Rangers Twins: Ober's rough finale leaves future unclear
Bailey Ober closed his 2026 season with a rough outing in a 6-2 Twins loss to Texas. The Rangers Twins series stays consequential for Texas' AL West hopes, while Ober's Minnesota future is unsettled after 131 innings of middling results.
Key Takeaways
- Ober allowed 10 hits and six runs in five innings, with two homers, in his final 2026 start at Target Field.
- Texas entered Saturday tied with Houston atop the AL West; the Astros own the tiebreaker.
- Ober finished 7-7 with a 4.47 ERA, 96 strikeouts, and 37 walks over 131 innings.
- Game 162 sets MacKenzie Gore against Dean Kremer as the Rangers chase the West or .500.
What happened in Ober's final start?
After a rain delay of two hours and one minute, Minnesota offered few highlights. MLB.com coverage of the outing detailed how Ober surrendered 10 hits and six runs across five innings, including homers from Danny Jansen and Jake Burger. The Rangers scored six unanswered runs in a 6-2 win before an announced crowd of 28,491.
Texas erupted for four runs with two outs in the second. Ober struck out the first two batters, then allowed five straight hits. Nick Lopez doubled, Jansen singled home a run, and Evan Carter, Alejandro Osuna, and Brandon Nimmo each doubled in runs to right field.
Why do the Rangers Twins still matter?
The Rangers entered Saturday tied with Houston for first in the American League West. Because the Astros hold the tiebreaker, Texas must finish with a better record to reach the playoffs—raising the stakes of every remaining out against Minnesota.
That urgency rolls into Sunday's Game 162. Per lineup notes, MacKenzie Gore starts for Texas opposite Dean Kremer for the Twins. The Rangers need a win and an Astros loss to claim the West, and a win alone would secure a second straight .500 finish. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. Central.
How did Ober's 2026 numbers stack up?
Ober closed the year 7-7 with a 4.47 ERA in 131 innings, totaling 96 strikeouts and 37 walks. He was described as the slowest-throwing right-handed starter in the majors, leaving little margin when pitches caught too much of the plate—as when Burger crushed an elevated 88-mph fastball for his 27th home run.
Minnesota briefly led 1-0 after Luke Keaschall doubled and scored on groundouts against Nathan Eovaldi. The Twins' only other run came when Keaschall tripled in the eighth and scored on Josh Bell's two-out single, Bell's 93rd RBI of the season.
What's next for Ober and the Twins?
Ober's season is finished; Kremer draws the finale start instead. MLB.com framed the starter's exit around an uncertain Twins future, even as Minnesota wraps a disappointing campaign by hosting Texas one last time.
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