Texas Rangers Drop Final Game Against Royals, Can't Complete Series Sweep

The Texas Rangers lost their first game without Corey Seager and failed to complete the sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Kade Kistner | Apr 12, 2023

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It was not the Texas Rangers' day on Wednesday. With news that Corey Seager could miss a minimum of four weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the Rangers lost 10-1 against the Kansas City Royals (4-9) in their first game without the star shortstop.

Texas (7-5) was going for tits fourth consecutive win and a series sweep after outscoring the Royals 19-7 in the first two games with masterful pitching performances from Andrew Heaney and Jacob deGrom.

Wednesday was a different story.

Nathan Eovaldi took the mound for his third start of the season and failed to replicate his last outing. On Wednesday night he finished five innings pitched while giving up six earned runs. His ERA now sits at a bloated 6.32.

Not much else went right for the Rangers, especially offensively.

Texas was able to score just one run, a Nathaniel Lowe home run in the first inning for an early 1-0 lead.

That edge would quickly dissipate as Kansas City piled on three runs in the second, another one in the third and two more in fourth.

Things went from bad to worse as Taylor Hearn came on in relief for Eovaldi and quickly gave up another four runs to make it a 10-1 ballgame after the top of the seventh.

It was the first time this season the Royals have been able to score double digit runs.

It was an uncharacteristic evening from both the Texas offense and pitching staff. The Rangers' early calling card to start the 2023 MLB season has been their stout rotation and even better bullpen.

Both failed to deliver in a tough loss Wednesday.

The offense, which has had its ups and downs, failed to crack even five hits, conjuring images of last week's matchup against the Baltimore Orioles when the Rangers recorded just one hit.

It's been feast or famine for the lineup and the loss of Seager will likely only exacerbate the issue.

Texas will need to search for answers as they are slated to face a very tough Houston Astros team this weekend.

First pitch for Friday night's Silver Boot showdown is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT with Martín Pérez trying to get the Rangers back on track.

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Published Apr 12, 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.