Marcus Semien went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBIs as the Texas Rangers broke out of their offensive funk with an 11-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers’ Josh Jung and Sam Haggerty each had three hits and three RBIs. Wyatt Langford added a two-run homer, and Kyle Higashioka (2-for-3), Haggerty and Semien scored three runs apiece.
Jack Leiter (4-2) was the beneficiary of the outburst, throwing 5 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks and striking out six. Caleb Boushley handled the final three innings, permitting one run.
The 11-run outburst was the Rangers’ largest since April 29 and more than Texas scored in the past four games combined.
St. Louis starter Matthew Liberatore (3-4) gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out five in his worst outing since surrendering five runs in a loss in Pittsburgh on April 7.
The Cardinals had won five of their previous six games, while the Rangers had lost eight of 10.
Texas jumped on top in the first inning when Jung’s two-out single drove in Haggerty, who opened the frame by reaching first on a throwing error by Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn.
Texas then produced a four-run second. Haggerty tripled to the right field corner to send home Higashioka and Semien. Langford followed with a towering home run over the left field fence to stoke the lead to 5-0.
The Rangers added to their lead in the sixth off St. Louis reliever Gordon Graceffo.
Jake Burger singled, Higashioka walked and Semien singled home a run. One out later, Haggerty plated Higashioka with a base hit to make it 7-0.
Langford then walked to load the bases, and Jung followed with a two-out, two-run single to left field to push across Semien and Haggerty and make it 9-0.
Semien’s two-run homer in the seventh expanded Texas’ lead to 11-0. The Cardinals finally scored in the eighth when Lars Nootbaar’s double plated Victor Scott II.
The game was the opener of a three-game interleague series.
–Field Level Media
