ARLINGTON – Josh Smith hit his first game-ending homer at any level, and it came for the Texas Rangers against the Houston Astros in the opener of the final series this season between the AL West rivals and last two World Series champions.

Smith pulled a 410-foot homer into the right-center seats with two outs in the 10th Monday night to give the Rangers a 4-3 win after Houston had gone ahead in the top of the inning when consecutive batters were hit by pitches.

“That’s pretty cool, and then to do it against the rival and division team is pretty sweet,” Smith said of his homer. “To do in that situation against that team with where we’re at right now is pretty important”

Corey Seager hit his 23rd homer, his fourth in four games, with two outs in the eighth for the defending champion Rangers (54-59), who moved five games within AL West-leading and idle Seattle. They are 8 1/2 games back for a wild-card spot.

“The excitement speaks for it all. You know that’s how the team feels right now. It almost feels like a weight lifted off our shoulders. You know, you get to exhale a little bit,” said Seager, who was on deck when Smith went deep. “So really cool swing out of him, and something we really needed.”

That game-ending blast off Caleb Ferguson (1-4) made a winner out of All-Star closer Kirby Yates (4-1), who in the top of the 10th hit consecutive batters with pitches, the first a disputed play, to force in a go-ahead run.

Texas had intentionally walked slugger Yordan Alvarez with one out before Yainer Diaz checked his swing and claimed he was hit on the hand by the pitch. The Rangers challenged when home plate umpire Will Little granted the base, but the call stood on replay review. Yates then hit Jeremy Peña with a pitch to force in a run.

“I don’t think you can have two bigger home runs of what we got late,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “Those big home runs and and really, you look at Kirby that game. It could have gotten away there in the 10th inning. But kept his poise and got the next two guys out to keep it a one-run ballgame.”

Houston (57-55), the 2022 champ, is 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners after twice giving up the lead against the Rangers.

“That’s baseball. Sometimes you got to tip your hat,” said Alex Bregman, who homered for the Astros. “Seager took a really good swing on a good pitch and Smith took a great swing as well.”

Texas took a 6-5 lead in the season series with two games remaining. They both finished with 90 wins last year, and Houston was declared the AL West champion on the head-to-head tiebreaker after winning nine of 13 games during the regular season, and made Texas a wild card.

The Astros led 2-1 in the eighth when Peña drove in a run with a slow, two-hop infield single with the bases loaded against reliever David Robertson, who then struck out the last two batters.

The Astros were 1 for 7 with five strikeouts with the bases loaded from the seventh inning until the end of the game.

Both starting pitchers, Houston’s Hunter Brown and Texas lefty Andrew Heaney, struck out four while giving up only one run over six innings.

Heaney pitched one-hit ball in his six innings, that hit being Bregman’s 15th homer for a 1-0 lead in the third. Heaney allowed only two other base runners, on a walk and hit batter, but neither got past first base.

When José Leclerc replaced Heaney to start the seventh, Houston had a walk, hit and sacrifice bunt. Andrew Chafin, acquired in a trade last week, entered with a four-pitch walk to load the bases before consecutive strikeouts.

Trainer’s Room

Astros: Justin Verlander, who hasn’t pitched since June 9 because of neck stiffness, will throw a bullpen session this week. A rehab assignment should follow if all goes well for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

Up Next

RHP Tyler Mahle makes his Rangers debut, pitching for the first time since Tommy John surgery in May 2023. Texas signed him to a $22 million, two-year deal in free agency last December, knowing he had to rehab for much of this season. Astros lefty Framber Valdez faces the Rangers for the time since losing to them twice in last year’s AL Championship Series.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Haley and Kendall Higgins have been saddling up since they were kids.

“It’s a lot of fun and something we want to do the rest of our lives,” said Kendall. 

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They found passion on horseback and fell in love with 4-H as teens. They continued to ride and now both ride for Tarleton’s equestrian team while working on equine-focused degrees there and work in mounted patrol. 

The two say 4-H put them on the right path to be successful in a demanding industry – but had its hurdles along the way. 

“We had a lot of opportunities there, but there were also many that weren’t accessible if you didn’t have the money for it,” said Haley. 

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So, they decided while home for the summer from school to start offering up what they’ve learned, free of charge. They host clinics on breeding, foal handling, mounted patrol and more at Higgins Ranch in Montgomery County. The clinics are open to all. 

“4-H gives a lot of opportunity, but we take it to the next level if you will,” said Haley. “We just want to give the kids opportunities that we never had as kids, [opportunities] that we would have died for,” Kendall added. 

“A lot of parents are shocked that we’re doing this stuff for free, but they don’t understand – we love to do it!” said Kendall. 

13-year-old Shelby Laqua met the duo through 4-H and now regularly attends their clinics and events. 

“I’ve learned more coming here than I have my entire life,” she said. “Even if you don’t have a horse, it’s the best thing you can do, you can learn so much.”

The Higgins host clinics throughout the summer, but also plan on coming home monthly until next year to work with Montgomery County 4-H’s “Colt Program.”

They also offer boarding and lessons at the ranch. 

To learn about their opportunities, work and how to get involved, visit their website. 

AUSTIN, Texas – A member of the Texas Rangers who was suspended following the Uvalde school shooting has been reinstated by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

In a letter dated Friday from DPS Director Steven McCraw, Ranger Christopher Ryan Kindell was notified that he was “removed from suspended status” and allowed to return to his duties as a Texas Ranger in Uvalde County.

Kindell was suspended several months after the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. CNN reported in October 2022 that Kindell was among seven Texas Rangers under investigation by the law enforcement agency’s inspector general.

In his letter, McCraw said he changed his mind about the suspension based upon reviews of a Texas Ranger criminal investigation, the inspector general and the Uvalde County grand jury, which took no action against any DPS officers.

McCraw said that 38th Judicial District Attorney Christina Mitchell requested that Kindell be reinstated.

You can read the letter below: