Wyatt Langford hit a grand slam to end the game against All-Star closer Clay Holmes, giving the Texas Rangers a 7-4 victory over the Yankees on Tuesday night and causing New York to lose their lead in the AL East.
Langford became the first rookie for the Rangers to hit a walk-off grand slam. His hit also contributed to Holmes (2-5) having his major league-high 11th blown save in 40 chances. Texas came back from a 4-1 deficit in the eighth inning.
“I think everyone likes those moments,” Langford said, making him the first Rangers player to achieve 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.”
In the ninth inning, Carson Kelly got a one-out single, followed by walks from Josh Smith and Marcus Semien as Holmes threw only 12 strikes out of 25 pitches.
“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 hit a full-count slider 407 feet to left field for his 10th home run of the 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) dropped to 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 might consider changing closers, he said he wouldn’t discuss that “when we’re raw and emotional” just 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 with a walk-off, tying them for the most in MLB with nine. They won their final at-bats Saturday and Sunday against Oakland before losing the series opener against New York.
Rookie left-hander Walter Pennington (1-0), the sixth pitcher for Texas, earned his first big league win after getting one out—a flyout to right by MLB home run leader Aaron Judge.
Carlos Rodón had a season-high 11 strikeouts while allowing just one hit over six innings. The only hit Rodón gave up was Josh Jung’s homer leading off the fourth inning.
New York took the lead after Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe hit consecutive singles in the seventh inning. José Leclerc (5-5) balked to move them both up a base. José Trevino then had an RBI groundout and Alex Verdugo lined a single over the infield for a 2-1 lead.
Volpe added a two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning. Chisholm, who would have scored from first base if he hadn’t stopped despite being waved around by third base coach Luis Rojas, seemed to realize he missed the sign when he pointed to his eyes.
The Rangers scored twice in the eighth inning when Jung had an RBI single and Nathaniel Lowe hit 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.
Heaney, who has 13 losses, has given up just one run over 15 innings (0.60 ERA) in his last three starts, though he has not received a decision in any of them.
