Guardians Closer Cade Smith blows second straight save as Rangers rally for win

Guardians right-hander Cade Smith failed to close it out for the second straight game, as Cleveland fell 4-3 to the Rangers in Arlington, Texas, on Friday night. Smith also blew the save Wednesday in Arizona, allowing the Diamondbacks to clinch the series. Joc Pederson hit a walk-off RBI double off Smith to give the Rangers the comeback win.Wyatt Langford, who hit a solo home run in the sixth, scored the tying run on Corey Seager's single after hustling to second for an aggressive double to open the ninth inning off Smith. Jose Ramirez hit a two-run double to give the Guardians a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning. Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi went seven innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out nine to temporarily take the league's qualified ERA lead. He entered the game with a 1.76 ERA, but was not qualified as the league leader, with 123 innings pitched over 129 games. He qualified with 130 innings and a 1.73 ERA by the end of the game, giving him the lead over Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes (2.16 ERA). Eovaldi allowed a double in the first, and back-to-back doubles in the second to Carlos Santana and C.J. Kayfus. After Kayfus' RBI double, Eovaldi retired 15 batters in a row. The Rangers' Robert Garcia (2-7) pitched an inning in relief, while Smith (5-5) took the loss and a blown save. Rowdy Tellez tied the game in the fourth with an opposite-field home run over the left-field fence. Langford's 19th home run gave the Rangers their first lead in the sixth inning. Langford's double to open the ninth inning was a successful effort to turn a would-be single into a double that paid off with the tying run. Eovaldi took MLB's qualified ERA lead with his 130th inning. He must finish the season with 162 innings pitched to be a qualified pitcher. Up next The Rangers will send RHP Jack Leiter (7-7, 4.06 ERA) to the mound against vs. Guardians LHP Logan Allen (7-9, 3.87 ERA).