ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Smith led the Texas Rangers to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox, contributing significantly both at the plate and by scoring all three of the team’s runs Friday night. This marks Smith’s fifth consecutive game with two hits, showcasing a strong offensive performance.
Smith started the first inning with a single, eventually scoring when Corey Seager hit a sacrifice fly. In the third inning, Smith added his seventh home run to his season tally with a powerful 396-foot shot to right-center field. Later, he drew a walk and scored on Marcus Semien’s RBI double in the fifth inning, putting the Rangers at a 3-0 advantage. Smith finished the game 2 for 3, also drawing a walk, maintaining an impressive .435 batting average over his last five games.
Jacob Webb played a crucial role for the Rangers, being the second of seven pitchers used in the bullpen rotation. Webb clinched the win with two solid innings, marking the Rangers’ fifth victory in their last six games. Despite a tense moment when Robert Garcia loaded the bases in the ninth, he successfully secured the final outs to earn his fifth save in seven opportunities.
The White Sox’s starting pitcher, Adrian Houser, concluded his night with three earned runs allowed on six hits over five innings. He recorded two strikeouts and four walks.
For Texas, Shawn Armstrong took the mound to start, achieving a career-high by retiring nine consecutive batters with five strikeouts in three innings, a notable improvement given his previous season-high of three strikeouts.
The White Sox’s Luis Robert was their first player to reach base, doing so in the fifth inning with an infield single that initially saw him called out until a successful replay challenge. He later continued contributing offensively with an RBI double in the seventh.
A pivotal moment unfolded when the White Sox had a run in and two men on base during the seventh inning. However, Texas reliever Chris Martin efficiently retired both batters he faced to escape the threat.
Despite struggles, Corey Seager showed signs of consistent play. Though only 4 for 45 (.089) with 15 strikeouts post-injury list return, Seager has succeeded in earning walks in eight consecutive games, including two in this matchup.
Looking forward, Rangers’ right-hander Jacob deGrom is set to take the mound for Texas. DeGrom has an outstanding 6-2 record with a 2.12 ERA and has allowed no more than two runs in his last ten starts. Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox plan to use an opener on the mound but haven’t announced the pitcher yet for Saturday’s game.