Rangers beat Dodgers 8-4 to avoid sweep
ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 23: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers and teammate Marcus Semien #2 celebrate following the teams 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Globe Life Field on July 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Im
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras each had a two-run double, and the Texas Rangers overcame Max Muncy's first-inning grand slam to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 on Sunday and avoid a three-game sweep in a matchup of division leaders.
Heim cut LA's lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the first before RBI singles from Marcus Semien, Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung put Texas in front in the second.
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Taveras extended the lead to 7-4 in the third, and Ezequiel Duran was the sixth Texas batter with a run-scoring hit off rookie Emmet Sheehan. The two-out RBI double in the fourth ended the right-hander's day.
The NL West-leading Dodgers were coming off 11-5 and 16-3 victories in their first two games at Globe Life Field since winning the neutral-site 2020 World Series there when Muncy lined his 24th homer into the seats in right field off Martín Pérez.
Facing his hometown team, Muncy tied LA's club record with his third grand slam of the season, and it was a major league-leading 10th for the Dodgers. Muncy, hitting .196, struck out his other three times up.
Missing All-Star sluggers Corey Seager (sprained right thumb) and Adolis García (sore right hand), the AL West-leading Rangers beat LA for just the third time in the past 14 meetings after coming out of the All-Star break with six consecutive victories.
Trailing 5-4 in the third, Los Angeles had runners at second and third with no outs, but Pérez (8-3) got Chris Taylor on a flyout to shallow left, struck out Muncy and retired James Outman on a grounder. The left-hander allowed two singles over his final three innings.
Brock Burke pitched a perfect seventh, Aroldis Chapman struck out two in a scoreless eighth and Will Smith finished Texas' all-lefty pitching day with a scoreless ninth.
The sixth career start for Sheehan (3-1) was his worst, with the 23-year-old allowing eight hits and eight runs with five walks over 3 2/3 innings in his first loss.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: DH J.D. Martinez was a late scratch with left hamstring tightness. He was replaced by Will Smith. ... Ace LHP Clayton Kershaw has no timetable for his next bullpen session as he recovers from a sore left shoulder. He hasn't pitched since June 27. An original plan for throwing to live hitters changed to a bullpen session, then neither. Manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw hasn't had any setbacks.
Rangers: García was out of the lineup a day after getting hit on the right hand by a pitch. Manager Bruce Bochy indicated he could be available as a pinch-hitter.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Michael Grove (2-2, 6.40 ERA) is set for the opener of a three-game series against Toronto as LA starts a nine-game homestand that includes two days off.
Rangers: RHP Jon Gray (6-5, 3.31) is set for the opener of a three-game series at in-state rival and defending World Series champion Houston. The Rangers won two of three in Houston in April, their first series victory there since 2018.