Corey Seager has been flexing his muscles even though the Texas Rangers have been getting sand kicked in their faces for much of the last 2 1/2 weeks.
Fresh off belting a pair of homers, Seager looks to continue his power display on Tuesday when the Texas Rangers play a rematch of last season’s World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Arlington, Texas.
Seager, who was named the World Series MVP for the second time last year, has six homers in his last six games. His two-run blast in the third inning and solo shot in the fifth on Sunday went a long way toward helping the Rangers snap a six-game losing skid and record just their third win in the last 15 games.
“He’s been locked in. It’s fun to watch great hitters get in the zone, and he’s certainly there now,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said after Sunday’s 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
“He got some great swings off and he’s not missing his pitches.”
Seager is riding a 10-game hitting streak entering the two-game set and has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games. Prior to that, he was batting .219 on the season.
“You just get better and better, right? You’re just trying to always improve and fortunately right now I’m on the other end of it (his early season skid),” Seager said.
“It’s a lot of just how baseball goes.”
Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (2-3, 4.05 ERA) will be tasked with keeping Seager at bay.
Pfaadt, 25, recorded his first win since March 31 after allowing three runs (two earned) and four hits in six innings of a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last Tuesday’s performance represented his fifth consecutive quality start.
He doesn’t have fond memories of the Rangers, however.
Pfaadt was gashed for seven runs on nine hits — including four homers — in 4 2/3 innings in his major-league debut versus Texas on May 3, 2023. He took the loss in Game 3 of the World Series after permitting three runs on four hits — including Seager’s two-run homer — in 5 1/3 innings of a 3-1 setback.
The Diamondbacks, who lost the World Series in five games to the Rangers, mustered just four runs on 15 hits en route to losing two of three games to the Miami Marlins this past weekend.
“We came out and had a couple of duds,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “I think we’re better than that.”
Texas has yet to announce its starting pitcher for the series opener, although right-hander Dane Dunning (3-3, 4.43) likely will get the nod.
Dunning, 29, yielded five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings of an 11-4 setback to the Philadelphia Phillies last Wednesday. The outing was his first since coming off the injured list with a right rotator cuff strain.
Dunning picked up the win in 2021 in his lone career regular-season encounter with Arizona, allowing two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He also tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings in three relief appearances versus the Diamondbacks in the World Series.
–Field Level Media
