Marcus Semien hit a home run in the eighth inning, breaking the tie and helping the Rangers secure a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. Semien smashed a fastball from Lucas Sims down the left-field line for the decisive hit.
Jacob Latz, José Leclerc, and Kirby Yates retired the last nine Cincinnati batters, with Yates earning his fourth save in four chances. The Rangers’ bullpen has now pitched 16 consecutive scoreless innings.
Starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi limited the Reds to three singles over six innings after giving up a run in the first inning due to three walks, three stolen bases, and an error.
The Rangers, known for their strong defense and pitching, managed to score two home runs in Friday’s game, including Evan Carter’s solo shot in the second inning off starter Graham Ashcraft.
Semien highlighted the team’s solid performance, stating, “We play good defense. I think that’s our identity. We’ve been pitching the ball great. Evo battled. The bullpen’s been great, and we hit a couple of balls out.”
The Reds initially took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer drew walks, and De La Cruz managed to steal home after a throwing error on a stolen base attempt by Steer during Tyler Stephenson’s at-bat.
De La Cruz’s successful steal of home, combined with Steer’s steal earlier in April, marked the first time the Reds had two such steals in a single month since Joe Morgan and Pete Rose achieved it in April 1978.
Despite their efforts, the Reds, who had been shut out in two of their last four games, struggled, striking out 12 times.
Eovaldi, the Rangers’ pitcher, matched his season high with eight strikeouts but allowed one run on three hits and five walks, with three of those walks coming in the first inning. He pitched for six innings.
Reds manager David Bell expressed disappointment about the loss but remained optimistic, saying, “Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done tonight, but we will in the future. We’ll continue to work and look for those opportunities.”
