Texas Rangers Ride Big Innings, Sweep Rockies

The Texas Rangers scored at least five runs in two innings in Sunday's home win over the Colorado Rockies.

A big second inning highlighted by home runs from Josh Jung and Corey Seager jumpstarted the Texas Rangers to a 13-3 blowout victory and series sweep over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Field.

The American League West-leading Rangers (29-17) completed a 4-2 homestand and swept an opponent for the third time this season. Texas had just two sweeps last year. The club’s current record is tied for the second-best in franchise history after 46 games, trailing only 30-16 mark by the 1998 Rangers.

The Rangers haven’t been at least 12 games over .500 since 2016 and are 8-0 on Sundays.

Another early scoring outburst helped the cause. Texas had four-run innings in the first and second in Saturday’s 11-5 win. Five runs in the second Sunday set the tone and had to demoralize the Rockies, who dropped to 19-28.

Jung started the scoring with a solo shot to left off Rockies starter Connor Seabold. The 405-foot blast was Jung’s ninth of the season, which is tied for the most among rookies.

The Rangers staged a two-out rally to continue the onslaught. Marcus Semien doubled to score Ezequiel Duran and Leody Taveras, bringing up Seager.

Starting at designated hitter for the second time since returning from the injured list, Seager deposited a Seabold offering 383 feet to right. Seager is 7-for-16 with two homers and eight RBI since coming back.

And if there was any doubt, the Rangers piled on with six more runs in the fifth. Taveras had the big blow with a bases-loaded double that scored all three runners.

Semien, Seager and Taveras each had at least two hits and three RBI. Nathaniel Lowe tallied three hits. Josh Smith homered in the eighth. Nine different Rangers scored.

Texas, the highest-scoring team in the Majors, has now scored at least five runs in an inning 14 times already this season. That happened just 13 times in each of the last two years. The Rangers have reached double figures in runs in 12 games.

Texas starter Andrew Heaney gladly took the support and evened his record at 3-3. The lefty worked six innings, allowing one run and striking out five.

The Rangers open up a nine-game road trip Monday night at the Pittsburgh Pirates with Dane Dunning (4-0, 1.69) on the hill. Luis Ortiz (0-2, 5.63) starts for the Pirates, with first pitch scheduled for 5:35 p.m. CT.

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