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Rangers Beat Rays on Walk-Off Wild Pitch

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Rangers
By Stefan Stevenson | Last updated 7/17/23

ARLINGTON, Texas – Josh Smith scored from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth to give the Texas Rangers a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays Monday night at Globe Life Field.

It's the Rangers' first walk-off win since June 5.

Smith was pinch-running for Josh Jung, who led off the inning with a double to left-center. Smith moved to third base on Nathaniel Lowe's groundout to second. That brought Mitch Garver to the plate with two outs against Rays' reliever Pete Fairbanks, who started the inning.

The Rangers (56-39) have won four consecutive games, their longest win streak since winning a season-best five in a row on June 6.

Dane Dunning held the Rays (60-37) to two runs over seven innings and Ezequiel Duran tied the game with a two-run home run in the sixth inning.

Rays ace Shane McClanahan was rolling through the Rangers lineup after Marcus Semien's lead-off single in the first. He retired 14 consecutive batters before Robbie Grossman's infield single started the sixth.

McClanahan, who entered the game 11-1 with a 2.53 ERA, allowed two runs on three hits and struck out six in six innings.
First walk-off win for the Rangers since June 5 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Rangers and was syndicated with permission.

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