The month of May was not a very pretty one for the Rangers offense. It was hard to find anyone who didn’t struggle at the plate for Texas.

Josh Smith was certainly one of those players. Through 25 games in May, Smith had just four extra-base hits.

On Sunday afternoon, Smith nearly matched that total as he ripped a career high three extra base hits and four RBI as the Rangers picked up an 8-1 series clinching victory over the St Louis Cardinals.

“It’s great to get a series win,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “I thought this was big for us to take a series before we hit the road. The guys put together a really nice ballgame. That’s a good club we played [St Louis]. We played very well in this series, I thought overall… It’s always good to take a series, we’ve got a long road trip here, playing some good teams, so it’s good to leave on a good note”.

Smith got things started for the Rangers in the second when he laced a two-out, two-RBI double into left field to put Texas up 2-1.

That big hit would end up being the game-winning knock, thanks in large part to Jacob deGrom, who turned in another strong start.

After allowing a quick run in the first, deGrom settled in, going six innings, allowing just the one run while striking out four.

With today’s outing, deGrom earned his fifth win of the season and has now allowed two or fewer runs in nine straight starts.

“First inning, I was fighting myself a little bit, but other than that, probably the last inning I felt the best,” deGrom said.

“I finally stopped thinking and just was trying to throw the ball where I wanted to. Early on, I felt like I was fighting myself a little bit, but finally, I was able to make the adjustment in the last inning”.

“Another outstanding job, Bochy said of deGrom. “Six innings, one run, four hits, he got out of sync occasionally as you saw, but he got back on track and made some big pitches when he had to. Terrific job by Jacob, and that was far enough about where we wanted to get him today”.

The Rangers continued to cling to that one-run lead until the 7th when Wyatt Langford delivered a sac fly to make it 3-1.

In the 8th, Texas used more small ball to score as a sac fly from Jonah Heim and a sac bunt from Sam Haggerty helped fuel a five-run 8th for the Rangers.
“We’ve been talking about it, little things play such a big part, not in one game but throughout the season, to help win ballgames, and that’s executing, they did a nice job of it” Bochy said.

We’ve emphasized trying to put it in play; their guy made some good pitches, he did get some strikeouts there, but I think overall, we’re getting better at that, too. Overall, I thought the guys had a good approach today.

Also part of the five-run 8th was a huge two-run blast from Josh Smith that would put the nail in the coffin and cap off both his and the Rangers huge day at the plate.

“Really was on time with everything, loved the way he used the whole field. He goes down the left field line [on his first inning double], pulls the home run, great great game by him. He’s a good hitter, we know how good he is. Everyone is going to occasionally have their little moments where they’re not quite on time, but today he looked good”.