Marcus Semien homered in a three-run first inning on Wednesday as the visiting Texas Rangers topped the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Josh Jung added an RBI double for the Rangers, who have won five of six.
Texas starter Martin Perez (6-1) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings, with three strikeouts and two walks. Will Smith got his first career five-out save, his ninth overall this season.
Jason Delay hit an RBI single for the Pirates, who have lost four of five.
Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo (3-4) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and two walks. He pitched an immaculate inning in the fourth.
Semien hit his eighth homer of the season to left on the second pitch of the game for a 1-0 Texas lead.
After Corey Seager grounded out, Nathaniel Lowe singled to left and Adolis Garcia singled to center. Jung knocked in Lowe with a double to left. Jonah Heim reached on a fielder’s choice when first baseman Carlos Santana got to the ball several feet off the bag but was slow throwing home, allowing Garcia to score for a 3-0 edge.
Santana led off the Pittsburgh second with a walk and went to second on Connor Joe’s single to left. Rodolfo Castro reached on an infield hit off Perez’s glove to load the bases. Santana scored on Jack Suwinski’s groundout to close it to 3-1. Delay’s bloop single to shallow center brought in Joe to make it 3-2.
In the fourth, Oviedo struck out Heim, Robbie Grossman and Josh H. Smith on nine pitches, making him the second Pirates pitcher this season to log an immaculate inning. Reliever Colin Holderman did it May 4 at Tampa Bay.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against reliever Jose Leclerc.
Ke’Bryan Hayes and Santana both singled to center, with the latter yielding to pinch runner Ji Hwan Bae. Joe walked. Smith replaced Leclerc and got Castro to fly out to left, too shallow for Hayes to score, and struck out Suwinski.
–Field Level Media
