ARLINGTON, Texas — Jacob Latz said he has a new opportunity Sunday after Jonathan Aranda’s three-run home run in the 10th inning gave him his first loss since April 10 in the Texas Rangers’ 6-3 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night at Globe Life Field.
Texas had gone 40-3 in Latz’s 43 appearances since that April loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Latz said the Rangers have been fighting hard the last couple of games and there is still baseball left.
“They all sting, of course,” Latz told Landry. “Everyone feels the moments now a little bit more than at the beginning of the year. That’s just the nature of the time. For me personally, I have a new opportunity tomorrow, so try to right the ship and turn the page as quickly as we can. It sucks because we’ve been fighting hard the last couple games, especially. To be on the wrong side of things hurts. But there’s still baseball left, and we have to keep going.”
What Happened In The 10th Inning
Latz pitched a scoreless ninth and came back out for the 10th. Taylor Walls opened with a sacrifice bunt that moved automatic runner Jorge Mateo to third. Latz intentionally walked Yandy Díaz, and Aranda hit a 1-2 slider a Statcast-projected 409 feet to right-center field.
Aranda said through interpreter Kevin Vera that he took the intentional walk personally, according to Adam Berry of MLB.com.
Latz fell to 3-2. In the 43 appearances between his two losses, he had a 1.76 ERA with 3 wins and 28 saves, per Landry. He came into the weekend with 28 saves and a 1.63 ERA in 49 games.
Jacob Latz’s Season Before Saturday
Latz spent spring training competing with Kumar Rocker for the fifth starter spot. On March 19 against Milwaukee, in his last Cactus League start, he gave up 7 earned runs on 8 hits and 2 walks in 3 2/3 innings, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. His fastball was 94-96 mph in the first inning and 90-91 by the fourth.
“The velocity dip is perplexing,” Latz told The Dallas Morning News that day, “because I feel the same. I don’t understand.”
Rocker got the rotation spot. Two games into the season, Jacob deGrom’s neck stiffened, and Latz made his first appearance of the year as a starter, per McFarland. Nine of his next 10 outings went one inning or less.
His first save came April 25 against the Athletics with a perfect ninth. He had a 1.32 ERA at that point.
“I like throwing more often anyway,” Latz told McFarland after that game. “The starting role is obviously great.”
On June 1 in St. Louis, Latz converted saves on back-to-back days for the first time in his career. He threw 25 pitches over the two nights. In July, he made the American League All-Star team.
In 2025, Latz had a 2.84 ERA over 85 2/3 innings while moving between the rotation and the bullpen.
Skip Schumaker On Jacob Latz After The Loss
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Latz was going to pitch the 10th if Texas was tied or down a run.
“Jacob Latz is our best closer, best reliever, All-Star,” Schumaker said. “Just made a pitch that Aranda can hit and can handle. And unfortunately, went out of the ballpark. It’s very rare that it’s happened to him. But it’s part of the game. But that’s just a tough loss, quite honestly.”
In June, with Latz at 3 saves of more than one inning and a win on 2 innings of relief, Schumaker still would not use the word closer.
“He’s our highest-leverage reliever, and yeah, he’s going to get the chance to close a lot of games because he’s got real pitches for righties and lefties,” Schumaker told The Dallas Morning News on June 1.
Texas is 70-73, 3 games behind Houston in the AL West and 2 behind Cleveland and Toronto for the third wild card, with 19 games left.
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore (8-10, 4.31 ERA) starts Sunday’s finale against Rays left-hander Ian Seymour (9-6, 4.21). First pitch is 2:35 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network.
