The up-and-down San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers faced off in game one of their three-game series on Friday.

The two combined for 13 runs in the first four innings of a back-and-forth affair at Globe Life Field, delivering exactly the kind of explosive offensive showcase fans were hoping for in a mid-June matchup.

Ty France continued his hot streak in what has been an impressive season so far in his return to the Friars. France launched a grand slam off ace Jacob deGrom in the top of the first, capping a five-run outburst that sent the Padres racing to an early 5-0 lead. The towering blast came after Gavin Sheets knocked in the first run with an RBI single, and it cleared the bases with runners aboard thanks to a patient approach that had already put pressure on the two-time Cy Young winner.

While the Padres enjoyed some time on top, the Rangers immediately answered. Texas put up six runs in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on walks, a Padres error, and timely hitting that included a two-run double from Alejandro Osuna, an RBI double from Jake Burger, and an infield single from Elias Díaz to put Texas up 6-5 after just one wild inning. This was a rather uncharacteristic start for Padres starter Randy Vásquez, who has been fairly consistent this season, bringing a 3.63 ERA into the game.

Both offenses stayed aggressive from there. France went deep again in the fourth with a solo homer to tie it back up at 6-6, showcasing both his power and clutch ability once more. Once again, Texas responded right away, with left fielder Wyatt Langford delivering an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead 7-6. After the Rangers’ domination led to an early exit after just 3.1 innings from Vasquez, left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui delivered 1.2 innings of 1 hit baseball and kept the Rangers’ lead to 1. A relentless Texas attack, however, added on in the sixth, extending their lead to two over the Friars.

While San Diego had a hot start, righty ace DeGrom settled in after his rocky first, allowing just one more run in the following five innings. DeGrom’s day ended after six, and with an opportunity to notch a win.

The long ball game continued in the 8th for the Padres, when Gavin Sheets continued his impressive slugging campaign, cutting the lead in half with a 391 home run shot down the line. At this point, San Diego had scored six of their seven runs through the long ball, a bright sign for a team ranked 22nd in home runs going into the tilt. Unfortunately, this rang true for Texas as well. Wyatt Landford once again answered the call, sending a ball to space immediately in the bottom of the 8th with a first-pitch 430-foot home run against Jason Adams. This marked a rough start for 2025 all-star Adams, who had come in relief of Wandy Peralta.

Ultimately, the friars fell short, and some common themes remained: the new faces are performing, while the studs fade into darkness. New 2026 additions Samad Taylor and Ty France both had three-hit nights, with France sending two balls to the bleachers, while Will Wagner notched a respectable two-hit night. This all came while stars Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, Jackson Merrill, and Xander Bogaerts went a combined 0-for-17.

Additionally of note, Catcher Blake Hunt made his MLB debut. Moving forward, the Padres will again ask the same thing they have been asking for all season: for their stars to be stars, or at least serviceable starters. Until that happens, any potential deep playoff run down the line looks bleak for San Diego, as the newcomers and pitching can only carry them so far.

Billy Seidlitz

Billy has spent a majority of his life following San Diego sports and worked in San Diego for many years. Now residing in Newport Beach he recently obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Chapman University and now works as an Associate Personal Injury Attorney. Billy enjoys supporting the Padres and SDFC from Orange County and making the drive down for big games. He is passionate about analytics and writing about sports.