The Texas Rangers headed into the All-Star break on a high note after Brandon Nimmo delivered a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Texas to a dramatic 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday at Globe Life Field.
Nimmo’s clutch hit capped an outstanding 3-for-5 performance that also included an RBI triple, helping the Rangers secure the rubber game of the three-game series and claim two of three against their American League West rivals.
The victory gave Texas wins in four of its last six games, providing valuable momentum heading into the league’s midseason break.
Nimmo Finishes Off Ninth-Inning Rally
The Rangers entered the ninth inning tied at 5-5 and immediately put pressure on Astros closer Josh Hader, who suffered his first loss of the season.
Wyatt Langford opened the inning with a single before advancing to second after Houston left fielder Zach Dezenzo misplayed the ball. Josh Jung followed with another base hit, but Langford remained at third despite being waved home by third-base coach Corey Ragsdale.
Moments later, Nimmo erased any doubt, sending a sharp ground ball through the middle of a drawn-in infield to score Langford and spark a celebration as Texas walked off with the victory.
Rangers Overcome Blown Lead
Texas appeared in control early after building a 3-0 lead against Astros starter Cristian Javier.
The Rangers broke through in the second inning when Nicky Lopez drove home the game’s first run with an RBI single. After another out, Joc Pederson lined a deep drive to right-center that nearly became a spectacular catch by center fielder Taylor Trammell. Instead, the ball bounced off the wall, allowing two more runs to score and extending the lead to three.
Starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, pitching on just three days’ rest, gave Texas four solid innings. The left-hander settled in after an early scare, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. His only blemish during that stretch came on José Altuve’s solo home run in the fourth inning.
Nimmo’s RBI triple in the fifth restored the Rangers’ three-run cushion, pushing the score to 4-1, but Houston mounted a late comeback.
Astros Rally Falls Short
The Astros chipped away in the seventh inning after loading the bases with one out.
Jeremy Peña brought home a run with a sacrifice fly before the Rangers intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez, setting up Isaac Paredes, who responded with a two-run single through the middle to tie the game.
Houston then grabbed its first lead of the afternoon in the eighth when rookie Cam Smith launched his 12th home run of the season off Rangers reliever Ben Peoples, making it 5-4.
The Rangers answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning.
With two outs, veteran catcher Kyle Higashioka crushed a game-tying solo home run off reliever Bryan King, setting the stage for Nimmo’s ninth-inning heroics.
Offensive Leaders
Nimmo finished as the Rangers’ offensive star with three hits, a triple, two RBIs and the decisive walk-off single.
Higashioka added a home run, while Lopez and Pederson each contributed key RBIs during Texas’ early offensive surge.
For Houston, Altuve connected for his 11th home run of the season, while Smith continued his impressive rookie campaign with another long ball. Alvarez reached base four times, going 2-for-3 while drawing two intentional walks.
Bullpen Seals Series Victory
Reliever Jacob Latz earned the victory after pitching a scoreless ninth inning. Although he allowed a hit and a walk, a timely double play helped him escape trouble and keep the game tied before the Rangers completed their walk-off comeback.
Hader fell to 3-1 after surrendering the decisive run in the ninth.
The win sends the Rangers into the All-Star break with renewed confidence after taking the series from the Astros, while Houston heads into the break looking to regroup following another heartbreaking loss to its division rival.
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