WEST SACRAMENTO -- Rangers reliever Jakob Junis couldn’t have asked for a better return from the injured list on Saturday at Sutter Health Park, retiring the heart of the Athletics batting order in a 1-2-3 seventh inning to help Saturday's win.
But when Junis returned to the mound for another key seventh inning on Sunday, his outing characterized the Rangers’ struggles on their dismal road trip to Anaheim and West Sacramento.
In a tie ballgame, the typically reliable right-hander served up the go-ahead homer to A’s utility man Zack Gelof, a two-run shot that sent the Rangers to a 5-2 defeat and a second straight road series loss.
A 2-2-count, 93.3 mph fastball from Junis out over the plate was left too high up, and Gelof pounced on it for an opposite-field clout into Texas’ right-center-field bullpen.
“He made one mistake,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said, “and paid for it.”
The Rangers have been paying all week. They lost three straight games against the Angels after winning the series opener, then ran that streak to four with an 8-3 loss to the A’s on Friday. Saturday’s 5-2 win boded well for a hot stretch to come, but instead, the Rangers scored both their runs on Sunday by the third inning and never truly threatened again.
They finished their seven-game West Coast trip 2-5, falling to 61-64 and half a game back of an American League Wild Card berth.
“I don’t think anybody feels good losing two series, especially on the West Coast, when I think as a team, our expectation is to win,” said starter Cody Bradford, who completed four innings in his third start back from internal brace surgery.
Junis’ rare misstep in the seventh was the latest blow to a Rangers club that certainly doesn’t need much else to go wrong. Separate stints on the injured list for a left hip impingement and then a left adductor strain have cost the righty much of the past two months, but Junis was activated from the injured list before Saturday’s game without needing a rehab assignment.
He was thrown into the fire right away, setting up for closer Jacob Latz’s six-out save, and proved his worth, retiring Gelof, Jeff McNeil and Jonah Heim in order in the seventh.
“Jakob Junis has been huge for us all year,” Schumaker said after Saturday’s win. “We’ve missed him for the last few weeks, and it’s kind of shown up, quite honestly. To have him back there, it lengthens the bullpen, and he showed what he can do tonight.”
But on Sunday -- pitching on consecutive days for the seventh time in 2026 -- Junis faltered in a key spot. He allowed a one-out single to center fielder Henry Bolte before giving up the homer to Gelof that put the A’s ahead for good.
After posting a 1.82 ERA in 21 appearances through the end of May, Junis has a 4.67 ERA since. Nevertheless, the Rangers are standing by a dependable pitcher who has a 3.14 ERA over the past four seasons since transitioning to the bullpen.
“We’re going to depend on Junis the next month and change,” Schumaker said. “If we want to get to where we want to get to, he’s going to pitch in high-leverage spots.”
Can the Rangers reach the destination they seek? Their performance during the road trip casts doubt on their ability to qualify for the postseason for the first time since they won the 2023 World Series, but those who were around for that wild run know there’s plenty of variance involved.
“It’s just about getting in and getting hot at the right time,” Bradford said.
Texas firmly believes better days are coming: The club maintains a belief, according to first baseman Jake Burger, that “we’re one game away from getting really hot.”
“It’s not time to hit a panic button because at the end of the day, it’s what it looks like [37] games from now,” Burger said. “It’s not what it looks like right now.”
Monday’s off-day, at least, will provide some respite. The Rangers were candid that the rest day ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Nationals at Globe Life Field is sorely needed for a club that continues to show drive and effort even amidst its current struggles.
“We need to get away, but we’ve got to bring that energy again on Tuesday and just kind of lay it out there,” Burger said.