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 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Arlington, Texas on Monday.

With the game tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Josh Jung hit a leadoff double to center off Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks. Smith then replaced Jung as a pinch runner.

After Adolis Garcia struckout, Smith advanced to third base 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 win.

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

Smith, who plays at shortstop, scored the winning run to make it 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 see Monday night’s last inning again

Dodgers 6, Orioles 4

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

Freeman went 3-for-5, scored twice and hit one homer shy of hitting for the cycle. The Dodgers trailed 4–1 before scoring five runs 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, snapping their season-high, eight-game winning streak. Bryan Baker (3-3) gave up Taylor’s grand slam.

Freddie Freeman added three hits to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a victory in Baltimore

Cardinals 6, Marlins 4

Nolan Arenado drove in four runs to send St. Louis past a visit to 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) gave up 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 and his batting average dropped to .378. Reliever Dylan Floro (3-5) took the loss.

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

National 7, Cubs 5

Keibert Ruiz hit a two-run homer with a bat and he and Stone Garrett each had three hits as visiting Washington defeated Chicago.

Jeimer Candelario also hit a two-run homer as the Nationals defeated Chicago for the fourth consecutive time this season. MacKenzie Gore (5-7) gave up five runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings to clinch the win.

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

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

Tigers 3, Royals 2

Matt Vierling delivered a go-ahead two-run double during a three-run eighth inning as Detroit visited Kansas City.

Brendan White (2-2) retired the side in the seventh inning to win. Jason Foley threw a scoreless eighth before Alex Lange retired the Royals 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 being outhit by the Tigers 6-5.

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

Guards 11, Pirates 0

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

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

Pittsburgh starter Quinn Priester (0-1), who made his major league debut, gave up seven runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Pirates’ starting lineup consisted of 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 smashing 11-0 win against the Guardians

Giants 2, Reds 2 (suspended in eighth inning)

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

The game will resume 90 minutes before Tuesday’s regular game. The game continues with San Francisco batting in the top of the eighth and runners on second and third and one out.

Before the rain came, the teams combined for four solo home runs, off Wilmer Flores and Austin Slater of the Giants and Matt McLain and Jonathan India of the Reds.

The Giants-Reds game was halted after the scorer went 2-2 in the eighth inning

Red Sox 7, Athletics 0

Connor Wong hit a two-run double and singled to bring 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) tied his career high with 13 strikeouts in six innings with one hit after replacing left-handed opener Brennan Bernardino, who worked two innings.

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

Red Sox relief pitcher Nick Pivetta tied his career with 13 strikeouts in six innings

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

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

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

Gemini 6, Sailors 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 defeated the Minnesota Twins 7-6 on Monday-evening.

The Mariners overcame a shaky first few innings on the mound from Logan Gilbert to give Gray his second straight loss and break the Twins’ three-game win streak that came off the All-Star break.

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

Seattle closer Paul Sewald came in and retired Ryan Jeffers for his 19th save.