ARLINGTON — Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday morning that, despite the lack of overall results, he’d seen better swings from left fielder Wyatt Langford as of late.
He might’ve been looking into the future.
Langford, stuck in a swing-happy scuffle for the last month, hit a bases-loaded double in the first inning to kickstart an offensive outburst that anchored a 8-1 sweep-clinching win vs. the Atlanta Braves Sunday at Globe Life Field.
It was the Rangers’ sixth consecutive win, second consecutive series sweep and it secured an 8-1 record on a nine-game homestand with four days until the July 31 trade deadline.
Rangers
The 23-year-old outfielder, who had just two hits in his previous nine games before Sunday, crushed a two-out, two-strike sinker from Braves right-handed starter Bryce Elder into deep left-center field to clear the bases and give the Rangers a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. It was just his fifth extra-base hit of the month.
“Lately, [I’ve felt] probably not very good overall,” Langford said. “I felt pretty good today.”
Related:How Wyatt Langford’s ‘flat-out hustle’ on a wild play led to the Rangers’ winning run
Bochy acknowledged Sunday morning that he has considered whether or not to give Langford at least a day off to serve as a mental reset, but noted that he’s “pretty tough mentally.” Langford has struck out 42 times and walked just 16 times in his last 30 games.
Sunday, though, Langford finished 2 for 3 with a double, a single, a walk and a run scored to record his first game with multiple hits since he had four against the Los Angeles Angels on July 11. He was one of five Rangers who reached base multiple times Sunday as the team finished the homestand with a plus-25 run differential vs. the Detroit Tigers, Athletics and Braves.
The Rangers scored twice in the second, courtesy of a two-run home run hit by first baseman Josh Smith, and added another three in the third on singles from third baseman Josh Jung (two runs scored) and catcher Jonah Heim (one run scored). Jung has now recorded a hit in each of the six games that he’s played in since the Rangers recalled him from Triple-A Round Rock last Monday; Heim, who’d been stuck in a skid, has now slashed .294/.333/.588 in his last seven games.
Right-handed starter Jack Leiter threw a career-high 100 pitches and matched his career high with seven strikeouts in six innings. He allowed one run in the second inning after back-to-back walks preceded a ground-rule double hit by Braves catcher Sean Murphy, but held Atlanta to a 1 for 15 line with just one after Murphy’s double. He has a 3.48 ERA in his last six starts.
“I felt really good,” Leiter said. “Physically, felt really good all day. That second inning was a little frustrating after we scored some runs. That’s the last thing you want to do, walk a few guys to start the inning. I think the bright side is that could’ve gone south.”
Ichiro Suzuki’s humor highlights Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown
Suzuki headlined a class of inductees that included Billy Wagner, CC Sabathia, Dick Allen and Dave Parker.
In Rangers’ biggest homestand yet, they answered the bell. Now it’s Chris Young’s turn
Texas went 8-1 on its nine-game homestand that was especially important with the trade deadline looming.
Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Click or tap here to sign up for our Rangers newsletter.