The Texas Rangers rallied at Coors Field in Denver, with Josh Jung delivering a ninth-inning go-ahead single to lift Texas over the Colorado Rockies 5-4. Key moments included Joc Pederson reaching on catcher’s interference, Brett Sullivan’s passed ball that tied the game, and earlier fireworks from Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger, who went back-to-back in the fourth inning.
The finish came in a chaotic ninth. Joc Pederson reached on catcher’s interference with one out, and two run-scoring events followed quickly: consecutive singles loaded the bases, and Pederson crossed on Brett Sullivan’s passed ball to knot the game. With the stage set, Josh Jung lined a clutch single off Juan Mejia that produced the decisive run and sent the Rangers into celebration.
The middle innings were where Texas built their earlier edge. Josh Jung had scored on Ezequiel Duran’s two-run homer in the fourth, a blast that got the offense moving. Jake Burger answered immediately with his own homer to make it 3-1 and keep the momentum firmly with the Rangers for much of the afternoon.
On the bump, Jacob Latz (1-1) provided a big lift, working two scoreless innings to earn the victory. He surrendered only one hit while punching out four batters in relief, giving Texas the steady arm they needed late. The bullpen finished the job despite Brennan Bernardino (2-2) being credited with two unearned runs after giving up a pair of hits in the ninth.
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Jung and Justin Foscue both collected three hits for the Rangers, anchoring a lineup that found timely swings at Coors Field. That production helped Texas take two of three games from Colorado on the road, a series win that matters even when runs can come in bunches at altitude. Right fielder Brandon Nimmo, however, exited in the fifth with right hamstring tightness after a single, an injury note the club will watch going forward.
Colorado answered early on offense as well. TJ Rumfield delivered an RBI single in the first inning to give the Rockies an opening salvo and keep the game competitive. Later, Jack Leiter, Texas’ starter, issued a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to Kyle Karros that cut the Rangers’ lead to 3-2 and set up Colorado’s comeback attempts.
The fifth inning swung the scoreboard in Colorado’s favor briefly when Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston each added run-scoring singles. That pair of singles pushed the Rockies ahead 4-3 and forced the Rangers to rely on their bullpen and late-game hitting to reclaim the lead. Leiter finished his outing having allowed four runs and seven hits over five innings, while Rockies starter Kyle Freeland gave up three runs and seven hits across 4 2/3 innings.
Defensive wobble and chance plays decided the final frame more than overpowering pitching duels. The unusual play of catcher’s interference set the tone for the ninth, and a subsequent passed ball on Brett Sullivan handed Colorado a momentary advantage as Pederson scored the tying run. Those small margins underscored how baseball at Coors Field can hinge on one stray throw or missed glove.
Individual performances stood out beyond the big hits. Jung’s multi-hit night and the back-to-back homers from Duran and Burger created the backbone of the Rangers’ scoring. Justin Foscue’s three-hit contribution supplied consistent contact, while Latz’s relief work stabilized the late innings enough for Texas to chase down the Rockies’ lead.
For Colorado, the offense showed life in bursts but could not hold the late lead. Kyle Freeland and the bullpen battled, yet the two unearned runs charged to Brennan Bernardino in the ninth proved costly. With the series split and the Rangers taking two of three in Denver, both clubs leave Coors Field with something to clean up and something to build on.
