Wyatt Langford hits game-ending single for Rangers in 4-3 win over White Sox in 10 innings
AP Baseball Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas rookie Wyatt Langford hit a game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning, after scoring the tying run in the ninth, as the Rangers rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Monday night.
Leody Taveras, who had earlier homered, opened the Texas 10th with a sacrifice bunt that moved pinch-runner Travis Jankowski to third.
After a strikeout by Marcus Semien, who had also homered, Steven Wilson (1-6) intentionally walked Corey Seager and Josh Smith to load the bases. Langford hit a 2-2 pitch that ricocheted off the base of the wall in left field.
“I’m glad I got to be in that spot,” said Langford, who took his timeout before stepping in to the box after those quick intentional walks. “I don’t think it’s an insult. I appreciate it.”
The White Sox (27-75), who have lost eight in a row, had gone ahead on Paul DeJong’s solo homer in the ninth inning before their bullpen’s MLB-high 25th blown save. They are only the 12th team in MLB history with 75 losses in their first 102 games.
“That was a gut punch,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “I thought our guys battled all day long. We had a great day’s work. … We had some good meetings about some things that we needed to take care of.”
Langford had a one-out double in the ninth off John Brebbia, stole third and scored the tying run on Jonah Heim’s single up the middle.
“It’s no secret that I’ve been kind struggling all year, so to be able to come through for the team is important to me,” said Heim, who Sunday hit a three-run homer in their 3-2 win over Baltimore. “Didn’t have to be a homer, just had to to be a single, and pass the baton to the next guy, and we end up winning that game.”
DeJong went deep off All-Star closer Kirby Yates, who has converted all 17 of his save opportunities. Yates struck out two after coming into a tie game.
Jonathan Hernández (3-0) worked the 10th and got the last two of 17 strikeouts by five Texas pitchers. The White Sox matched their season high in their 38th game with at least 10 Ks.
Tommy Pham hit a 441-foot homer to center in the top of the first inning for Chicago. Brooks Baldwin, in his fourth big league game, got his first career RBI with a single in the fourth.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for the fourth time this season in the fifth. Bochy went out for an explanation when Luis Robert Jr. stole second base on a foul tip. The ball was briefly in Heim’s mitt before coming out while the Gold Glove catcher was trying to get in position for a throw.
Bochy was tossed after he kept following umpire Edwin Moscoso, who was walking back toward home plate. It was Bochy’s 85th career ejection, passing former Minnesota and Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire for the seventh-most career ejections, still far behind the record 162 by Bobby Cox.
Rangers starter Michael Lorenzen, who finished with eight strikeouts, struck out the last three batters he faced to keep Robert from scoring.
Robert was out at home to end the third when trying to score on a wild pitch. Heim retrieved the ball and tossed to Lorenzen covering the plate.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada (thigh) and RHP Mike Clevinger (right elbow) both returned from their rehab assignments, and the team said it would further evaluate before updating their status. Clevinger had made four rehab starts for Triple-A Charlotte. His last start for the White Sox was May 23.
Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom (right elbow surgery rehab) is scheduled for throwing sessions Tuesday off the game mound and then again Friday. If all goes well, the two-time Cy Young Award winner would then progress to throwing live BP multiple times.
UP NEXT
White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet (6-6, 3.02 ERA), the MLB leader with 12.58 strikeouts per nine innings and potential trade target for other teams, takes the mound Tuesday night. Rangers RHP Jon Gray (4-4, 3.96) has allowed 23 earned runs over 24 innings in his last six appearances.
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