Josh Smith moved the Texas Rangers ahead with a two-run single in the seventh inning and they held on for a 6-4 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in the third game of the four-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Ezequiel Duran also had two RBIs and Josh Jung had two hits for the Rangers (69-74), who have won four of five.
Rangers rookie right-hander Jack Leiter is still seeking his first major league win after six starts. The second overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft allowed three runs and two hits in five-plus innings, striking out six and walking two.
Jose Leclerc (6-4) earned the win in relief and Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for his 28th save.
Taylor Ward had a solo homer and Anthony Rendon and Mickey Moniak also drove in runs for the Angels (59-83), who had won four of six.
Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson allowed two runs (one earned) and just one hit in five innings. The 2024 AL All-Star struck out seven and walked two.
Angels reliever Victor Mederos (0-1) had a 4-2 lead to start the seventh and got the first two batters out, but then issued back-to-back walks to Duran and pinch-hitter Carson Kelly.
Marcus Semien followed with an RBI single to center to cut it to 4-3, and Smith then came through with his two-run single to right to move the Rangers ahead 5-4.
Texas tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI double by Wyatt Langford to make it 6-4.
Ward homered to left to lead off the game, his 22nd of the season and fifth in the past eight games.
Zach Neto was then hit by a pitch, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Rendon to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.
Anderson brought a no-hitter into the fifth, but Rendon booted a routine grounder to third to start the inning. Following a walk and strikeout, Duran lined a double into the left-center field gap, scoring both base runners to tie the score 2-2.
Leiter was replaced by left-hander Andrew Chafin after walking Neto to start the sixth inning.
Neto stole his 29th base of the season and then scored from second on a ball-four wild pitch to Nolan Schanuel, moving the Angels back in front 3-2.
Schanuel continued to second on the play, took third on a groundout and scored on a single to center by Moniak to extend the lead to 4-2.
–Field Level Media
