Wyatt Langford two-run shot provides winning margin for Rangers vs. Rays

Wyatt Langford hit a two-out, two-run home run in the seventh inning to give the Texas Rangers the lead for good in a 6-4 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays Saturday night at Globe Life Field.

It's the fourth consecutive win for Texas. The Rangers will try to sweep the weekend series against the Rays on Sunday afternoon.

The Rays trailed 4-0 after the Rangers jumped on starter Taj Bradley in the first inning. Marcus Semien led off the game with a home run and Jake Burger later added a three-run homer.

Bradley rebounded after the opening frame and held Texas hitless over the next four innings. He was charged with four runs on two hits and four walks while striking out seven in five innings.

The Rays' Brandon Lowe hit a solo homer in the third, and then Tampa Bay tied it at 4-4 with a three-run sixth inning.

Jonathan Aranda hit a two-run homer against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom. It was the second homer deGrom surrendered in the game, his first time allowing more than one homer in a game since Sept. 30, 2022.

deGrom allowed four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Four Rangers relievers combined to throw 3 1/3 scoreless innings, including Luke Jackson, who earned his fifth save after tossing a scoreless ninth.

Drew Rasmussen faces Rangers Kumar Rocker in the series finale Sunday. Rocker is trying to rebound from a bad season-opening start in which he allowed six runs on seven hits, including two home runs, in three innings against the Reds.

On the other hand, Rasmussen is looking to build on his outstanding start last week in which he held the Pirates scoreless on two hits and no walks while striking out four in five innings.

--Field Level Media