ARLINGTON, Texas — Ezequiel Duran capped a career night with a two-out, walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Texas Rangers to a dramatic 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Globe Life Field.
The win snapped Texas’ season-high six-game losing streak and moved the club to 56-58, just two games below the .500 mark. It also marked the Rangers’ fifth walk-off victory of the season and their first since Brandon Nimmo’s game-ending hit against Houston on July 12.
After San Francisco erased a late Texas lead with a two-run single from Bryce Eldridge in the top of the ninth, the Rangers answered in the bottom half. With two outs, Duran lined a double into the gap to bring home the winning run and send the home crowd into celebration.
Duran finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and a career-tying four RBIs, continuing one of the hottest stretches of his season. After collecting four hits in Monday’s series opener, the versatile infielder has gone 7-for-9 through the first two games against San Francisco with a home run, three doubles and seven RBIs. He has also driven in 63 runs this season, the second-highest total on the Rangers.
Texas struck first in the opening inning behind Brandon Nimmo’s RBI double before Duran followed with a run-scoring single to give the Rangers an early 2-0 advantage. The first-inning rally also ended a 40-inning stretch in which Texas had failed to hold a lead.
Nimmo continued his productive season by going 3-for-5 with his American League-leading 27th double, while Corey Seager added three singles for his first three-hit performance since last August. Seager has quickly found his rhythm since returning from the injured list, batting .412 over his first five games back.
Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore turned in one of his strongest outings of the season, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing three hits, walking three and striking out four. The left-hander repeatedly escaped trouble, holding the Giants hitless in seven at-bats with runners aboard. Although he did not factor into the decision, Gore has now thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings over his last two starts while lowering his ERA to 4.55.
San Francisco finally broke through in the seventh inning when Osleivis Basabe launched a two-run homer to tie the game. The blast was Basabe’s third home run in his last four games.
Texas regained the lead in the eighth when Duran drove a two-run double over the head of right fielder Jung Hoo Lee, seemingly putting the Rangers in position to end their losing streak.
The Giants refused to go quietly. Facing the Rangers’ bullpen in the ninth, Eldridge delivered a pinch-hit, two-run single that tied the game at 4-4 and spoiled the save opportunity.
The comeback proved short-lived.
In the bottom of the inning, Texas mounted one final rally before Duran delivered again, driving a two-out double to left-center that brought home the winning run and sealed another memorable finish at Globe Life Field.
Giants starter Blade Tidwell, making his first start of the season for San Francisco after being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, allowed two runs over five innings. After a shaky first inning, the right-hander settled down and retired 14 of the final 17 hitters he faced.
The Rangers have split the first two games of the three-game series and will look to claim the series victory Wednesday afternoon before welcoming the Baltimore Orioles for a weekend set. Meanwhile, San Francisco will try to avoid its 11th walk-off loss of the season, the most in the majors.
