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 5-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 ground out and scored on a single to center by Moniak to extend the lead to 4-2.
*
