The Texas Rangers saw their season-best five-game winning streak come to an end after a 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the series finale.
St. Louis took an early lead in the first inning with a two-out RBI single, capitalizing on a slow double-play attempt by Texas.
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Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore struggled with his command, issuing two walks in the first inning and needing over 30 pitches to escape the frame.
He threw 41 pitches before recording his fourth out in the second inning.
Gore allowed four runs on nine hits and three walks over 4.2 innings, throwing exactly 100 pitches.
He had been strong in his previous outings to close May.
The Cardinals added runs consistently, with three of their five runs coming with two outs, making it difficult for Texas to mount a comeback.
Former Rangers prospect Thomas Saggese broke out of a slump with two hits, including an RBI triple that provided the decisive margin.
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Texas closed the gap to two runs late but could not complete the rally, delaying their push to reach a .
500 winning percentage.
Rookie Debut Shines
A bright spot for the Rangers was the MLB debut of left-hander Robby Ahlstrom.
The 26-year-old threw 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out two without allowing a baserunner.
Ahlstrom was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2021 and traded to Texas in 2022 as part of the Jose Trevino deal.
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The Rangers now head home for their first scheduled day off in two weeks before starting a series against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night.
