Josh Smith game-ending HR for Rangers in 4-3 win after Astros go ahead on consecutive hit batters

ARLINGTON, Texcas (AP) — Josh Smith hit a game-ending two-run homer in the 10th inning to give the Texas Rangers a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night, in the opener of the final series this season between the AL West rivals and last two World Series champions.

Smith pulled a 410-foot homer into right-center on a 94 mph fastball from Caleb Ferguson (2-3) with two outs.

That made a winner out of All-Star closer Kirby Yates (4-1), who in the top of the 10th hit consecutive batters with pitches, the first a disputed play, to force in a go-ahead run.

Texas had intentionally walked slugger Yordan Alvarez with one out before Yainer Diaz checked his swing and claimed he was hit on the hand by the pitch. The Rangers challenged when home plate umpire Will Little granted the base, but the call stood on replay review. Yates then hit Jeremy Peña with a pitch to force in a run.

Both starting pitchers, Houston’s Hunter Brown and Texas lefty Andrew Heaney, struck out four while giving up only one run over six innings.

Heaney pitched one-hit ball in his six innings, that hit being a solo homer by Alex Bregman. Heaney allowed only two other base runners, on a walk and hit batter, but neither got past first base.

Corey Seager hit his 23rd homer, his fourth in four games, for the defending champion Rangers (54-59), who remained 5 1/2 games behind AL West-leading and idle Seattle. They are 8 1/2 games back for a wild-card spot.

Houston (57-55), the 2022 champ, is 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners.

The Astros went up 2-1 in the eighth when Peña drove in a run with a slow, two-hop infield single fielded cleanly by charging third baseman Josh Jung with the bases loaded against reliever David Robertson, who then struck out the last two batters.

Seager went deep in the bottom of the eighth on a full-count pitch with two outs.

Texas took a 6-5 lead in the season series with two games remaining. They both finished with 90 wins last year, and Houston was declared the AL West champion on the head-to-head tiebreaker after winning nine of 13 games during the regular season, and made Texas a wild card.

When José Leclerc replaced Heaney to start the seventh, Houston had a walk, hit and sacrifice bunt. Andrew Chafin, acquired in a trade last week, entered with a four-pitch walk to load the bases before consecutive strikeouts.

Bregman’s 15th homer was a 393-foot shot in the third that cleared the wall in left-center without making it into the seats. The Rangers got even in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Leody Taveras.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Justin Verlander, who hasn’t pitched since June 9 because of neck stiffness, will throw a bullpen session this week. A rehab assignment should follow if all goes well for the three-time Cy Young Award winner. ... RF Kyle Tucker, out since fouling a ball off his shin June 3, is rehabbing in Houston. “He did a ton of stuff today at home,” manager Joe Espada said. The Astros wanted Tucker to work on the outfield grass there instead of the turf at the Rangers’ stadium.

RHP Tyler Mahle makes his Rangers debut, pitching for the first time since Tommy John surgery in May 2023. Texas signed him to a $22 million, two-year deal in free agency last December, knowing he had to rehab for much of this season. Astros lefty Framber Valdez faces the Rangers for the time since losing to them twice in last year’s AL Championship Series.

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