ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jonah Heim’s walk-off single with two outs in the ninth inning to center field scored Josh Smith and the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive win.
Smith had a two-out double down the left-field line, his third hit to match a career high, off Edwin Uceta (0-1).
Smith and Heim, hitting seventh and eighth in the order, combined for five of Texas’ seven hits.
Jacob Webb (1-0), the last of three Rangers relievers, stranded the potential go-ahead run at second in the ninth.
Neither of Texas’ top late-inning relievers, Luke Jackson (five saves) nor Chris Martin (one), was available because of recent workloads.
The Rays were swept in three games in their first road series of the season. They will return home for a 13-game homestand that will tie a franchise record. Their home schedule is being played outdoors at Steinbrenner Field, while enclosed Tropicana Field is repaired following damage done during Hurricane Milton last October. That scheduled is designed to minimize games during the area’s rainy summer.
The Rangers have won seven straight over the Rays going back to last season. They’ve beaten Tampa Bay nine straight at Globe Life Field.
Corey Seager’s solo home run in the sixth inning was his first RBI of the season, ending his longest season-starting drought at seven games.
With the Rays’ José Caballero on second with two outs in the ninth, Webb struck out Taylor Walls. Rangers relievers struck out five over the final four innings.
The Rangers are 8-2, their .800 winning percentage leading the AL despite having a league-worst .192 team batting average.
Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.00 ERA) will begin a road series Monday against Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (2-1, 6.89). Rays right-hander Shane Baz (1-0, 0.00) will face Los Angeles Angels right-hander Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 3.00) in Tuesday’s series opener.
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