Tonight’s starter for New York Jonah Tong — a top prospect who had allowed just 18 earned runs in 113.2 minor league innings this year — didn’t even make it out of the first inning against Texas’ virtually minor league lineup. Tong got two outs but the Rangers scored six runs in the first inning, their most in an opening frame since 2022.

“Crazy? Probably,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before Jonah Tong opened against former Mets ace Jacob deGrom. The first inning of the first night of the gambit couldn’t have gone worse than it did.

The time of death on the 2025 Texas Rangers was the top of the fifth inning on Aug. 27. You wouldn’t have known it at the time — they were 11 runs into a 20-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels, which feels like an unusual time for hope to die.

Yet some bad luck and a man named Michael Helman kept Milwaukee from inching closer to a clinch. Despite a three-run rally in the fifth to take a short-lived lead, the Brewers were on the short end of a 5-4 loss to the Rangers that kept any flutes of champagne on ice and jazzed-up fetes in the back pocket for later.

The Texas Rangers trail Seattle and Houston by two games in the AL West as they fight for playoff contention. Here's what the playoff picture looks like.

Listen to Sportsound commentary and follow live text commentary, score updates and match report from Rangers vs Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Michael Helman hit a two-run home run during a four-run fifth inning minutes after making a leaping backhand catch that prevented a two-run homer as the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4.

The Scottish Premiership’s most iconic fixture arrives early this season as Rangers prepare to host Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the campaign. The pressure surrounding this clash is already intense,