team that lives in between potential and production

This Texas team can be so much more and maybe in 2026 they can be. They have the quarterback talent, the receiver room and the pass-rush ceiling, and the solid markers to build a base that can go toe to toe with any team in the country.

Unfortunately, we’ve been seeing the same story unfold since the start of the season, even a continuation of last year. Texas moves through games with volatility instead of a steady foundation. When Arch Manning has time, the Longhorns can hit explosives in a way that genuinely scares opponents. He’s thrown 23 touchdowns and is throwing 8.1 yards per pass, which shows that the ability is there, the firepower is there.

The catch is how often the Longhorns offense is forced into that mode. The run game is nearly non-existent, hovering near 3.7 yards per carry, outside of the top 100 in the country, which means they aren’t consistently living in second-and-4 or even third and manageable. This can make such a difference. Instead, we see Texas always one negative play away from giving possessions back. It means Manning is having to manufacture answers to predicaments that shouldn’t exist. The offense isn’t giving him the framework, so he’s sticking it together on the fly.

On the fly doesn’t work in competitive football unless you’re Johnny Manziel.

Defensively, the effort is there and the pressure numbers are real, generating over 200 pressures, but the coverage isn’t airtight enough to hide the moments where the pass rush doesn’t immediately hit.

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When Texas wins, the question is always, “is Texas good?” And when they lose, it’s always “oh, right, that’s more like it.” The Longhorns are talented, explosive, and competitive, but Texas is also dependent on conditions, timing, rhythm, and quarterback brilliance. That’s the space they operate in and why their path to winning requires chaos, which means a lot of things have to go right, far more than it should.

Texas A&M: a team with a fully formed identity and multiple ways to win

The Aggies are built with an offense that doesn’t lean on one player or one phase, it’s the product of balance. Texas A&M has a run game that actually shifts the way defenses behave, averaging 5 yards per carry, top 30 in the FBS, giving them a kind of control most teams never find. The Aggies playcalling can stay patient. It means comebacks can happen, it means Marcel Reed can operate a system designed for efficiency, not heroism.

Reed’s 9.0 yards per pass is happening because the offense is forcing defenses into conflict on every snap. The scoring outputs back it up: 54 total touchdowns on the season is a clear sign that the Aggies can finish drives and don’t waste possessions. The red zone efficiency tells the same story. A&M plays football with the understanding that momentum is built, stacked and maintained.

Defensively, tackling has been a weak point but it hasn’t derailed their ability to dictate games or control pace. The Aggies play inside their identity every week, an advantage that shows up when the games get tight.

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Betting consideration: Texas A&M -2.5

The Aggies are the more complete team so this is a wager that backs up the side that holds up under pressure. In KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, they have a WR duo that is a matchup nightmare for a Texas secondary that sits out of the top 50 in coverage grade, and has been vulnerable anytime the pass rush doesn’t close.

Concepcion’s ability to separate underneath and Craver’s vertical range stretch the defense horizontally and vertically at the same time, forcing Texas into coverage trade-offs they haven’t solved all year.

Then there’s the Aggies defense, which plays aggressively with over 200 pressures on the season, but aren’t reckless. They’ll heat up Manning without exposing themselves behind it. That kind of balance matters against a Texas offense that’s built on volatility. Texas needs pop-offs to survive, which becomes harder when the opposing front dictates and the back end holds up well enough to avoid collapse.

If the Aggies play balanced and are able to attack the exact weak points Texas can’t hide, then laying a short number on the road is justified, and possibly even a few points short.

Betting trends

Courtesy of ESPN Research

  • Texas is 0-4 ATS against AP Top-5 teams since the start of last season, worst in FBS.

  • The Aggies are 7-15 ATS as a favorite since the start of last season, T-worst among Power 4 schools with UGA (min. 20 games).

  • Texas is 5-1-1 ATS as a home underdog over the last 10 years, T-best in FBS with Notre Dame/App State (min. 5 games).

  • Texas A&M is 3-7-2 ATS when the spread is between a FG (+3 to -3) since 2022, worst among power conference teams (min. 10 games as Power 4 team in span).



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Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, A&M’s Cashius Howell named finalists for Bednarik Award

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Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, A&M’s Cashius Howell named finalists for Bednarik Award


Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell were named finalists for the Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to college football’s defensive player of the year.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was the third finalist.

Rodriguez and Howell have spearheaded their respective teams’ push for a conference title and a College Football Playoff bid. Both players are in a position to compete in the Big 12 and SEC Championships, respectively, with a win on Saturday.

Howell has manned the defensive line for one of the three remaining undefeated FBS teams, contributing an SEC-leading 11.5 sacks. He is a four-time SEC defensive lineman of the week and leads all defensive ends with six pass breakups.

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Texas A&M’s defense ranks first nationally in 3rd down defense and second in FBS with 39.0 sacks.

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Rodriguez has aided Texas Tech in its best start since 2008 and its highest-ranked scoring defense in over a decade.

Although he has contributed only a sack to the nation’s leader in team sacks, the senior inside linebacker leads the country with seven forced fumbles. He also has four interceptions.

Rodriguez has taken over social media over the past four weeks, earning the Heisman fan vote in four consecutive weeks.

Rodriguez and Howell are also finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award.

The Bednarik Award winner will be announced as part of the ESPN’s college football awards show, which will be broadcast live on ESPN on Friday, Dec. 12.

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    Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed named finalist for Davey O’Brien Award
    Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire named Region 4 AFCA Coach of the Year

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Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.



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17-year-old charged in shooting of a North Texas DoorDash delivery driver, police say

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17-year-old charged in shooting of a North Texas DoorDash delivery driver, police say



A 17-year-old has been charged in the shooting of a North Texas DoorDash delivery driver late last month, Mesquite police said.

Investigators discovered that just before 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 27, the driver was making a delivery to a home in the 2000 block of Birch Bend when a man wearing dark clothing approached and started shooting at him. 

The suspect, later identified as 17-year-old Ledavion Sockwell, fled the area.

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Responding officers found the delivery driver had been shot multiple times and rendered aid until fire department personnel arrived and took the driver to the hospital. The delivery driver survived the shooting.

Late Monday afternoon, the Mesquite Police Department Major Crimes Unit and Mesquite Tactical Unit executed a search and arrest warrant for Sockwell in the 1400 block of Regent St. He was taken into custody without incident.   



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