Josh Smith’s pinch-hit double scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and the visiting Texas Rangers edged the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon.
Smith brought home Ezequiel Duran, who reached on an infield single and advanced to second on an error — one of three committed by the Tigers.
Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim drove in two runs apiece for Texas. Kirby Yates (2-0) pitched the last 1 1/3 innings to get the win. Starter Dane Dunning lasted five-plus innings and allowed two runs, one earned.
Kerry Carpenter and Parker Meadows homered for Detroit. Shelby Miller (3-1) took the loss in relief. Starter Tarik Skubal gave up four runs, two earned, in 6 1/3 innings.
Skubal cost himself a run in the opening inning. He made a throwing error that allowed Marcus Semien to reach base. Corey Seager then singled and Wyatt Langford walked, loading the bases. Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Semien.
Carpenter’s homer tied the game in the bottom of the second when he deposited a 2-2 fastball over the right field wall.
The Rangers got a threat going in the sixth when Semien reached on another error, this time by second baseman Colt Keith. Seager reached on a single to left.
After Langford lined out, Garcia blasted a Skubal changeup off the center field wall for a double. Semien scored and Seager held at third.
Heim then slapped on a 0-2 offering to center, scoring both runners to make it 4-1.
The Rangers gave back a run in the bottom of the inning with an error.
Spencer Torkelson led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, ending Dunning’s afternoon. Jacob Latz retired the next two batters before Keith hit a routine grounder. A throwing error by shortstop Seager allowed Keith to reach base and Torkelson to score.
Parker Meadows pulled the Tigers within 4-3 with his first homer of the season leading off the seventh. He hit a 399-foot blast to right center off Austin Pruitt.
The Tigers scored a run off David Robertson in the eighth to tie the game. Matt Vierling reached on a one-out single, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Javier Baez’s single.
–Field Level Media