Texas Rangers Morning Rundown: Wyatt Langford to the rescue again, this time with his glove

The rookie ended the game and a furious Yankees rally by robbing Giancarlo Stanton of a three-run homer in a 10-6 Rangers win.

ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers were cruising to the win column Wednesday, up eight with only three more outs to record.

They were up eight with one out to record. The Yankees, though, got hot, one thing led to another, and next thing you know, Wyatt Langford had to save the day again — this time with his glove.

Langford jumped at the left-field all to rob Giancarlo Stanton of a three-run homer for a walk-off catch, if you will, the night after his walk-off grand slam. The Yankees’ rally against Matt Festa and Grant Anderson forced Kirby Yates into the game, and the tying run would have come to the plate if not for Langford’s catch on a 103.9 mph missile.

“So hard and so low,” Langford said. “I think it was still going up.”

Despite all of the unnecessary drama, the Rangers won 10-6, and Langford also contributed significantly with his bat. The victory lifted the Rangers to a third straight series win and moved them within six games of .500 (67-73).

Langford went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs scored the night after becoming the youngest player in American League history to hit a walk-off grand slam. Adolis Garcia drove in three runs.

“He’s playing some terrifc ball,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s in a good place right now. Watching him play, he’s really playing with a lot of confidence.”

The big night at the plate came in support of Nathan Eovaldi, who allowed two runs in seven innings. The two came in the fifth on a two-out homer by Juan Soto two pitches after first-base umpire Alex MacKay incorrectly ruled that Gleyber Torres successfully checked his swing on a 3-2 pitch.

The veteran compartmentalized the homer, relishing in the run support that allowed him to step on the gas instead of coasting to the finish.

“It’s more so just staying on the attack,” Eovaldi said. “I’ve got a little more room to work with. Anytime we’re able to score some runs, I’m trying to get the guys back in the dugout as fast as possible and attack the hitters.”

The Rangers might not be playing their best baseball of the season and continue to fray their manager’s nerves, but they are winning games and creeping closer to second place in the American League West.

Eovaldi is creeping closer to 300 combined innings the past two seasons, the number at which his player option for 2025 becomes worth $20 million. He needs to log only nine more frames to get there, but he can still become a free agent.

Whether the Rangers have a better TV deal in place or not, ownership must re-sign Eovaldi. Ray Davis has the money. He knows that. He just needs to spend it.

Andrus to retire

Former Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus will announce his retirement Friday at an afternoon news conference that will include Rangers Hall of Famer Michael Young and former manager Ron Washington.

Andrus played 15 seasons in the majors, the first 12 with the Rangers after they acquired him in the 2007 trade with Atlanta for Mark Teixeira. Andrus was a two-time All-Star and is the Rangers’ career leader in stolen bases.

He tried to make the Diamondbacks’ roster this year but failed to do so after signing late in spring training. He said in July before the Futures Game that he initially kept working out in case his phone rang but was leaning toward becoming a full-time dad.

Washington will be in town as the Angels’ manager. The Washington-Andrus relationship featured some tough love in Andrus’ first few seasons, but it was all to make Andrus better. He understood that and, yet, did get better.

The Young-Andrus relationship could have started rocky after the Rangers push Young from shortstop, where he had just won a Gold Glove, to third base so that Andrus could become a starter in 2009 straight from Double A Frisco.

The move might not have been handled well by general manager Jon Daniels, but it made the Rangers better. Andrus was the rangier defender and brought speed and aggressiveness to the base paths that helped the Rangers win their first two American League pennants in 2010 and 2011.

T.R. Sullivan, who will soon be making his DLLS debut, wrote about Andrus earlier in the year. Take a gander here.

Seager finished?

Current Rangers shortstop Corey Seager landed on the injured list Wednesday with a bum hip, though the extent of the injury won’t be known until he undergoes testing. He hopes to return this season.

He and the Rangers agreed to make the IL move in order to avoid a repeat of last offseason, which he entered with a sports hernia that didn’t get better and required surgery only a few weeks before the start of spring training.

He had to play his way into shape during the regular season, and the first month was was a struggle. However, he has 30 homers and an .864 OPS in what rates as another very good season.

If the Rangers are concerned about getting Seager as ready as possible for 2025, the best course might be for him to not play again. Players this time of year are playing through some sort of pain, and Seager likely is dealing with more than his right hip.

However, I got the sense Wednesday that if Seager is deemed healthy in 10 days and the Rangers are playing well, he will want to return and finish as strong as the rest of team.

Extra rest coming

As Bochy was pressed Tuesday about Seager’s status, he mentioned that everyday players would be getting more days off so that young position players could get some work.

“I’ll have to talk with Marcus,” he said, joking about second baseman Marcus Semien’s unwillingness to take a day off.

They talked Tuesday, and Bochy won by split decision.

“He’s a little grouchy today, but he’ll get over it,” said Bochy, who for the first time as Rangers manager posted a lineup that did not include Semien and Seager.

Giving players days off the rest of the way should help veterans get into their offseason workouts in better condition and come to spring training more ready to go than they were this year after playing a full postseason in 2023.

It makes a lot of sense, especially with the team’s focus shifting to 2025. So far, the Rangers are winning amid the lineup decisions, and their schedule gets a bit easier the rest of the way.

They are now within striking distance of the second-place Mariners, a team they play seven times this month. Hey, second place would be a small victory and an indication that the Rangers accomplished their ultimate goal of finishing the season strong.

Doggy video!

Our daughter has had a similar reaction since having her tonsils out last week. Enjoy.

Watch this puppy's reaction taking his medicine pic.twitter.com/an2GLm8WKL

— B&S (@_B___S) September 3, 2024

Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com