The Rangers snapped a string of near-misses with a dramatic 6-3 win over Kansas City, riding a late, two-out rally that featured a rare No. 4 start for Higashioka and a bullpen surge. Texas was shorthanded – Bochy away, a spot start needed – yet the lineup clawed back from deficits, setting up Higashioka’s bases-loaded double to clear the bases in the ninth. Milner closed the door after a grueling sixth through eighth, while interim manager Luis Ureta logged another win in his budding run atop the dugout. Langford pounced early with a leadoff homer, underscoring his growing impact, though his aggressiveness on the bases provided a teachable moment. Texas’ playoff odds had tumbled to a season-low 7.9% earlier, but this night carved out a reminder: even a beleaguered team can flip a game with collective resilience, timely power, and bullpen grit.

The game stretched into a test of bullpen depth, with Caleb Boushley giving the Rangers a chance to rally early and Jake Latz delivering 3 1/3 strong innings in relief. Langford’s speed and Higashioka’s power paired with a patient approach from Seager and Semien to bookend the late rally. Kansas City’s Vinny Pasquantino fueled early offense with a three-run blast that pushed Texas into a corner, but the Rangers factory began clicking in the late innings, turning a rough night into one of the season’s most unlikely wins. A crucial defensive miscue by Langford earlier in the game briefly hampered Texas, but the club steadied, leaned on the lefty-on-lefty matchup plan, and finished strong to keep their faint postseason hopes alive for another night.

Nathan Eovaldi anchored Texas with the majors’ lowest ERA among qualifiers, seven solid innings as the Rangers beat Toronto 10-4 in the Rogers Centre. He scattered five hits while keeping the Blue Jays’ bats quiet, even as Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined the homer parade for Toronto. José Berríos endured a rough sightline, charged with six runs on 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings, extending a recent slide. George Springer returned with a 434-foot two-run blast in the eighth as Toronto mounted late offense, but the night belonged to Eovaldi and Texas.

Toronto’s offense finally produced a few bright spots—Kirk’s ninth homer and Guerrero Jr.’s team-leading 21st—yet Berríos couldn’t finish off hitters, prompting talk of Shane Bieber joining the Jays’ rotation and Paul Skenes looming in Pittsburgh. Springer’s return from concussion provided a spark, and Toronto now eyes a matchup with Skenes before a Miami trip. The Jays’ mounting innings concerns, combined with Eovaldi’s elite form, set the tone for a week of rotation tinkering and lineup adjustments in fantasy rosters.

From a fantasy lens, Eovaldi’s trendline stands out as a rare stabilizer in Texas’ rotation, while Berríos’ recent struggles temper Jays interest in immediate confidence. Bieber’s arrival could shift Toronto’s ceiling, and Skenes’ big-league debut chatter adds a dynamic element to opponents’ plans. Springer and Guerrero Jr. remain must-starts when healthy, with Springer’s power returning just in time for a favorable upcoming slate.

Texas’ late-game bullpen woes have overshadowed a solid Jacob deGrom start and left the Rangers mired in a rough stretch as they slide under .500. Three straight late-inning meltowns by high-leverage arms, including Coulombe and Maton, have undone a 3-0 lead after deGrom’s five scoreless innings, with Higashioka delivering a three-run blast for Toronto. Bochy’s juggling of the bullpen — and his plan to reintroduce deGrom and softer entry points for Garcia — underscores a broader season-long struggle: Texas’ bottom-five offense must find a spark in the final 40 games. The Jays rallied with a Kirk two-run shot and Barger's RBI single, turning a potential Texas win into a heartbreaking loss as the series opened at Rogers Centre. Houston remains atop the West, while the Rangers chase the difficult path to a postseason spot, needing sharper bullpen performance and more timely offense in a seven-game stretch that could define their roster leverage down the stretch.

Beyond the bullpen chaos, the Rangers leaned on deGrom’s best start in weeks, but the damage came from running out of late-inning answers. The club’s offseason bullpen depth had carried them for much of the season, but injuries and timing have pinched the back end. Milner’s usage and Garcia’s return plan loom large as Bochy navigates a crowded bullpen with Chris Martin sidelined by a calf setback. The Jays’ late rally underscored how quickly momentum can swing in a 6-5 loss, forcing Texas to recalibrate its closing and setup roles as they push toward a daunting remaining schedule.