Mahle pitches 5 shutout innings for first win since April 2023 as Rangers beat Rays 5-2

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Tyler Mahle throws to the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Texas Rangers’ Kyle Higashioka, center, celebrates after his run-scoring double as Tampa Bay Rays’ Brandon Lowe, left, and umpire Quinn Wolcott, right, look on in the third inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Texas Rangers’ Leody Taveras, left, reaches over Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, right, to touch the bag after the two collided when Taveras stole third in the third inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Kameron Misner reaches up to catch a flyout by Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Fans look on as Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia chases down a flyout by Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien, left, follows through on his RBI single as Tampa Bay Rays’ Danny Jansen, second from left, looks on in the third inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca reaches to catch a sacrifice fly by Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford that allowed Marcus Semien to score in the third inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Tampa Bay Rays’ Christopher Morel, center, collides with Texas Rangers relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong, left, as umpire Brian Walsh, right, watches him score on a wild pitch by Armstrong in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Tampa Bay Rays’ Christopher Morel (24) scores on a wild pitch by Texas Rangers relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong, back left, as umpire Brian Walsh, right, watches in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Mahle rebounded from a rough opening start to pitch one-hit ball over five shutout innings for his first win since April 3, 2023, and Kyle Higashioka’s RBI double highlighted a four-run third inning as the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Friday night.

Mahle (1-0) allowed only a two-out single to Yandy Díaz in the third inning, striking out five and walking two on 83 pitches. He lasted only 1 2/3 innings last Saturday against Boston, walking three and allowing two hits with 31 of his 61 pitches called balls.

The 30-year-old Mahle had Tommy John surgery in May 2023 while with Minnesota, signed with Texas as a free agent that December, and made three starts last August without a win before being shut down with a stiff shoulder.

Texas’ first five batters in the third all had hits off Zack Littell (0-2). The streak ended when center fielder Jonny DeLuca made a diving catch to turn Wyatt Langford’s liner into a sacrifice fly. Littell also contributed an error on a high pickoff throw to first base that advanced leadoff batter Josh Smith to second base, where he scored on Higashioka’s double.

Smith homered in the seventh.

Luke Jackson struck out two in the ninth for his fourth save.

Key moment

Higashioka’s double on a 1-0 slider over the middle of the plate lifted chalk down the left-field line.

Key stat

Rangers pitchers threw 25 consecutive scoreless innings, winning 1-0 at Cincinnati on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the Rays scored on wild pitches by Shawn Armstrong and Chris Martin in the seventh.

Up next

In Saturday’s middle game of the series, Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom (0-0, 0.00 ERA) should be capped around 85 pitches after throwing 73 in his season debut last Sunday. He’ll face Rays RHP Taj Bradley (1-0, 3.00), who’s 4-0 in his career in March and April.

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