Marcus Semien and Corey Seager hit back-to-back home runs, the Texas bullpen did its part and the Rangers went on to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers took control of the game with two outs in the seventh. Semien broke a 1-1 tie by turning on a 1-1 changeup from Angels reliever Jimmy Herget (1-3) and hitting a two-run shot off the left field foul pole.
Seager then sent a first-pitch slider from Herget over the right-center-field fence to make it a 4-1 game.
Texas cushioned its lead to 6-1 with two runs in the eighth on RBI singles by Mitch Garver and Leody Taveras.
Angels star Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Rangers reliever Will Smith to make it a 6-3 game, but Smith subsequently retired Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon to end the game.
The Angels had won the first two games of the four-game series that ends on Thursday. The defeat was just the second in 10 games for Los Angeles, while Texas ended a three-game losing streak.
Up until Smith’s struggles, the Rangers’ bullpen impressed all night.
Texas starter Andrew Heaney had an early exit, needing 95 pitches to go 3 2/3 innings. He allowed one run on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
Rangers right-hander Grant Anderson stepped in and delivered 2 1/3 scoreless innings, and Josh Sborz (3-2) followed with two more scoreless frames. Smith worked the ninth.
The Rangers and Angels both scored single runs in the third inning. Los Angeles got an RBI double from Rendon before Taveras socked a home run for Texas.
Angels starter Reid Detmers pitched well in a no-decision. He gave up one run on three hits with three walks and eight strikeouts over six innings.
On the injury front, Angels shortstop Zach Neto was removed in the second inning for what the team called “precautionary reasons due to cramping in his left side.” Jared Walsh pinch-hit for Neto, and the Angels shifted their defense with Walsh playing first base, Brandon Drury moving from first to second and Luis Rengifo moving from second to short.
–Field Level Media
