Semien 4 RBIs, Seager HR power Rangers past Twins 9-7
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 09: Marcus Semien #2 of the Texas Rangers rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning at Globe Life Field on July 09, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Marcus Semien hit a tiebreaking RBI triple in the eighth inning after earlier being part of back-to-back homers with Corey Seager for the first time, and the Texas Rangers beat the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins 9-7 on Saturday.
Semien's three-run homer in the fourth tied the game at 6, and Seager followed with a go-ahead shot that chased Twins starter Devin Smeltzer. That was two innings after a three-run homer by Kole Calhoun, another offseason addition for the Rangers.
It was the sixth time this season Texas had back-to-back homers, but the first for the middle infielders the Rangers committed a half-billion dollars to in free agency last December.
Rookie first baseman Jose Miranda and Gary Sanchez homered for the Twins, whose three-game losing streak matches their longest this year.
Minnesota tied the game at 7 on Gilberto Celestino's RBI groundout in the eighth. After Leody Taveras opened the bottom inning with a single off Jhoan Duran (0-3) and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Smith, Semien hit a sharp liner that dropped and skipped past left fielder Nick Gordon to the wall. Former Twins catcher Mitch Garver drove Semien home with a single.
Matt Moore (4-2) retired the only batter he faced. Brett Martin worked a perfect ninth for his second career save, after getting his first in the series opener.
Texas starter Martin Perez, a potential first-time All-Star on Sunday, overcame taking a comebacker off his lower left leg and later a six-run outburst by the Twins to remain unbeaten in his last 15 starts. The left-hander, back in Texas this season after three seasons away, struck out five, walked one and exited after six innings with a 7-6 lead.
Seager, the shortstop who signed a $325 million, 10-year deal with Texas, homered for the third time in four games and has 18 this season. Second baseman Semien, who got a $175 million, seven-year contract, went deep for the fourth time in 10 games and has 11 homers overall.
Both of those homers came after the Twins went ahead 6-3 in the top of the fourth. Miranda had a three-run homer, Sanchez hit a two-run shot and Byron Buxton had an RBI double on a ball that ricocheted off the top of the wall in right field.
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SHORT HOPS
It was 105 degrees outside when the game started, but more than 30 degrees cooler inside under the closed retractable roof. The game-time temperature Friday night was 104 and it's supposed to be over 100 again Sunday for another day game. ... Minnesota has blown multi-run leads in both games at Texas, after leading five different times in their extra-inning loss at the White Sox on Wednesday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: Buxton was the DH a day after crashing into the outfield wall making a tremendous catch. The center fielder also appeared to jam his hand on a headfirst slide into third base in the series opener.
Rangers: Reliever Matt Bush (right forearm tightness) said he felt good Saturday, a day after throwing live BP. The right-hander could be activated as early as Sunday after not pitching since June 24.
UP NEXT
Twins right-hander Dylan Bundy (4-4, 4.50 ERA) struck out 12 batters when he last faced the Rangers in Texas in September. Texas right-hander Dane Dunning (1-6, 4.15) is the only MLB pitcher with at least seven quality starts and no more than one win.