Texas Rangers' Josh Jung Made History With Walk-Off Home Run Off Mason Miller

Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller couldn't beat Josh Jung with his signature heat on Sunday, as the Texas Rangers third baseman went yard for a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning.

Sep 1, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) celebrates after he hits a game winning three run walk-off home run during the tenth inning off of Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Mason Miller (19) at Globe Life Field. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

After scratching and crawling their way back into Sunday's showdown with the Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics suddenly they held a two-run lead in extra-innings.

All-Star closer Mason Miller, who had already taken care of business in the bottom of the ninth, came back out for the 10th with the A's up 4-2. After striking out Corey Seager and forcing Josh Smith into a fly out, Miller did ultimately let the automatic runner score on a two-out single by Adolis García.

Miller then walked Wyatt Langford on eight pitches, bringing Josh Jung up to the plate with the game on the line.

The rookie reliever gave Jung a taste of his signature heat, but the young third baseman wasn't scared off by it.

Jung got a hold of a 101.7 mile-per-hour fastball up and away, sending it to the opposite field. He was able to just clear the fence and hug the foul pole for a three-run, walk-off home run, making history in the process.

Miller's fastball is now the fastest pitch a Rangers player has homered off of in the pitch-tracking era, which dates back to 2008. It is tied for the 11th-fastest pitch homered off of by any player, on top of being the third-fastest pitch hit for a walk-off home run in that span.

The only instances of faster pitches getting turned on for walk-off home runs are Jeimer Candelario on Sept. 7, 2018, and Bobby Witt Jr. on July 28, 2023.

JOSH JUNG

This 101.7 mph pitch is:

- T-11th-fastest homered off of in pitch-tracking era (2008)

- fastest pitch a Rangers player has homered off in span

- 3rd-fastest pitch hit for walk-off HR in span (9/7/18 Jeimer Candelario 102.1 mph, 7/28/23 Bobby Witt Jr 101.8 mph) https://t.co/TYzdfwDArb

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 1, 2024

Jung placed fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2023, but 2024 has not treated him as kindly. He was out from April 1 through July 29 with a fractured list, and he has only hit .260 with a .700 OPS and 0.2 WAR when he has been in the lineup.

Miller, meanwhile, is tracking to contend for AL Rookie of the Year this season. He is 1-2 with a 2.52 ERA, 0.894 WHIP, 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings, 23 saves and a 1.9 WAR, boasting a 1.47 ERA, 0.694 WHIP and .113 batting average against between April 2 and Aug. 25.

Thanks to Jung's heroics on Sunday, Miller has given up eight hits and five earned runs in his last three outings. He had allowed eight hits and four earned runs in his previous 22 appearances combined.

Jung has now reached base safely 26 times in his last 25 games, and he is batting .385 with a 1.000 OPS over his last three appearances.

The Rangers, having won five of their last six, are 9.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. The Athletics are 15.5 games out of the playoff picture, but they have already won nine more games than they did in 2023.

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