ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers had the New York Mets right where they wanted them for much of Wednesday night.
Then the game slipped away in the late innings.
The Mets scored five runs over the final two innings to pull away for a 7-2 victory at Globe Life Field, securing the series against Texas and handing the Rangers their third consecutive loss.
The Rangers managed just four hits, continuing an offensive drought that has followed them through the middle portion of the homestand. Texas has now recorded four or fewer hits in consecutive games for only the third time this season.
The loss also ended the Rangers’ first home series defeat in more than two months. Their last series loss at Globe Life Field came July 20-22 against the Chicago White Sox.
Texas opened the homestand with a 4-1 record but has dropped three straight.
Cody Bradford gave the Rangers a chance early, allowing two runs over 4 1/3 innings. He surrendered four hits, including a two-run homer by Juan Soto in the third, while striking out one and walking none.
Bradford kept the Mets quiet the first time through the lineup, holding them hitless in nine at-bats. New York found more success the second time around, going 4-for-9.
Bradford left in the fifth with two runners aboard, but Tyler Alexander worked out of the jam and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Rangers, however, couldn’t give Bradford much offensive support. Texas has scored two runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts dating to Aug. 11.
Jake Burger provided the first big offensive moment for Texas in the fifth inning, lining an RBI single to left to cut into New York’s lead. The hit gave Burger his team-leading 89th RBI of the season, a new career high.
Evan Carter followed by beating out a potential inning-ending double-play grounder with the bases loaded, allowing Texas to tie the game at 2.
The score remained tied until the eighth.
Marcus Semien, facing his former team, broke the deadlock with a two-out solo homer off Jacob Latz to put New York ahead 3-2.
It was Semien’s first hit of the series in nine at-bats against Texas and his first home run since Aug. 7, ending a 37-game and 139-at-bat homerless stretch.
The Mets then put the game away in the ninth.
Brett Baty delivered the biggest blow, launching a pinch-hit grand slam off Trevor Williams to extend New York’s advantage to 7-2. It was Baty’s second grand slam of the season and his career, and the first of his career as a pinch hitter.
Nolan McLean turned in another strong outing for New York, earning his team-leading 12th victory after holding Texas to two runs over seven innings.
The rookie allowed three hits and one walk while striking out five. McLean retired the first 12 batters he faced before Texas broke through in the fifth.
Despite allowing four of his first five batters to reach in the inning, McLean escaped the jam and retired the final eight hitters he faced.
McLean has now completed at least six innings in 15 of his last 17 starts and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 17 of his last 20 outings.
Soto continued his productive stretch against Texas, going deep in the third inning for his 27th homer of the season. He also reached base three additional times via intentional walks.
Soto has now hit safely in five consecutive games and is batting .381 with two homers and seven RBIs during that stretch.
The Mets have won four of their last five games and seven of their last nine on the road.
The Rangers will have one more opportunity to salvage the homestand when they face the Mets in the final home game of the regular season Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Field.
