Ninth-place hitter Bubba Thompson had a triple, double and two RBIs, and the Texas Rangers ripped the Chicago Cubs 8-2 on Sunday to end a two-game slide.
Leadoff man Marcus Semien doubled among two hits and drove in three runs as the Rangers rebounded from an error-filled 10-3 loss on Saturday to salvage the final game of a three-game set at Wrigley Field. Corey Seager and Travis Jankowski each knocked in a run with a double, and Jonah Heim had two hits.
Thompson appeared in his third game and entered with just one hit, a double, in three previous at bats. The fleet center fielder - who Bochy says has “game-changing speed” -- also scored twice in this one and reached on an error.
Jankowski, hitting eighth, played in just his fourth game and notched his first extra-base hit since 2021.
Edwin Rios cracked a two-run homer, his first hit in three games with the Cubs this season after signing as a free agent in February. That was the only scoring off Texas starter Jon Gray (1-1), who scattered six hits in 5 2/3 innings for the win.
Relievers Will Smith, Cole Ragans and José Leclerc followed with 3 1/3 scoreless, one-hit innings.
Jameson Taillon (0-2) allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits in five innings in his second start with Chicago after signing a four-year contract in free agency. The right-hander struck out seven and walked only one, but was hurt by some soft, well-placed Texas hits and two Cubs errors as Chicago's three-game winning streak ended.
The Rangers took a 4-0 lead in the second.
Jankwoski drove in the first run with a ground-rule double. Heim scored to make it 2-0 when third-baseman Nick Madrigal snared Thompson’s smash but threw wide of first.
Semien capped the rally with a bloop double to right that dropped in off Trey Mancini’s glove.
Rios’ shot to the batter’s eye in center in the bottom half cut it to 4-2.
The Rangers added another unearned run in the fourth, upping their lead to 5-2. Jankowski reached on first baseman Eric Hosmer’s fielding error then scored on Thompson’s soft double down the left-field line.
Texas tacked on three more runs against reliever Javier Assad in the sixth, scoring on Thompson’s triple, Semien’s single and Seager’s double.
Cubs LHP Drew Smyly (0-1, 11.75) faces Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (1-0, 0.00) on Monday at Wrigley Field.
