Joc Pederson hit a walk-off RBI double to give the Texas Rangers a 4-3 comeback win over the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night.
Wyatt Langford, who hit a solo home run in the sixth, scored the tying run on Corey Seager’s single after hustling to second for an aggressive double to open the ninth inning.
Carlos Ramirez hit a two-run double to give the Guardians a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning.
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi went seven innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out nine to temporarily take the league’s qualified ERA lead. He entered the game with a 1.76 ERA, but was not qualified as the league leader, with 123 innings pitched over 129 games. He qualified with 130 innings and a 1.73 ERA by the end of the game, giving him the lead over Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes (2.16 ERA).
Eovaldi allowed a double in the first, and back-to-back doubles in the second to Carlos Santana and C.J. Kayfus. After Kayfus’ RBI double, Eovaldi retired 15 batters in a row.
The Rangers’ Robert Garcia (2-7) pitched an inning in relief, while Guardians reliever Cade Smith (5-5) took the loss and a blown save.
Rowdy Tellez tied the game in the fourth with an opposite-field home run over the left-field fence. Langford’s 19th home run gave the Rangers their first lead in the sixth inning.
Key moment
Langford’s double to open the ninth inning was a successful effort to turn a would-be single into a double that paid off with the tying run.
Key stat
Eovaldi took MLB’s qualified ERA lead with his 130th inning. He must finish the season with 162 innings pitched to be a qualified pitcher.
Up next
The Rangers will send RHP Jack Leiter (7-7, 4.06 ERA) to the mound against vs. Guardians LHP Logan Allen (7-9, 3.87 ERA).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
