Marcus Semien Flashes Power in Rangers Win Over Guardians

Texas second baseman hits three home runs in doubleheader as Rangers manage a split at Cleveland

Marcus Semien’s escape from his slump pushed forward Tuesday in Cleveland, as he hit two home runs run and went 4-for-4 to lead the Texas Rangers to a 6-3 victory over the Guardians in the second game of a doubleheader.

That was carryover from Semien’s first game earlier in the day, as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, RBI and two runs in a game the Rangers lost 6-3.

The Rangers (26-29) have now lost six of their last eight games. On May 31, the Rangers reached .500 for the first time in 2022 and capped off a stretch in which they won six of seven to get to .500.

Semien also drove in two runs and scored two runs in the nightcap.

"It absolutely means something," Semien told Bally Sports Southwest after the game. "You want to do well, but I've never had a night quite like this before."

Per Elias Sports Bureau, with seven hits and three home runs, Semien tied the franchise record for hits in a doubleheader with Marlon Byrd in 2009 (also against Cleveland) and Fred Valentine in 1966 (against Boston). 

Semien also became the second Ranger to hit at least three home runs in a doubleheader. Al Oliver had four against Detroit in 1980.

It’s just the latest surge in Semien’s hitting in the past month, after what could easily be described as the worst start to a season of his career.

Semien entered Tuesday’s doubleheader hitting .196. That was a steady climb for Semien in the last two weeks, during which he had hits in nine of 12 games and went 13-of-51 to hit .255 during that stretch and lift his average from .177.

By the end of the doubleheader he was hitting .221.

The power is coming around, too. Semien, who signed an seven-year, $175 million deal with the Rangers in the offseason, was coming off a career-high 45 home runs last season for Toronto.

Semien went without a home run for the first 43 games of the season before he finally hit one at Oakland on May 28, which turned out to be a grand slam.

That home run, plus a move to the lead-off spot during that road trip, seemed to help Semien’s performance at the plate. He hit two home runs in the final four games of the homestand, which ended on Sunday. With his three home runs in the doubleheader, Semien now has five home runs in his last six games and six for the season.

Semien’s home run led off the third inning of Game 2, with the Rangers already up 1-0.

In the third inning, the Rangers added three more runs to take a 5-0 lead. Jonah Heim led off with a solo home run and Nathaniel Lowe hit a two-run shot that brought home Ezequiel Duran.

Semien’s solo shot in the eighth pushed the Rangers back ahead by three runs after the Guardians cut into the lead.

Cleveland chased off Rangers starter Taylor Hearn (4-4) with a three-run sixth inning. Once Hearn had two on and two out, manager Chris Woodward went to reliever Dennis Santana, who gave up a single to Oscar Gonzalez to make it 5-3 and ended the threat by getting Andres Gimenez to fly out.

Hearn threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up four hits, three runs and two walks while striking out six. Joe Barlow took care of a scoreless ninth for his 11th save.

The Rangers lost the first game of the doubleheader. Jon Gray (1-3) took the loss, lasting five innings. He gave up six hits, five runs (all earned) and four walks while striking out three. He gave up three doubles, and all of them had a hand in the Guardians building a 5-1 lead after three innings.

The Rangers hit two home runs in the seventh inning by Steele Walker and Semien. Walker’s home run was his first Major League hit and home run.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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