Wyatt Langford smashed a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning, lifting the Texas Rangers to a 7-4 win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
While facing a full count with the bases loaded and one out, Langford connected on a slider from Clay Holmes (2-5), sending it 407 feet into the left field seats.
The rally began when Carson Kelly hit a one-out single and pinch runner Leody Taveras stole second. Josh Smith and Marcus Semien then walked to load the bases.
Rangers rookie reliever Walter Pennington (1-0) got the last out in the top of the ninth to earn his first major league win.
Texas (66-73) trailed 4-1 before narrowing the deficit in the eighth. Josh Jung, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, singled to drive in Smith. Two batters later, Nathaniel Lowe’s sacrifice fly brought Semien home to pull the Rangers within one.
The Yankees (80-59) were held scoreless on two hits through the first six innings before breaking through in the seventh.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe each singled to open the inning and advanced to third and second, respectively, on a balk by reliever Jose Leclerc. Jose Trevino grounded out to bring in Chisholm and tie the game at 1-1.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy then swapped right-hander Leclerc for Andrew Chafin to face Alex Verdugo for a left-on-left matchup. However, Verdugo connected for a single to drive in Volpe and put New York ahead 2-1.
The Yankees added two more runs in the eighth off Chafin and Grant Anderson. Gleyber Torres walked, then was forced out at second on Juan Soto’s grounder. Aaron Judge and Chisholm each singled to load the bases, and Volpe sent a two-out single into center, scoring Soto and Judge for a 4-1 lead.
New York starter Carlos Rodon struck out 11 and held the Rangers to one hit through six innings. The lone hit he permitted came in the fourth inning, when Jung knocked a first-pitch fastball over the wall in left-center field for a 1-0 lead.
Volpe, Chisholm and Torres each went 2-for-4 for the Yankees, who lost for the third time in four games.
Texas starter Andrew Heaney went five-plus scoreless innings, fanning eight and giving up three hits and one walk. The Rangers leveled a three-game series at one win apiece, posting their sixth victory in eight games.
–Field Level Media
