ARLINGTON, Texas — Wyatt Langford scored from third base on Evan Carter’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning Saturday night, hurdling his way home as the throw came in. The run put the Texas Rangers ahead 6-1, and they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 at Globe Life Field.
Rangers third base coach Corey Ragsdale sent Langford on the play. The play at the plate was close, Langford said on Rangers Sports Network after the game.
“Nothing,” Langford said. “I mean, I was just watching, trying to score. He told me to go. I knew it was going to be close. I just put my head down and ran. And he ended up being kind of in the baseline. [It] just kind of all happened. I didn’t really plan on doing all that.”
Wyatt Langford Scores Twice Against José Soriano And Toronto Blue Jays
Langford also scored the Rangers’ second run of the night. In the second inning, José Soriano walked him to open the frame and hit Nicky Lopez on the right foot one out later. Langford came home when shortstop Andrés Giménez could not handle a throw to second base on Danny Jansen’s grounder, and Lopez scored on a wild pitch.
The sixth started with Josh Jung getting hit by a pitch and Brandon Nimmo singling. Langford doubled off the left-field wall to score Jung, and that ended Soriano’s night. Paul Sewald struck out the next batter, intentionally walked Lopez to load the bases, and hit Jansen to force in Nimmo before Carter’s fly ball.
Toronto’s intentional walk left the bases loaded for Jansen. The Rangers have won lately by bunting, by stealing, and with big hits, Langford said.
“It’s awesome,” Langford explained. “We’ve won in a bunch of different ways lately. Whether it’s bunting, stealing, big hits, just part of it, part of the game. That happens and then Danny obviously gets hit in the next pitch. So it all worked out. But that’s what happens. You just play hard and see what happens.”
Texas Rangers Lead Houston Astros By One Game With Seven Left
Texas (78-77) is alone in first place in the American League West for the first time since Aug. 24, one game ahead of the Houston Astros (77-78). Houston won the season series 9-4 and holds the tiebreaker, so the Rangers have to finish ahead of the Astros outright.
Saturday also put Texas above .500 for the first time since Aug. 10, when it was 60-59. The Rangers have won six of their last seven games.
“We’re just here showing up every day to play and try and get in the playoffs,” Langford said. “To be in that position right now is great. But yeah, there are still a lot of games left. We need to keep it that way.”
Jacob deGrom (11-9, 3.79 ERA) starts Sunday’s series finale at 1:35 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network. Toronto is going with a bullpen day built around right-hander Spencer Arrighetti.
