Rangers Edge Mets 3-1 as Rocker Shines, Jung Homers

The Texas Rangers beat the New York Mets 3-1 on Thursday at Globe Life Field, and the game turned on two names: Kumar Rocker and Josh Jung.

Rocker was the story. The right-hander worked five innings, allowed one earned run on three hits, struck out four and walked two. New York managed just four hits all afternoon, and the Mets' only run came on a solo shot off Zac Thornton, who was nearly as good — five innings, two earned runs, four hits, four strikeouts, one walk.

At the plate, Jung did the heavy lifting: 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and seven total bases. Wyatt Langford chipped in two hits for Texas.

How our plays graded

• Mets moneyline — LOSS. New York never led.
• Mets +1.5 run line — LOSS. The two-run margin pushed this one out of reach.
• Under — WIN. Four total runs, well beneath the number.
• Juan Soto over 0.5 walks — WIN. Soto drew one walk in his three at-bats, and that was enough.
• Carson Benge over 0.5 runs scored — LOSS. Benge had a hit and an RBI but never crossed the plate.
• Josh Jung over 0.5 hits — WIN. Jung tripled the requirement.

The takeaway

This was a split decision. The Under cashed comfortably, and the two player props built on plate discipline and contact — Soto's walk, Jung's hits — landed exactly where the process pointed. The run-scoring prop on Benge missed because the Mets' offense never generated the traffic in front of Soto that the profile required. The lesson is straightforward: when a lineup manages four hits, table-setter run props get squeezed no matter how good the matchup looks. On days when the bats are this cold, lean toward the contact and on-base angles over run production. The Under, meanwhile, remains the most reliable side when two starters are throwing this well.