Josh Smith hit his first game-ending home run at any level, and it was for the Texas Rangers against the Houston Astros in the first game of their final series this season. The Rangers and Astros are both in the AL West and were the last two World Series champions.
Smith hit a 410-foot homer into the right-center seats with two outs in the 10th inning on Monday night, giving the Rangers a 4-3 win. This happened after the Astros had taken the lead earlier in the inning when two batters were hit by pitches.
Smith said, “That’s pretty cool, and then to do it against the rival and division team is pretty sweet. To do it in that situation against that team with where we’re at right now is pretty important.”
Corey Seager also contributed with his 23rd homer, his fourth in four games, hitting a two-out homer in the eighth inning for the defending champion Rangers (54-59). This win brought them five games closer to the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners, who were idle. The Rangers are still 8 1/2 games back for a wild-card spot.
Seager, who was on deck when Smith hit his home run, said, “The excitement speaks for it all. You know that’s how the team feels right now. It almost feels like a weight lifted off our shoulders. You know, you get to exhale a little bit. So really cool swing out of him, and something we really needed.”
Smith’s game-winning homer off Caleb Ferguson (1-4) earned All-Star closer Kirby Yates (4-1) the win. In the top of the 10th, Yates had hit two batters with pitches, the first of which was a disputed call, allowing the Astros to take the lead temporarily.
Texas had intentionally walked slugger Yordan Alvarez with one out before Yainer Diaz checked his swing and said he was hit on the hand by the pitch. The Rangers challenged the call when home plate umpire Will Little awarded Diaz first base, but the call was upheld after review.
Yates then hit Jeremy Peña with a pitch, forcing in another run.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy commented, “I don’t think you can have two bigger home runs of what we got late. Those big home runs and really, you look at Kirby that game. It could have gotten away there in the 10th inning. But kept his poise and got the next two guys out to keep it a one-run ballgame.”
