Kumar Rocker delivered his strongest performance in the majors on Thursday night, striking out eight over seven innings to earn his first career victory and help the Texas Rangers to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. The win completed a three-game series sweep, extending Texas’s home winning streak to nine games.
Rocker (1-2), a 25-year-old right-hander and the third overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, allowed three earned runs on five hits across a career-high 78 pitches. He did not issue a walk during the outing. Rocker debuted in the major leagues in 2023 after an earlier attempt to enter the league was postponed when concerns over his physical kept him from signing with the New York Mets as the 10th overall pick in 2021.
Offensively, Leody Taveras provided early support with a two-run double, and Adolis García extended his dominance against the Angels with a solo home run, his 15th against the club. Corey Seager contributed to the effort with his 100th home run as a Ranger. The Rangers built a 4-1 lead by the fifth inning, and reliever Robert Garcia closed the game in the ninth, earning his first major league save.
The Angels, who have now dropped four straight games, managed only four runs across the three-game series in Arlington. The team returns to Anaheim after enduring a challenging stretch that saw them play 15 of their first 18 games on the road. According to Major League Baseball records, this schedule match was most recently experienced by the 1957 Chicago Cubs.
Los Angeles starter Jack Kochanowicz (1-2) allowed four runs on eight hits in four and two-thirds innings. He was removed in the fifth after surrendering García’s home run and a pair of base hits.
The Angels attempted to mount a comeback in the fifth inning, scoring two runs with two outs to narrow the deficit to 4-3. However, their momentum was halted when Mike Trout, representing the go-ahead run, struck out on a check swing, a call made by first base umpire Lance Barrett.
Rocker, who received minimal run support in his first five career starts, was aided by timely offense and solid bullpen work on Thursday. The win also marked a milestone for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who tied Dusty Baker for seventh place on the all-time managerial wins list with 2,183 victories.
Looking ahead, the Angels will begin a homestand Friday when left-hander Tyler Anderson (1-0, 2.87 ERA) takes the mound against the San Francisco Giants. Meanwhile, the Rangers will visit the Los Angeles Dodgers, with right-hander Jacob deGrom (0-0, 4.30 ERA) making his third season start. He will be opposed by Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-1, 1.23 ERA).
Betting odds for Friday’s matchups list the Giants as slight underdogs at +110, with the Angels favored at -125. In the Rangers-Dodgers game, Los Angeles enters as the favorite with a moneyline of -135, while Texas is posted at +115. The over/under for both games is set at 8.5 runs.
