ENERGY WELDFAB TEXAS RANGERS REPORT | Seager homers; Rangers beat D’backs in World Series rematch
Seven games, seven home runs – and the most recent one, a game-winner.
Not a walk-off, but it won the game nonetheless for Corey Seager and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday night, the dagger that would end the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-2, in a World Series rematch.
In front of a crowd of just under 38,000, Seager took Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt deep over the right field wall in the bottom of the fifth inning for what would be the final score of the night. It had to be déjà vu for Arizona – Seager was the World Series’ most valuable player last year at their expense.
It was part of a three-hit inning by Texas, who got singles from Jonah Heim and Travis Jankowski before Seager’s homer.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy put in an early vote for his guy for AL MVP.
“This guy’s as good as anybody in the game,” Bochy said. “Got off to a slow start, but you have to look at why. I never had any thought that he wouldn’t get on track.”
Arizona took an early lead off of Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi in the second inning – Christian Walker and Pavin Smith hit back-to-back doubles, with Walker scoring on Smith’s hit, then Smith on a sacrifice fly by Eugenio Suarez.
In the bottom of the third, Jankowski hit a double to left, then scored on a single to center by Josh Smith. That left Texas down by one, 2-1, before the fifth, setting up Seager’s go-ahead three-run shot, his 12th home run of the season, and, as mentioned, seventh in as many games.
Arizona had one more realistic shot. The D’backs loaded the bases in the top of the sixth with just one out, but Texas turned a double play: a fly to Garcia, who got the ball back in to catcher Jonah Heim, who tagged out Joc Pederson as he attempted to come home. Pederson was ruled to have scored at first by the umpire, but Texas challenged and the replay showed that Heim’s tag made contact with Pederson’s left leg, and that he was, in fact, out.
Andrew Heaney got the win for Texas, in relief. Heaney threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed no runs, just two hits, walked one and struck out one. Kirby Yates threw the ninth inning for the Rangers for the save. He pitched just the one inning, of course, giving up one hit, no runs, a walk and struck out two.
Pfaadt took the loss: seven innings, six hits, four earned runs, five strikeouts and one walk allowed.
Texas moved to 26-29 overall on the season, and are 13-13 at Globe Life this season. They’re 3 ½ games behind Seattle in the American League West.
The Rangers host Arizona again on Wednesday, a 1:35 p.m. local start. Arizona right-hander Ryne Nelson (3-3 this season) will face Texas’ Dane Dunning (also 3-3).
Texas is off Thursday, then visits Miami on Friday, a 6:10 p.m. first pitch.