Kumar Rocker inherited a one-run deficit before he recorded an out Thursday and left five innings later with a lead he never gave back. The right-hander stopped a three-game Rangers losing streak at Globe Life Field, handing Texas a 3-1 win over the New York Mets on the final home date of the regular season.
Per the CBS Sports box, Rocker (6-11) worked 5.0 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run with two walks and four strikeouts on 74 pitches. The Associated Press framed the outing as five solid innings that helped Texas close its home slate still tied for the AL West lead.
One early run, then zeros
Francisco Lindor doubled leading off and scored on Carson Benge's two-out single for New York's only run of the night.
Rocker settled in after that - he struck out Marcus Semien and Luis Torrens in the second, navigated a Nick Morabito double and intentional walk to Juan Soto in the third by inducing a Bo Bichette double play, and closed his night with a clean fifth.
Texas answered in the bottom of the first. Justin Foscue singled and Josh Jung followed with a two-run homer off Zac Thornton for a 2-1 lead. Corey Seager added a solo shot in the sixth, his 19th, after snapping an 0-for-15 skid. That was all the offense Rocker needed.
Bullpen finished what he started
Rocker's pitch mix stayed efficient enough to hand the game to the bullpen with a lead intact. Of his 74 pitches, 45 were strikes, per the CBS box. He induced a double play in the third after Morabito's double and the intentional walk to Soto, then retired the side in order in the fifth.
The early Benge RBI single was New York's only hit with a runner in scoring position against him all night.
