36-39 – First and foremost, Rangers beat Padres 9-7

June 20, 2026 - 06:58

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers showed the San Diego Padres that a five-run first inning is no longer enough to feel safe. In a game that started with a flurry of early offense, the Rangers chipped away and eventually pulled ahead for a 9-7 victory on Tuesday night.

San Diego jumped out to a commanding 5-0 lead in the top of the first, knocking around Rangers starter Dane Dunning. The Padres strung together four hits and took advantage of a walk, making it look like they might run away with the game. But the Rangers answered immediately. They put up four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, cutting the deficit to one and making it clear they would not go quietly.

The Padres added a run in the second to make it 6-4, but the Rangers bullpen took over from there. The relief corps held San Diego scoreless for the next five innings, giving the offense time to work. Texas tied the game in the fourth on a two-run double by Adolis Garcia, then took the lead for good in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Nathaniel Lowe.

The Rangers tacked on two more in the seventh on a double by Leody Taveras, extending the lead to 9-6. The Padres managed a solo home run in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Texas and moved them back above .500. The Padres, meanwhile, saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. The two teams will finish the series on Wednesday afternoon.