Wyatt Langford becomes first Rangers rookie with walk-off slam in a 7-4 win over Yankees and Holmes

AP Baseball Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Wyatt Langford hit a game-ending grand slam off All-Star closer Clay Holmes to give the Texas Rangers a 7-4 win over the Yankees on Tuesday night and drop New York out of the AL East lead.

Langford hit the first walk-off slam by a Rangers rookie, sending Holmes (2-5) to his major league-high 11th blown save in 40 chances. Texas overcame a 4-1, eighth-inning deficit.

“I think everyone likes those moments,” said Langford, the first Rangers player with three walk-off hits in a season since Josh Hamilton in 2011. “I think you like them even more if you’re able to come through. So, it’s really cool to be able to come through.”

Carson Kelly had a one-out single in the ninth, and Josh Smith and Marcus Semien followed with walks as Holmes threw just 12 of 25 pitches for strikes.

“There’s been times I feel like I’ve thrown well, I’ve gotten beat,” Holmes said. “Honestly, tonight was one of those I didn’t throw very well, and wasn’t very good at all and didn’t deserve to come out on top there the way I was throwing.”

Langford pulled a full-count slider 407 feet to left for his 10th homer this season.

“He’s been coming up in those big spots and coming through for us,” Kelly said. “Definitely awesome to see.”

New York (80-59) fell a half-game behind Baltimore (81-59) for the division lead and the best record in the American League. The Yankees have lost five of their last seven games.

When Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked if he needed to consider changing closers, he said he wasn’t going to answer that “when we’re raw and emotional” just moments after the game.

“Stuff’s there, I feel like he’s throwing the ball well. Tonight was a struggle, obviously,” Boone said. “Getting the lead guy there and then not putting away the righty there to start the rally, and then lost the zone a little bit and not being able to finish off some 3-2 counts. … He’s really important to us down there. We need his excellence to be part of the group down there. So, you know, this is a tough one.”

It was the third straight win at home for the Rangers in walk-off fashion, and MLB high-tying ninth overall. They won in their final at-bats Saturday and Sunday against Oakland before losing the series opener against New York.

Rookie lefty Walter Pennington (1-0), the sixth Texas pitcher, got his first big league victory after getting one out — a flyout to right by MLB home run leader Aaron Judge.

Carlos Rodón had a season-high 11 strikeouts while pitching one-hit ball over six innings. The only hit the New York left-hander allowed was Josh Jung’s homer leading off the fourth.

New York went ahead after Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe opened the seventh with consecutive singles. José Leclerc (5-5) balked to push them both up a base, then Jose Trevino had an RBI groundout and Alex Verdugo lined a single over the drawn-in infield for a 2-1 lead.

Volpe added a two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, and the speedy Chisolm likely would have also scored from first had he not stopped despite being waved around by third base coach Luis Rojas. Chisolm, who had his fourth consecutive multihit game, seemed to acknowledge that he didn’t pick up the sign when he pointed to his eyes.

The Rangers scored twice in the eighth, when Jung had an RBI single and Nathaniel Lowe a sacrifice fly.

Texas starter Andrew Heaney struck out eight with one walk and didn’t allow a run while pitching into the sixth inning. The left-hander with 13 losses has given up only one run over 15 innings (0.60 ERA) his last three starts without a decision in any of them.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHPs Luis Gil (lower back strain) and Clarke Schmidt (right lat strain) will both come off the injured list to start the first two games in New York’s series against the Chicago Cubs that begins Friday. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will then take his normal turn in the rotation in the series finale Sunday. Cole said he had no soreness and no issues after coming out of his start Monday night because of cramping in his right calf.

Rangers: Manager Bruce Bochy said RHP Jon Gray is done for the season after being put on the 15-day injured list with a bothersome right foot issue. The manager also said RHP Tyler Mahle also isn’t expected to pitch again this season after making three starts in his comeback from Tommy John surgery.

UP NEXT

A pair of 10-game winners take the mound for the series finale Wednesday night. Marcus Stroman (10-6, 3.81 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, and fellow right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (10-7, 3.60) goes for Texas.

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