Langford’s three-run – Wyatt Langford hit a three-run homer and Jake Burger and Joc Pederson also went deep as the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Thursday night, bouncing back after two straight losses.
TORONTO — The Rangers needed one clean swing to turn the temperature in the game, and Wyatt Langford provided it in the middle of a decisive moment.
Langford launched a three-run home run as Texas built a lead. then held on for a 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night. Jake Burger and Joc Pederson also connected for homers. with Pederson finishing 2 for 3 with two walks and scoring twice as Texas bounced back after losing the previous two.
Toronto tried to make it dramatic late. Kazuma Okamoto cut the deficit to one with a two-run homer off Jacob Latz in the ninth, his 18th.
Latz steadied himself afterward, retiring Alejandro Kirk on a grounder and striking out pinch hitter Brandon Valenzuela for his 15th save in 17 chances.
Texas’s offense had another jolt early. Pederson led off with his 12th homer, finishing an 11-pitch at-bat with a 402-foot drive into the second deck. He fouled off seven pitches before homering.
A five-run third followed, with Langford and Burger both going deep. Langford, who also homered in Wednesday’s loss at Miami, hit his eighth homer. Seven of his have come in 19 games since he returned from the injured list on June 5. Burger’s two-run shot was his 14th.
On the mound, Texas had to grind through heavy innings. Left-hander MacKenzie Gore (5-6) allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings, snapping a four-start winless streak.
For Toronto, Kevin Gausman (4-6) was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in six innings, marking his sixth straight winless outing. The Blue Jays’ right-hander had been hit hard in his previous start on June 19 against the Cubs, giving up seven runs on seven hits in two innings.
The Blue Jays scored three in the fifth. Davis Schneider hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, and Myles Straw followed with a two-run double.
The game carried extra attention around Corey Seager’s return to the lineup. Seager went 0 for 2 and walked twice after being activated off the concussion list. The two-time World Series MVP missed 12 games.
With Texas collecting the win, the Blue Jays dropped to 10-17 in series openers.
The next matchup is set for Friday, with Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (7-7, 4.24 ERA) scheduled to start against Blue Jays LHP Patrick Corbin (2-3, 4.73).
Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Wyatt Langford Joc Pederson Jake Burger MacKenzie Gore Kevin Gausman Jacob Latz Kazuma Okamoto Corey Seager MLB