The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Philadelphia Phillies scored five runs.
The last time the Rangers began a season against the Phillies, they won the World Series. That’s certainly a positive omen as we begin this 2026 season journey.
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Those kinds of vibes didn’t last very long, however, as the Rangers whiffed on a scoring opportunity in their first half inning and then trailed 2-0 five pitches into Philadelphia’s first crack at the new campaign.
Opening Day starter Nathan Eovaldi has been excellent over his career in games where there are a lot of eyeballs on the action. He’s been great during his time in Texas. He won the franchise a dang World Series. He was enjoying arguably the best season by a starting pitcher in franchise history last year before it was derailed by ailments. Eovaldi is good for days like this. You feel comfortable with him as your Opening Day guy.
Despite all that, Eovaldi allowed a two-strike, two-run dong to Kyle Schwarber just two batters into this one.
Whoopsadoodle.
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Throughout the 2025 season, Eovaldi allowed 25 earned runs total in his 130 innings of work. He allowed two before collecting an out in 2026.
Before his day was over, without even making it through five frames, Eovaldi allowed five runs on eight hits with zero walks and seven Ks. A back-breaking two-out, three-run shot off the bat of Alec Bohm ended Eovaldi’s afternoon in the bottom of the fifth.
Meanwhile, at the plate, the Rangers looked a lot like the group we left behind in 2025 for much of the game. Which is to say, *gulp*
The oft-maligned bats had a makeover over the winter, and they enjoyed some feel-good press for improved stat lines in Arizona, but that translated to all of four hits through the game’s first eight innings with scant few chances to score until a too-little, too-late ninth inning rally.
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Granted, the lineup had the unenviable task of trying to get off on a good foot against arguably the National League’s best left-handed starter. Cristopher Sanchez took the mound for the Phillies and he shoved, continuing where he left off last season when he led the NL in bWAR (8.0) and produced a 2.50 ERA on his way to finishing second behind Paul Skenes for the Cy Young award.
In the end, Sanchez struck out ten Rangers in his six innings of scoreless work with lineup waiting for the ninth inning to finally get on the board via a two-run home run from Jake Burger. At the very least, they made things mildly intriguing by getting the tying run to the plate.
Ah well, there’s six months of baseball ahead of us for better days than this one. As far as Opening Days go, though, this one was a stinker.
Player of the Game: Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler deserves a nod for making his MLB debut and pitching a scoreless — albeit shaky — inning with his family hanging on every pitch in the stands.
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But Jake Burger collected three of Texas’ eight hits, including the ninth inning home run that prevented Philly from enjoying an Opening Day shutout.
Up Next: The Rangers will take a day off on Friday before resuming this series on Saturday in a rematch of the 2023 opener with RHP Jacob deGrom on the mound for Texas opposite RHP Aaron Nola for Philadelphia.
The Saturday afternoon first pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 3:05 pm CT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.
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