From Ezequiel Duran to Elias Diaz to Nicky Lopez, the Texas Rangers have benefited greatly from the contributions of players who weren’t expected to do much this season.
ARLINGTON — Anyone looking to explain why the Texas Rangers are still in the playoff mix despite a rash of injuries and a lack of production from key contributors can point to their victory Tuesday night, particularly the eighth inning.
It’s the who, not the what.
The what Tuesday was a five-run eighth to break open a tied game en route to an 8-3 win. The Rangers trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in the game, and won because of the continued contributions of players who either barely made the Opening Day roster, opened the season in the minors or weren’t with the organization as recently as two months ago.
Amateur and professional scouts, the player-development department and a score of coaches have a hand in what is happening, but the players are the ones actually filling in admirably for the injured and the underproducing.
Every team with playoff aspirations must have the kind of unexpected help the Rangers are receiving.
“I don’t know where we’d be without some of these guys that have come up through the system or we acquired late off the free-agent, waiver wire, whatever market that we got them,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “They have been fantastic.”
A look at the Fantastic Six from Tuesday, who have also taken their opportunities this season and run with them:
Ezequiel Duran, util
Much has been written about Duran’s season, one of the biggest surprises on the team. He’s an everyday player, though some wondered if he would even make the Opening Day roster as a bench piece.
He did, barely, and hasn’t looked back. He finished second at second base in All-Star voting thanks to steady production and a knack for driving in runs. With injuries across the field, Duran has lived up to his own nickname, The Solution.
He contributed Tuesday night. The game was tied at 3 in the eighth when he singled in the game-winning run with one out for his 45th RBI this season. He also has seven homers after not hitting one in 2025.
Nicky Lopez, inf
A reasonably established big-league middle infielder, Lopez has some name recognition and has produced at times during his career. Yet, he didn’t make the Rockies’ roster out of spring training.
Lopez then logged a whopping five hitless at-bats with the Cubs. The Rangers grabbed him in late May as a free agent to help shore up the infield defense with Corey Seager and Josh Smith out.
Lopez has been terrific since joining the Rangers, batting .340 with a .761 OPS. He’s not going to outslug anyone, but he also isn’t going to strike out much while putting the ball in play and playing small ball.
Lopez delivered a two-out two-run single in the second inning to erase a 2-0 Angels lead.
Elias Diaz, c
Another in-season free-agent signing, Diaz was added June 3 after Danny Jansen went on the injured list with a forearm issue that hasn’t shown much improvement. Diaz, meanwhile, has been an upgrade after starting the season with the Royals.
He has two homers and 11 RBIs with the Rangers, and the two singles he collected Tuesday raised his Rangers average to .304 (.284 overall). Like Lopez, Diaz was signed with defense in mind but has shown that he can deliver with the bat.
Rangers pitchers love to throw to him. His first assignment with the team was to catch Jacob deGrom. They’ve been paired together ever since.
“These two guys, ever since they came on, have really saved us, quite honestly, because of the injuries, and they just keep providing offense,” Schumaker said of Diaz and Lopez.
Justin Foscue, inf
The 2020 first-round pick came into the season with a clean slate, Schumaker said, after two disappointing seasons. Foscue was promptly injured in spring training and didn’t have enough time to make up at-bats.
The Rangers recalled him from Triple A Round Rock in early May and have seen him dominate left-handed pitching to the tune of a 1.186 OPS and four home runs. The fourth was his first career pinch-hit homer Tuesday, a leadoff shot in the seventh that tied the game at 3.
He followed Duran in the eighth with an RBI single against a right-hander.
“Every time I go up there and do something for the team, it feels better and better,” Foscue said. “I would say right now I’m pretty comfortable in my role, wherever they put me.”
Peyton Gray, rhp
Foscue had tied the game, but the Rangers needed a bullpen arm to keep it tied in the eighth. Gray, the former Milwaukee Milkman reliever, got the call.
Gray had a breakthrough spring, not good enough to make the Opening Day roster but good enough to be an early-season call-up. He made his MLB debut at age 30 after toiling in the minors, independent ball and Mexico.
Gray tossed a scoreless inning, retiring right-handed and left-handed hitters. He was the winning pitcher, improving to 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA.
“We’ve talked about some surprising guys. Peyton Gray is probably the biggest one for me,” Schumaker said. “Now, he’s in the highest leverage spot in our bullpen in the eighth inning, and that’s a great surprise.”
Alejandro Osuna, of
All-Star closer Jacob Latz was warming for the ninth when Osuna came to the plate with one out, two on and the Rangers leading 5-3 thanks to Duran and Foscue. Osuna hadn’t homered this season, so imagine his excitement when his drive to right field just cleared the wall.
Latz sat down, and Tyler Alexander finished off the victory.
Osuna has impressed with his ability to reach base (.343 on-base percentage) and for being a tough out. He is also a good defender, better than he has shown at times, and is solid on the bases.
Like Foscue, he didn’t make the team out of spring training and was sent to Round Rock. He knew his opportunity would come.
“Sometimes we can’t control those decisions,” Osuna said. “I don’t care if I’m in the minor leagues or in the big leagues, I just love to play baseball and always try to do my best. When I got to Triple A, I was just motivated to keep working hard to be up here.”
Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com
