Rangers fall to Dbacks despite Jung's two-homer day
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 03: Sandy Leon #12 of the Texas Rangers tags out Dominic Fletcher #8 of the Arizona Diamondbacks at home plate in the top of the seventh inning at Globe Life Field on May 03, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/G
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Christian Walker homered twice before he drew a bases-loaded walk that put the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead to stay in a 12-7 win Wednesday over the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Walker put the Diamondbacks ahead 3-1 with his three-run homer in the third, added a solo shot in the fifth that chased Texas starter Andrew Heaney and walked on four pitches from Jose Leclerc in the seventh that drove in the run that snapped a 7-7 tie.
Each team hit four homers on the mostly sunny, 79-degee day with the roof open.
Ketel Marte and Emmanuel Rivera also homered for Arizona, which matched its season high for runs. Walker, who has seven homers this season, matched his career-best with five RBIs in his sixth career multihomer game.
Third baseman Josh Jung, after being named the American League’s rookie of the month for April, hit two homers for the Rangers. Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras also went deep.
Texas had a 7-6 lead after Jung’s second solo homer of the game, and eighth of the season, came with two outs to cap a five-run fifth. That was an inning after his other homer.
Joe Mantiply (1-0), the third Arizona pitcher, threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Josh Sborz (0-1), the second of five Texas pitchers, allowed three runs over 1 1/3 innings.
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona’s top pitching prospect, allowed seven runs and all four Texas homers over 4 2/3 innings in his big league debut. He struck out three and walked one.
Heaney struck out five and walked four over 4 2/3 innings. Three of the four walks came in advance of homers.
SHORT HOPS
Walker and Marte both also homered in the series opener Tuesday that the Rangers won 6-4.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Rookie OF Corbin Carroll, who had missed three games since he bruised his left knee running into a wall when trying to make a play Saturday, entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He had a leadoff single and scored the first of Arizona’s five runs in the inning.
Rangers: SS Corey Seager, out since straining his left hamstring April 11, was more progressive while taking grounders, making backhanded stops and coming in for balls. Manager Bruce Bochy said Seager could be back in seven to 10 days, but said the Rangers would have a better target date once they get through the upcoming weekend.
UP NEXT
Both teams have Thursday off. The Diamondbacks open a 10-game homestand Friday night against the Washington Nationals. Texas plays its next 10 games on the road, all against AL West foes, and starting at the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.