MLB ROUNDUP: Josh Smith’s races home on a wild pitch to gift Texas Ranger with 3-2 walk off win while Pirates suffer 11-0 loss to Guardians at home

Josh H. Smith raced home on a wild pitch to send the Texas Rangers to a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in Arlington, Texas.

With the game tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, Josh Jung roped a leadoff double to center off Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks. Smith then came on for Jung as a pinch runner.

After Adolis Garcia struck out, Smith moved to third on a groundout by Nathaniel Lowe and scored when Fairbanks (0-3) uncorked a wild pitch during an at-bat against Mitch Garver.

Texas reliever Aroldis Chapman (5-2) registered the victory. 

Chapman, who earned his first save in a Rangers uniform on Saturday, struck out the side in a dominant top of the ninth.

Josh Smith’s run on a wild pitch was enough for the Rangers to win 3-2 over the Rays in Texas

Smith, who plays at shorstop, scored the winning run with the score locked at 2-2 in the ninth

Smith celebrates with teammates including Aroldis Chapman who made his debut on Saturday

Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbank won’t want to watch Monday night’s final inning again

Dodgers 6, Orioles 4

Chris Taylor hit a grand slam and Freddie Freeman added three hits to power Los Angeles to a victory at Baltimore in the opener of a three-game series.

Freeman went 3-for-5, scored twice and finished a homer shy of hitting for the cycle. The Dodgers trailed 4-1 before scoring five times in the sixth inning, a rally capped by Taylor’s blast.

Adley Rutschman homered and Ryan Mountcastle went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Orioles, who had their season-high, eight-game winning streak snapped. Bryan Baker (3-3) gave up Taylor’s grand slam.

Freddie Freeman added three hits to power the Los Angeles Dodgers to a victory at Baltimore

Cardinals 6, Marlins 4

Nolan Arenado drove in four runs to power St. Louis past visiting Miami.

Dylan Carlson went 2-for-4 with a walk, three runs and an RBI for the Cardinals, who won for the fifth time in six games. St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas (6-5) allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings.

Bryan De La Cruz and Jesus Sanchez each homered for the Marlins, who fell to 0-4 since the All-Star break. Luis Arraez went 1-for-5 with an RBI as his batting average dropped to .378. Reliever Dylan Floro (3-5) took the loss.

Nolan Arenado drove in four runs to power St. Louis past the visiting Miami Marlins on Monday

Nationals 7, Cubs 5

Keibert Ruiz clubbed a two-run homer and he and Stone Garrett each had three hits as visiting Washington beat Chicago.

Jeimer Candelario also hit a two-run homer as the Nationals topped Chicago for a fourth straight time this season. MacKenzie Gore (5-7) allowed five runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Two of the hits Gore allowed were two-run homers by Ian Happ and Patrick Wisdom, but Chicago dropped to 1-3 since the All-Star break. Cubs starter Drew Smyly (7-7) yielded five runs and eight hits in six innings.

Catcher Keibert Ruiz clubbed a two-run homer in the Nationals’ 7-5 win against the Cubs 

Tigers 3, Royals 2

Matt Vierling delivered a go-ahead, two-run double during a three-run eighth inning as visiting Detroit rallied past Kansas City.

Brendan White (2-2) recorded two outs in the seventh inning for the win. Jason Foley pitched a scoreless eighth before Alex Lange retired the Royals in order in the ninth for his 15th save.

Freddy Fermin had three hits and an RBI for the Royals, who lost the opener of a four-game series despite outhitting the Tigers 6-5.

Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson to score on a double by Matt Vierling during the eighth

Guardians 11, Pirates 0

Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer and an RBI double and six pitchers combined on a four-hitter as visiting Cleveland cruised past Pittsburgh.

The Guardians’ Xzavion Curry, making his first start of the season in what was a bullpen game, pitched three scoreless innings. Michael Kelly (1-0) tossed 1 2/3 innings to earn the win.

Pittsburgh starter Quinn Priester (0-1), making his major league debut, gave up seven runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Pirates’ starting lineup featured six rookies, with Priester’s batterymate and fellow touted prospect Endy Rodriguez also making his big-league debut.

Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer and an RBI double in a blowout 11-0 win against the Guardians 

Giants 2, Reds 2 (suspended in eighth inning)

Following a weather delay of 1 hour, 55 minutes, the game between visiting San Francisco and Cincinnati was suspended with the score tied.

The game will be resumed 90 minutes prior to Tuesday’s regularly scheduled game. The contest will pick up with San Francisco batting in the top of the eighth and runners on second and third and one out.

Before the rains came, the teams combined for four solo home runs, from the Giants’ Wilmer Flores and Austin Slater and the Reds’ Matt McLain and Jonathan India.

The Giants-Reds game was suspended after the scorer was locked at 2-2 in the eighth inning

Red Sox 7, Athletics 0 

Connor Wong hit a two-run double and singled in a run for a career-high three RBIs, leading the Boston Red Sox past the Oakland Athletics 7-0 on Monday night for their eighth win in nine games.

Nick Pivetta (6-5) matched his career high with 13 strikeouts over six innings of one-hit relief after replacing lefty opener Brennan Bernardino, who worked two innings. 

It marked Pivetta’s ninth career double-digit strikeout game and first of 2023 – and his most Ks with the Red Sox after striking out 13 while pitching for the Phillies in June 18, 2018, against Saint Louis.

Red Sox relief pitcher Nick Pivetta matched his career high with 13 strikeouts over six innings

Justin Turner and Adam Duvall added sacrifice flies for Boston, which is 6-1 in a stretch of 12 straight matchups against teams below .500.

The A’s lost their eighth straight game and dropped a season-high 46 games under .500 at 25-71. 

The game drew a Red Sox-heavy crowd of 9,987.

Twins 6, Mariners 7 

Jarred Kelenic’s two-run single capped Seattle’s big fifth inning against All-Star Sonny Gray, and Eugenio Suárez added a two-run homer in the seventh as the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 7-6 on Monday night.

The Mariners overcame a shaky first few innings on the mound from Logan Gilbert to hand Gray his second straight loss and snap the Twins’ three-game win streak coming out of the All-Star break.

Minnesota made it interesting in the ninth when Max Kepler hit a three-run homer with two outs off reliever Ty Adcock to pull within 7-6. 

Seattle closer Paul Sewald entered and struck out Ryan Jeffers for his 19th save.