Corey Seager homered for the seventh time in seven games and Adolis Garcia’s outstanding throw snuffed out a comeback attempt as the Texas Rangers knocked off the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.
Seager, the World Series MVP when the Rangers defeated the Diamondbacks in five games last fall, launched a three-run shot in the fifth inning to wipe out a 2-1 deficit. It was his 12th home run of the season.
Given the lead, Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney ran into trouble immediately in the sixth. He gave up a walk and two singles to load the bases with one out and was lifted in favor of righty Grant Anderson.
Eugenio Suarez hit Anderson’s first pitch to medium-depth right field, and Garcia’s strike to the plate on the fly nailed a tagging Joc Pederson for an inning-ending double play. The initial call was safe as Pederson appeared to beat the throw, but replay showed that his lead leg went over the plate, and catcher Jonah Heim made the tag before the second leg hit the plate.
The Rangers’ David Robertson worked a 1-2-3 eighth, but Kirby Yates had to dodge a bullet in the ninth. With two outs, Suarez walked and Gabriel Moreno reached on an infield single, but Yates struck out Kevin Newman to finish his eighth save in eight chances.
Heaney (1-6), typically a starter, came on after Nathan Eovaldi worked the first three innings in his return from a groin strain.
Eovaldi, who did not make a rehab appearance, was pulled after 37 pitches. He gave up two runs on five hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Heaney, who worked two perfect innings before running into the sixth-inning jam, allowed two hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (2-4), the losing pitcher in Game 3 of the World Series, couldn’t hang on to a 2-0 lead he was given in the second inning.
In the Texas third, with a runner at second and two outs, the Diamondbacks walked Seager intentionally, but Josh Smith foiled the strategy with a single to center to halve the deficit.
In the fifth, two singles and a forceout left runners at the corners with one out and set up Seager’s bomb.
Pfaadt went seven innings, giving up six hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
The Diamondbacks scored their runs in the second on Pavin Smith’s double and Suarez’s sacrifice fly down the right field line.
–Field Level Media
