Texas Rangers Beat Guardians 7-3 Behind Alejandro Osuna HR, Jack Leiter’s 10 Ks: Cleveland AL Central Race Tightens

Friday, September 26th, 2025

Texas Rangers Defeat Cleveland Guardians 7-3 Behind Osuna's Early Blast and Leiter's Dominance

The Texas Rangers powered past the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Friday night, sparked by Alejandro Osuna's three-run homer in the opening inning and a stellar pitching performance from rookie Jack Leiter, who matched his career high with 10 strikeouts.

Game Overview

The Guardians, holding an 86-74 record, remain tied with the Detroit Tigers atop the AL Central. Despite consecutive losses for the first time since September 2, Cleveland still has a magic number of two—either wins or Houston Astros losses—to clinch a postseason berth. At the same time, two wins or Detroit losses would secure the division title for the Guardians. If Cleveland and Detroit finish the season tied, Cleveland would claim the AL Central thanks to their 8-5 advantage in the season series and would host a Wild Card Series starting Tuesday.

First-Inning Fireworks

Texas got off to a hot start, placing its first two batters of the game on base. Rowdy Tellez drove in the game’s first run with a one-out double off the left-center wall. Alejandro Osuna followed up with a clutch two-out, three-run homer, driving a hanging curveball from Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi over the right-center field fence to put the Rangers up 4-0.

Cleveland answered quickly in the bottom half, as Kyle Manzardo launched a two-run homer to straightaway center, slicing the deficit to 4-2.

Leiter Stifles Guardians' Offense

Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter (10-10) continued his recent dominance over the Guardians, building off his previous seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in their last meeting. On Friday, Leiter delivered another gem, going seven innings and allowing just two runs on four hits, while racking up 10 strikeouts over 101 pitches. It marked the third time in his 34 career starts that he completed seven innings.

Key Moments

The Rangers extended their lead in the seventh inning. Cody Freeman delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded, providing insurance runs and boosting Texas’s lead to 6-2. Jake Burger added an RBI single, making it 7-2 in favor of the Rangers.

Key Stat

Alejandro Osuna’s hit streak continues, as he has recorded at least one hit in eight of Texas’s last nine games. Although his season average sits at .211, Osuna has been red-hot in September, batting .304 (17-for-56), leading the team for the month.

Up Next

The series continues on Saturday as the Rangers send left-hander Jacob Latz (2-0, 2.80 ERA) to the mound against Cleveland’s lefty Joey Cantillo (5-3, 3.21 ERA).

In summary

The Texas Rangers snapped a tough stretch with a crucial 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, highlighted by a first-inning surge and a dominant start from Jack Leiter. This result keeps the AL Central race neck-and-neck, as Cleveland and Detroit remain deadlocked, and postseason hopes remain in balance. Alejandro Osuna’s timely hitting and strong September performance stand out as the Rangers aim for a late-season push.

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