Josh Smith’s 2 homers lead mercy-rule defeat of Team Brazil

SURPRISE, Ariz. — While the umpires awkwardly walked off the field, and while each side’s dugout glanced around for confirmation, the Surprise Stadium public address announcer made the call.

“Under the 10-run mercy rule,” he said after the seventh inning, “tonight’s game is complete.”

The message was met with a mix of confusion, applause and laughter from the stands.

Wednesday’s pre-World Baseball Classic warmup between Team Brazil and the Texas Rangers was not a particularly competitive affair. Team Brazil, at one point, fielded a battery whose combined age (17-year-old right-hander Vitor Takahashi and 18-year-old catcher Enzo Hayashida) was less than that of Rangers right-handed starter Jacob deGrom (37 years old).

Rangers

It went about as well as could be expected.

Here are three other observations from the 13-2 win:

Texas Rangers pitchers Nathan Eovaldi (17) and Jacob Degrom throw in the outfield during a...

Smith smacks: Rangers second baseman Josh Smith hit two home runs in the win. The first, in the third inning vs. Takahashi, was a 99.8 mph three-run shot to right field. The second, off left-hander Hugo Kanabushi in the fifth, was a 100.8 mph solo home run.

Smith, the club’s super utility man in each of the last two seasons, is the favorite to start at second base full-time after Marcus Semien was traded to the New York Mets this offseason.

“He’s doing a ton of defense, also trying to get his swing right, also trying to get his body right, and he’s doing an exceptional job,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I’m proud of the work that he’s put in. Typically, hard work usually equals success, and I’m glad he saw some positive stuff come out of today.”

The new guy’s debut: Right fielder Brandon Nimmo made his official Rangers debut Wednesday and went 1 for 2 with a walk. He singled off right-hander Joao Gabriel Marostica in the fourth inning.

Nimmo was the last expected starter to debut this spring as part of a designed ramp-up plan that’s allowed him to get off to early hot starts in the past.

“It was good to just get back out there,” Nimmo said. “Be able to get back on the field, see pitches, get back in the flow of the game, get it started. We were working out way up to it, and it’s been great. Got out of there healthy, got a base hit and a walk. You just try and build on that day in and day out.”

Elsewhere in camp: Right-handed pitcher David Davalillo shone in an intrasquad game on the back fields earlier in the day. The 23-year-old pitched three perfect innings, struck out six batters and threw 25 of 37 pitches for strikes. He faced catchers Kyle Higashioka and Jose Herrera as well as four minor league campers.

Davalillo is the club’s sixth-ranked prospect, per Baseball America, and is in big league camp.

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