Rangers Rebound against Cubs in Middle Contest

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

May 9, 2026

Rangers 6, Cubs 0

ARLINGTON, Texas (May 9) — The Texas Rangers bounced back nicely from Friday’s 7–1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, beating them 6–0 Saturday evening. A three-hit game from Josh Jung and a significant home run by Justin Foscue gave the home nine the upper hand in this middle game against the North-siders. The Rangers will aim to secure their third home series victory of 2026 in a Mother’s Day matinee with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 pm Central at Globe Life Field. It will be a duel of right-handers as Jameson Taillon (2–1, 4.24 ERA) will face Jacob deGrom (2–2, 3.11 ERA).

Have a Night Jung Man

The Rangers got their scoring started in the bottom of the second off righty Edward Cabrera. Jung led the inning off with his fifth home run of the season, which landed in the seats in right-center. Evan Carter followed with a walk and a steal of second, his sixth stolen base of the year. He moved to third soon after on a single to right-center by Joc Pederson. Up next was Alejandro Osuna, who scored Carter with a single to left.

The Rangers added two more in the bottom of the fourth. Jung led off with his second hit of the night, a single to left. On deck was Carter, who reached on a 3–6 force play that erased Jung. Pederson followed with a double to left, driving in Carter for his second run scored of the contest. Moments later, Osuna plated Pederson with a single to right.

Special Moment for Foscue

The Rangers tallied their next run in the bottom of the fifth. It came on a leadoff blast by Foscue that landed in the area between the wall and the seats in left. He couldn’t have picked a better spot to send this ball. The location actually made it possible for the Rangers’ ballgirls to retrieve it for him. It will have a permanent spot in his trophy case for years to come as it marks the first home run of his major league career. He received a very warm round of applause from the crowd of 35,807.

They scored one more in the bottom of the sixth off reliever, and former Ranger, Jacob Webb. Jung recorded his third leadoff hit of the evening, a single to left, and Carter nudged him to second with a walk. Three batters later, Jung crossed the plate courtesy of a sharp Kyle Higashioka single to left.

What Went Right for the Rangers

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker knew what he was doing when he penciled Jung’s name into the cleanup spot Saturday. He made a nice contribution to his team’s cause with his three leadoff hits. As previously stated, Foscue’s home run was a deciding factor also. He’s yo-yoed up and down in the Rangers’ organization numerous times over the years, enjoying morsels of major league play. Foscue was finally able to sit down for a proper feast on Saturday. It’s a night he’ll remember for the rest of his life. The win and the big crowd acted as tasty side dishes.

What Went Wrong for the Rangers

The Rangers may have shut the door on the Cubs Saturday, but it was no simple task. The Cubs had 13 men in scoring position. Rangers starter Jack Leiter hit a few speed bumps but was able to maneuver around every one of them.

Labor Intensive Start for Leiter

Leiter grinded through 4 2/3 innings but kept the Cubs off the board in his first career appearance against them. His line was 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 6 K, 97 pitches/54 strikes. Leiter’s five walks tied a career high and were the most by a Rangers pitcher in a scoreless outing since Michael Lorenzen on July 5, 2024 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Leiter dealt with traffic in every frame, stranding eight runners on base through four innings. He lowered his home ERA to 3.48 in 2026 (6.14 road ERA). Additionally, he now has 49 K on the year, which is good for ninth in the AL.

Reliever Jalen Beeks took over for Leiter with two outs in the fifth. He earned his second win of the season, bringing his record to 2–1 with an ERA of 2.65. Beeks tossed an inning and a third, striking out one.

Cabrera’s Effort

Cubs starter Edward Cabrera was saddled with his first loss of the season after allowing a season-high five earned over five stanzas. His record now sits at 3–1 with a 3.88 ERA. He gave way to Webb and the Cubs bullpen in the sixth. His final line was 7 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 2 HR, 88 pitches/59 strikes. The five earned runs were his most since August 30, 2025 against the New York Mets.

Schumaker’s Postgame Comments

After the game, Schumaker gave his thoughts on what his lineup did Saturday. “From JJ (Josh Jung) down was really effective,” he said. “JJ had a couple days where he didn’t get a hit and you wondered if something was wrong with him. He’s been so hot and then he gets three hits today including a homer. You had (Alejandro) Osuna, Joc (Pederson), up and down the lineup. Obviously (Justin) Foscue had his big home run. To understand what he’s gone through, up and down from the minor leagues to get to that moment, we were all thrilled for him.”