In a thrilling encounter on Friday night, Marcus Semien’s eighth-inning homer proved to be the decisive factor as the Texas Rangers narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Reds 2-1. With the game tied 1-1 in the eighth, Semien stepped up to the plate and launched a 1-1 fastball from Lucas Sims deep into left field for a solo homer that propelled the Rangers to victory. Kirby Yates then slammed the door shut in the ninth inning, retiring all three batters he faced to secure his fourth save of the season.
The Reds had taken an early lead in the first inning, taking advantage of a throwing error by Jonah Heim to score Elly De La Cruz with a stolen home. However, the Rangers responded in the second inning with a solo home run by Evan Carter to level the score.
Both starting pitchers, Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Graham Ashcraft for the Reds, delivered solid performances. Eovaldi allowed only one run on three hits and five walks over six innings, while Ashcraft pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up one run on seven hits.
The Rangers offense came alive in the later innings, with Semien’s homer providing the decisive blow. The Reds, on the other hand, were limited to just three singles after the sixth inning and struck out 12 times.
With the win, the Rangers improve to 10-14 on the season, while the Reds fall to 9-14. The two teams will face off again on Saturday in the middle game of their three-game series.
