ARLINGTON, Texas — Wyatt Langford delivered a pivotal two-run home run in the seventh inning, helping the Texas Rangers secure a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night. The triumph marked the Rangers’ fourth consecutive win, despite Jacob deGrom squandering an early four-run advantage.
The game began with a promising lead for the Rangers, as they surged to a 4-0 in the initial inning. Marcus Semien launched a leadoff homer, and Jake Burger smashed a three-run shot following walks from Langford and Adolis Garcia. However, the Rays retaliated in the sixth inning, with Jonathan Aranda belting a two-run homer, contributing to a three-run frame that leveled the score at 4 apiece.
Jonathan Aranda’s powerful homer and Kameron Misner’s strategic double brought an end to deGrom’s tenure on the mound. Throughout his 5? innings, deGrom gave up four runs on eight hits, including the homers by Aranda and Brandon Lowe.
Rays starter Taj Bradley had initially struggled, conceding four runs in the first inning, but subsequently regained control and managed to keep the Rangers hitless over the following four innings. In total, Bradley yielded four runs, two hits, and four walks while striking out seven over five innings.
The decisive moment came when Robert Garcia, the third pitcher for the Rangers, achieved a crucial out that earned him the win. Luke Jackson closed the game in the ninth inning for his fifth save of the season. On the opposing side, Mason Montgomery was charged with the loss after surrendering Langford’s critical home run.
In a key sequence leading to the go-ahead homer, Kevin Pillar initiated the seventh inning with a single, successfully stole second base, and advanced to third following a throwing error by catcher Danny Jansen. Subsequently, Langford capitalized with his game-changing homer.
For deGrom, the game marked an unusual occurrence as he allowed multiple home runs in a single game for the first time since September 30, 2022, against the Braves during his tenure with the Mets.
Looking ahead, the series finale is set for Sunday at 1:35 p.m., featuring a pitching matchup between Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen and Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker.