​ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — In a dramatic Thursday night battle, Wyatt Langford delivered a clutch moment for the Texas Rangers, lining a wall-scraping single in left field to score Alejandro Osuna from second base in the bottom of the ninth. The hit came off former Texas closer Kirby Yates, who entered the game in relief after Osuna and Langford had sparked a late rally that erased a five-run lead and gave Texas a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Langford, activated from the 10-day injured list on the first eligible day after dealing with a left hamstring strain, had three strikeouts in his first four at-bats as the designated hitter.
Osuna started the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from pinch-hitter Nicky Lopez. Langford then ripped a 1-1 fastball over Jose Siri’s head, driving it for the winning hit as the Angels’ defense tense with the potential go-ahead run on third. The dramatic moment came after Jo Adell delivered a tying pinch-hit single to cap a five-run seventh, a night after he homered twice in Angels’ 13-1 victory the previous evening.
Texas starter Cole Winn earned the win after closing out the top of the ninth on a sharp liner to center off the bat of Adell, ending the frame with the go-ahead run aboard. He had inherited the 9th from All-Star closer Jacob Latz, who worked 1 2/3 innings in his first game back in nine days.
Nathan Eovaldi had a season-best 10 strikeouts for Texas but did not factor in the decision, leaving the game with no outs in the seventh after Dezner Guzman reached on catcher’s interference, Logan O’Hoppe walked, and Wade Meckler’s single scored Guzman. Peyton Gray came on to relieve Eovaldi and surrendered a two-run single to Nolan Schanuel, who totaled four hits on the night, followed by an RBI single to Jorge Soler.
For Texas, Nolan Schanuel’s brotherly duel with fate continued as the offense heated up early. Texas plated four runs in the first four innings off Reid Detmers, who had entered the game having not given up more than one home run in any of his previous 18 starts. Brandon Nimmo, Ezequiel Duran, and Justin Foscue also homered off Detmers in those early innings, underscoring Detmers’ vulnerability to the long ball.
Looking ahead, the Angels were set to promote RHP Grayson Rodriguez from the injured list to start Friday’s game at Minnesota, while the Rangers were preparing to host Houston with RHP Cal Quantrill slated to start. Quantrill, who has appeared in 18 games with three starts this season, is scheduled to face Houston at home after three starts in his first 18 appearances.
The late heroics by Langford, spurred by Osuna’s speed and Lopez’s timely run-scoring opportunity, sealed a tense comeback for the Rangers, who fought back from the deficit and showcased the resilience that has defined their late-season push. This win adds another chapter to a season filled with high-leverage moments and underscores the continuing importance of timely hitting and bullpen depth in Texas’ bid for a strong finish.
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