ARLINGTON — Hours after the Texas Rangers activated him from the injured list, Wyatt Langford lined a one-out single into left field in the bottom of the ninth Thursday night, scoring Alejandro Osuna for a 7-6 walk-off win over the Los Angeles Angels — and with it, first place in the AL West. Nathan Eovaldi‘s 10-strikeout start, covered here last night, set the table; Langford finished the job.
Texas built a 6-1 lead through six innings in the series finale, and the power did the building. Brandon Nimmo homered in a 2-for-4 night with two runs and a stolen base, Justin Foscue went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and two RBIs — his second home run in his last three games — and Ezequiel Duran added a two-run shot. All three came at the expense of Angels starter Reid Detmers, who allowed five runs on seven hits over four innings. Eovaldi’s line: six innings, six hits, four runs (three earned), two walks, 10 strikeouts — his fourth straight start with double-digit swing-and-miss stuff working.
The Angels tied it with a five-run seventh against the Texas bullpen — Peyton Gray was charged with two runs while recording two outs — and Nolan Schanuel went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. But Los Angeles never led. In the ninth, Osuna singled off Kirby Yates, Nicky Lopez bunted him to second, and Langford — back from a hamstring strain and, per the Associated Press, collecting the fourth walk-off hit of his career — sent everyone home. Cole Winn got the win with the final out of the top of the ninth.
The standings math: Texas is 47-46 and alone in first, a half-game up on Seattle, which was swept in Miami. Three homers among 11 hits carried this one, and the thump will need to keep coming — the Houston Astros, just two back, open a three-game series at Globe Life Field tonight. First place at one game over .500 is a lease, not a deed.
For fantasy purposes, Langford (.275, eight homers in 41 games) should go right back into lineups now that the hamstring is cleared. Foscue is building a playing-time case with two homers this week, and Schanuel’s 4-for-4 makes him a deep-league corner-infield stream while the contact holds.
