ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 2: Josh Smith #8 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field on July 2, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Tigers 6, Rangers 3

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• The Rangers are now on a losing streak.
• And are back to .500.
• Why do the Rangers want to vex us so?
• Kumar Rocker seemed to be going well to start the game. He faced one over the minimum through three innings, allowing a pair of singles, but erasing one of them with a double play ball.
• Something went wrong in the fourth inning, though. Rocker’s velocity dropped, with what was said after the game to be attributable to his mechanics getting out of whack. And for the second day in a row, a Riley Greene two run home run gave the Tigers the lead, though this time took the lead away from the Rangers, who had gotten on the board with a solo home run by Jake Burger in the bottom of the third.
• Things got even worse in the fifth. After a strikeout to start the inning, Rocker elicited a weak roller from James Outman. In a flashback to 2025, Rocker was slow getting off the mound, which resulted in Burger having to field the ball, but with no one to throw to at first.
• Outman was the last batter Rocker faced, and while the beats reported that Schumaker said after the game it was due to Rocker laboring, the failure to cover first (or alternatively make a play on the grounder), one would think, played a part.
• Unfortunately that is when things when extremely bad. Robby Ahlstrom entered the game. He ended up facing five hitters, none of whom he retired.
• I am a bit concerned about the possibility of there being a Ketel Marte situation developing here. I already have a sense of dread that envelops me when Ketel Marte comes to the plate against the Rangers. I don’t want to assume that Riley Greene is, if given the opportunity, going to do bad things to the Rangers, put the Rangers behind, get hits and suck the life out of us.
• The precise sequence was single, single, catcher’s interference, run scoring wild pitch, triple (to Riley Greene, of course), walk. Gavin Collyer came in and got the next two runners and avoided any more runs from scoring, but, you know, barn doors locked after the fact and all that.
• The Greene triple was a skied opposite field ball that hit off of the left field wall, with Josh Smith (the game’s starting left fielder) hitting the wall going after the ball, which allowed Greene to make it to third. Smith got the start in left in place of Alejandro Osuna, who got the day off after his own defensive misadventure in left field the game before.
• Wyatt Langford will be back soon, though. I hope?
• Collyer, Cole Winn and Peyton Gray kept the Tigers off the board the rest of the way, but the Ranger offense never really seemed to be in danger of making it a real game. Texas got three runners on in the fifth and managed to score a run then. Ezequiel Duran homered in the eighth.
• The Rangers did, earlier in the game, get runners on the corners with two outs due to a Smith triple and a Cam Cauley (starting in place of Josh Jung, who was a late scratch due to a banged up knee from a foul ball on Saturday). That ended with a Nicky Lopez ground out.
• Once again, a lack of baserunners meant a lack of scoring opportunities. Texas had just four at bats with a runner in scoring position in the game, and put just eight runners on base.
• The Rangers were on a really nice run there on the road trip. These last two games have harshed some of the positive vibes being felt earlier in the week, particularly the lackluster offense.
• I liked it better when they were winning.
• Kumar Rocker touched 95.9 mph on his fastball, averaging 94.2 mph. Robby Ahlstrom hit 95.7 mph with his fastball. Gavin Collyer touched 98.8 mph with his fastball. Cole Winn’s fastball maxed out at 96.3 mph. Peyton Gray’s fastball hit 93.4 mph.
• Brandon Nimmo had a 107.0 mph fly out. Jake Burger’s home run was 106.6 mph, and he had a 100.3 mph groundout. Ezequiel Duran’s homer was 104.2 mph. Josh Smith had a 102.2 mph triple. Elias Diaz had a 101.6 mph line out.
• On off day Monday, then six straight at home before the All Star Break.

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Snowballing debts and disgruntled workers are forcing trash to rot in Johannesburg’s streets.

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Refuse bins have gone days, sometimes weeks, without being collected, causing a frustrating stink throughout the city’s suburbs.

Information shared through council channels highlighted a long list of unpaid contractors, as the city confirmed casual workers had downed tools.

Over 70 businesses owed

In a recent response to a written question submitted in council by Democratic Alliance shadow MMC for environment and infrastructure services Tyrell Meyers, Pikitup confirmed the scale of their unpaid obligations.

“As of 30 May, Pikitup owed contractors and suppliers a total amount of R1.330 billion,” the response reads.

Pikitup’s response listed at least 71 businesses that were owed payment, while explaining the various services that Pikitup outsourced.

“Pikitup engages a range of service providers across its operations, including suppliers responsible for fleet maintenance and repairs, personal protective equipment, capital infrastructure projects, landfill operations and the supply of waste management equipment and bins,” the entity’s response states.

However, the entity’s response confirmed that it had R2.1 billion in its sweeping account.

DA member of parliament Stephen Moore in May accused the municipality of “stonewalling” his attempts have the city explain to the Information Regulator why it was using a sweeping arrangement – the moving of funds between linked accounts – to fund unrelated entities.

“This raises serious concerns that the city’s sweeping arrangement is being used to plug Johannesburg’s wider cash crisis,” stated Moore.

The municipality was contacted on Monday to explain Pikitup’s financial situation, and its response will be added if forthcoming.

Contractors must be paid

The Johannesburg municipality last week confirmed that casual workers tied to its ad hoc fleet were refusing to work until they were absorbed into Pikitup as permanent workers.

“The entity assures residents that a waste collection recovery plan will be implemented as soon as conditions permit to clear backlogs and to restore normal waste collection services,” Pikitup stated.

Meyers explained that the waste management body was in a precarious position, unable to pay contractors or back-up staff.

“It is really an untenable situation to be in at the moment. They will need to pay contractors and service providers before they consider addressing the casual worker’s expectations,” Meyers told The Citizen.

He added that a solution was rooted in financial stability, which could be best achieved by ring-fencing revenue and honouring debt payments.

“The first thing they are going to have to do is to start paying contractors. You need the contractors to be paid to ensure you can run essential services,” Meyers concluded.

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