Corey Seager hit a third-inning solo homer and Jonah Heim drove in the deciding run in the seventh with a two-out bloop double as the Texas Rangers defeated the Athletics 2-1 on Wednesday to compete a three-game sweep in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers have won five of six since the All-Star break while the Athletics have dropped five of six. Texas is three games over .500 for the first time since May 17.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the seventh, Texas produced the winning run off Jack Perkins (0-1) with plenty of help from the visitors. Wyatt Langford walked with two outs, then slid home safely when the Athletics misplayed a fly ball from Heim to short left field into an RBI double.
Jon Gray (1-0), who gave up one hit in two scoreless innings of relief, got the win in his season debut. He was activated from the 60-day injured list earlier Wednesday, having recovered from fracturing his right forearm in spring training.
Texas’ Robert Garcia gave up a leadoff single to Shea Langeliers in the ninth but retired the next three batters, striking out two, to earn his eighth save of the season.
The Rangers won despite being outhit 7-4. Seager had two of Texas’ hits and extended his streak of reaching base to 24 games.
Brent Rooker and Langeliers had two hits each for the Athletics, who scored a combined five runs in the three-game series.
Both teams threatened in the early innings before Seager ripped a solo home run over the center field fence against Athletics starter JP Sears with two outs in the third.
The 1-0 margin held up until the sixth, when Nick Kurtz’s double off Texas starter Patrick Corbin drove home Rooker, who had singled with two outs.
Neither starter figured in the decision despite nearly identical solid efforts.
Corbin allowed a run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Sears surrendered a run on three hits in five innings and also struck out seven. Neither walked a batter.
–Field Level Media
