Marcus Semien Stays Hot, Texas Rangers Win Royals Series

The Texas Rangers are five games above .500 and in position to sweep the Kansas City Royals after Tuesday's with.

Kade Kistner | Apr 18, 2023

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The Texas Rangers (11-6) won in dominating fashion on Tuesday evening, defeating the Kansas City Royals 12-2 at Kauffman Stadium.

Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi (2-2) took the win after going six innings and allowing just two runs. It was an encouraging outing from Texas' No.2 pitcher, as he turned in a quality start.

The bullpen did their job in holding the Royals scoreless, with Brock Burke and Ian Kennedy helping close out the game.

The American League West-leading Rangers are now five games above .500 for the first time since 2019 and are on a three-game winning streak. The offense once again showed up and battered Kansas City with 12 hits.

That performance was fueled by a Marcus Semien three-run home in the sixth inning to make it 8-2. It was Semien's third home run in as many games. Known to be a slow starter, Semien appears to be locked in, an encouraging sign as he sits atop the lineup.

Outfielder Travis Jankowski was once again impressive as he notched two hits and added his fifth RBI of the season on a single in the third. Texas is 10-1 when Jankowski is in the starting lineup, which is notable since he was told he would not make the team out of Spring Training.

Additionally, Adolis Garcia, who has been struggling at the plate as of late, looked to be back on track after a three-run shot in the eighth inning to make it 12-2.

While Kansas City (4-14) is struggling, the Rangers are on an impressive run right now. Despite the loss of shortstop Corey Seager to a strained hamstring, the offense appears to be firing on all cylinders and the pitching staff has been fantastic.

Texas will go for the sweep against the Royals on Wednesday with 1:10 p.m. start. Martín Pérez (2-1. 2.87) starts for the Rangers, with Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91) going for Kansas City.

The Rangers open a three-game series against divisional rival Oakland Athletics on Friday evening at Globe Life Field.

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Published Apr 18, 2023

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies, Cubs and Astros. He is also an editor for Inside the Rangers. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.