Mike Epstein. Marc Sagmoen. Craig Gentry. And now, Wyatt Langford.

These are the four Rangers/Senators whose first major league home run was an inside the park home run.

Epstein did it for the Senators on June 5, 1967. Sagmoen, in a Rangers jersey, April 17, 1997. Craig Gentry, September 23, 2011. Wyatt Landford, April 28, 2024.

In the “they will research just about anything” department, Langford is the only player in the Elias Sports Bureau era to have his first hit be an infield single and his first home run be an inside the parker.

Turns out, even though it happened in the first inning, it was the winning run of the game. The Rangers scored four runs in back-to-back innings. The last inning of Saturday’s game, the first inning of Sunday’s game. That was it for both games.

Langford’s shot turned out to be a two-run homer two batters after Adolis Garcia hit a two-run homer. That put the Rangers up 4-0, and they went into sleep mode after that. 

Their previous eight home runs were solo shots. That wouldn’t have been enough yesterday. But as it turns out, the two two-run homers were.

Now, the Rangers need to work on hitting the ball with runners in scoring position, which, as it turns out, is a popular way other teams are scoring runs.

But a W is a W. Even one where Dane Dunning was cruising along, perfect through five, then gave up two hits and was unceremoniously and surprisingly pulled from the game.

The Rangers are showing signs of life. Very faint. Almost indetectable. But, they won two out of three to a very good Cincinnati Reds team.

And Wyatt Langford got his first home run. He had to run and run and run home to get it. So, maybe it was the most pure kind of home run one could get.

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