Jon Gray bounced back from his toughest MLB outing by allowing only two hits over five innings, helping the Texas Rangers defeat the Kansas City Royals 6-0 on Saturday. Wyatt Langford sealed the victory with an eighth-inning grand slam.
Gray, who had given up nine earned runs and 11 hits in his previous start, threw 51 of 72 pitches for strikes against the Royals.
“Terrific job. Good stuff,” commented Rangers manager Bruce Bochy on Gray’s performance. “It’s good to see him back on track.”
Langford, a rookie who returned from a hamstring injury in May, hit his first career grand slam off a 2-2 slider from Angel Zerpa. He has been batting .299 with 18 RBIs in the games since his return.
“That was pretty cool,” Langford said of his grand slam. “I even forgot it was a grand slam.”
The Texas Rangers, who have won three consecutive games after a five-game losing streak, scored at least five runs in four straight games for the first time this season.
Kansas City struggled offensively, managing only three hits, and has lost 10 of its last 13 games while scoring only 36 runs in those matchups.
Josh Smith hit a solo home run in the fourth inning against Michael Wacha (4-6), and Adolis García added a run-scoring groundout in the eighth inning. The Rangers’ pitchers Jacob Latz, David Robertson, and Brock Burke combined to limit the Royals to just three hits, securing only the third shutout against Kansas City this season.
The Royals went 17 consecutive batters without reaching base between the third inning and the ninth inning when pinch-hitter Nelson Velázquez singled with one out.
