Seager, Duran star as Rangers rally past Blue Jays 11-7
By The Associated Press on June 18, 2023.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Corey Seager and Ezequiel Duran each had four hits, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-7 on Sunday. Seager drove in three runs and Duran scored three times as Texas erased a 6-0 deficit on its way to the win in the rubber game of the weekend set. Leody Taveras added three hits and three RBIs, including a tiebreaking single in the fifth inning and a two-run homer in the seventh. Duran and Taveras served as the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters in a lineup that finished with 15 hits in the team’s biggest comeback victory of the season. “That’s one of our better wins, I’ll say, since opening day,” said first-year Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, referring to a five-run rally in an 11-7 win against Philadelphia on March 30. “Just a tremendous job they did.” Whit Merrifield and Bo Bichette each had two RBIs for Toronto in its sixth loss in nine games. George Springer had two hits and scored two runs. Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt was charged with five runs, three earned, and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. It was the Jays’ largest blown lead since July 2019, when they led Tampa Bay 8-1 and lost 10-9. “They did a lot of damage at the bottom of the order,” Jays manager John Schneider said. “You can’t let good offences kind of get rolling like that.” Four Texas relievers combined for 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball after Jon Gray struggled. John King (1-0) pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings for the win for the AL West leaders. Merrifield hit a two-run single and scored on Bichette’s two-run double in the second, helping Toronto build a 6-0 lead. But Texas scored three times in the fourth on Seager’s two-run double and an RBI single by Adolis GarcÃa. The Rangers then went ahead to stay with three more in the fifth. Jonah Heim tied it 6-6 with his ninth homer. Taveras singled home Mitch Garver, and Marcus Semien’s sacrifice fly lifted the Rangers to an 8-6 lead. Taveras’ two-run shot in the eighth against Adam Cimber was his sixth homer this month and No. 8 on the season. “I just focus every day on doing my best,” Taveras said. “I’m trying to learn every day something new.” Texas scored in double figures for a major league-high 17th time. It is averaging a majors-best 6.11 runs per game. Nate Pearson (4-1) got the loss, recording two outs and allowing three runs and three hits. FOR STARTERS It was a rough day for Gray and Bassitt. Gray lasted 2 1/3 innings in his first appearance since June 7 after his previous turn in the rotation was skipped because of a blister. He was charged with six runs and six hits. Gray had allowed only four earned runs in his previous 43 innings over six starts. Bassitt struck out two and walked three. He was tagged for eight runs and 11 hits in three innings in an 11-6 loss at Baltimore on Tuesday. WELCOME TO THE SHOW Blue Jays designated hitter Spencer Horwitz had a hit, two walks and an RBI in his major league debut. Recalled from triple-A Buffalo on Friday, the 2019 draftee singled in his first at-bat. DE GROM: “˜HARDEST PART’S BEHIND ME’ In his first comments to the media since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery, Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom said everything went well and he feels good. “Now it’s over with,” said deGrom, who turns 35 on Monday. “I look forward to doing all the rehab stuff to get back out there.” DeGrom, who first had elbow surgery in 2010 while in rookie ball with the New York Mets, said his goal is to return to the mound in August 2024. TRAINER’S ROOM Blue Jays: C Alejandro Kirk left in the second inning with a left hand laceration and contusion after being hit by a pitch. UP NEXT Blue Jays: The three-city road trip ends in Miami, with RHP José BerrÃos (7-4, 3.28 ERA) going for his sixth straight win in Monday’s series opener. Rangers: LHP Andrew Heaney (4-4, 4.05 ERA), winless in his last three starts, will open a three-game road series on Monday against the Chicago White Sox. — AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports 35-34
