DETROIT (AP) — Josh Smith’s pinch-hit double in the top of the ninth drove home the winning run and the Texas Rangers beat the error-prone Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Wednesday.
With one out, Ezequiel Duran singled, went to second on an error by first baseman Spencer Torkelson and scored on Smith’s clutch hit to right-center field.
“I was trying to be aggressive. The two guys in front of me did a good job getting on base,’” Smith said. “You try not to put too much pressure on yourself in that situation.”
Kirby Yates (2-0) got the final four outs, striking out the side in the ninth, to get the win. Detroit’s Shelby Miller (3-1) took the loss as the Tigers committed three errors, leading to two unearned runs.
”‘We didn’t play clean,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “That’s not always recognizable on the scoreboard with errors, but today it was, and they took advantage. They didn’t let us get away with it. In a one-run game, everything matters.”
The first came in the opening inning, when leadoff hitter Marcus Semien reached on a throwing error by starter Tarik Skubal and scored on Adolis Garcia’s sacrifice fly, the first of his two RBIs.
Kerry Carpenter tied it for Detroit in the second with his third homer of the season.
It stayed that way until the top of the sixth, when fielding woes got Detroit in trouble again.
Semien reached on an error by Colt Keith. Corey Seager singled, and with one out, Garcia doubled, scoring Semien. Jonah Heim then singled, scoring Seager and Garcia.
“Jonah battled up there,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “He didn’t hit it real hard, but placed it well. We needed those timely hits.”
In the bottom of the inning, Torkelson doubled and scored on a throwing error by Semien. Parker Meadows homered in the seventh.
The Tigers tied it in the eighth. Matt Vierling singled with one out, went to second on a ground out and scored on a single by Javier Baez.
Mark Canha walked in the ninth for Detroit, but was stranded.
Dane Dunning started and worked five innings for Texas, who used four relief pitchers.
“A gutty effort,” Bochy said of Dunning’s outing. “He was not with his best stuff and his command, but he made pitches when he had to. He found a way to get through it.”
Skubal went 6 1/3 innings for the Tigers.
Texas (10-9) avoided dropping below .500 for the first time since Bochy took over as manager in 2023.
UP NEXT
Rangers RHP Jack Leiter (0-0) will make his major league debut Thursday in the finale of the series at Comerica Park. Leiter was the Rangers’ top pick in the 2021 draft (No. 2 overall). Kenta Maeda (0-1, 6.00 ERA) will start for Detroit.
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