Aug 11, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Phil Maton (88) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the tenth inning at Globe Life Field Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Both Rangers Trade Deadline Bullpen Additions Cost Team in Back-to-Back Games

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 6:22 PM ET

The frustrating season continues for the Texas Rangers.

Entering Wednesday 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, they could find themselves further back depending on how the New York Yankees play.

That's because the Rangers lost another heartbreaker, making that their second late-innings defeat in back-to-back games.

Ketel Marte provided the damage in both contests, hitting a solo home run off Danny Coulombe on Tuesday in the top of the ninth inning that proved to be the game winner before turning around and hitting a three-run blast off Phil Maton on Wednesday in the top of the ninth.

Ketel Marte's 4th hit of the game is a GO-AHEAD HOMER in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/CTKCGlxRU1
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2025

Things like this happen across a 162-game season, but the fact that this occurred now and who it happened to is perhaps the most frustrating.

At one point, Texas seemed to be trending in the right direction.

Owning a Wild Card spot, the poor offense appeared to have woken up to give a strong bullpen and starting rotation a dancing partner on the other side of the diamond.

But whatever momentum they had before the trade deadline has crumbled ever since.

Rangers Have Now Lost Six Out of Last Seven Games

The ultra-aggressive executive Chris Young decided to add this year despite it not being clear that the Rangers would make the playoffs. That decision looked a whole lot more reasonable when the team was playing well, opting to ship out multiple top 30 prospects for the trio of starting pitcher Merrill Kelly and relievers Coulombe and Maton.

That's why what happened in back-to-back games is so frustrating.

Coulombe, in a 2-2 game, got the first two Arizona Diamondbacks batters out on strikes before giving up the solo shot to Marte despite having two strikes on the star second baseman.

Again, that happens. But it's the fact that it happened again that makes it so disheartening.

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning -- this time with a lead -- Maton was tasked with closing out the game for Texas.

Up 4-2, Maton struck out the first two batters of the frame just like Coulombe did before giving up a solo homer to James McCann.

From that point on, the right-hander crumbled.

He hit the next batter with a pitch and then walked the one after that, setting the table for Marte to play hero once again, which he did in spectacular fashion.

This isn't to say the additions of Maton and Coulombe weren't good ones.

They've actually been great for the Rangers since they were dealt, with Maton allowing just one run on two hits in five appearances and five innings pitched before Wednesday, while Coulombe had five scoreless outings where he gave up just two hits in 4 2/3 innings of work before Tuesday.

However, these two games highlight just how frustrating things have been for Texas, where not even their trade deadline additions have been able to get them to the next level they are seeking.