Texas Rangers Rout Rockies, Jon Gray Beats Former Club

The Texas Rangers are in position to sweep the Colorado Rockies after Saturday's blowout win.

Games aren’t often decided in the first inning, but the opening frame Saturday afternoon between the Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies was certainly pivotal.

The AL West-leading Rangers (28-17) claimed an easy 11-5 victory at Globe Life Field that also wrapped up the series win. Texas, a season-high 11 games over .500, can sweep the three-game set Sunday afternoon.

The Rangers, already the MLB’s high-scoring team, reached double figures in runs for the 11th time. Ezequiel Duran and Corey Seager drilled home runs, as Texas racked up 15 hits.

Despite the offensive onslaught, the happenings in the first set the tone. The Rockies (19-27) appeared to have Rangers starter Jon Gray on the early ropes, loading the bases without an out on two hits and a walk.

Gray buckled down from there in his first start against his former club. A short flyout to right – Adolis García fired the ball home to leave no doubt that Charlie Blackmon had nowhere to go – started the turnaround. A strikeout and lineout to center ended the threat.

And it was all Rangers from there.

Texas scored four runs in the first, with Nathaniel Lowe, Robbie Grossman and Ezequiel Duran driving in runs. The Rangers added another four-spot in the second to essentially put the game away.

Marcus Semien, Seager and Lowe each had three hits. Seager, Lowe, Grossman and Duran each had at least two RBI.

Seager, who made his second straight start at shortstop since coming back from injury, left the game after his homer in the sixth with the game well in hand. He’s expected to start at designated hitter in the series finale, with Duran getting the start at short.

Gray (4-1) earned the win after working five innings, giving up just one run and striking out six. He came up in the Colorado organization and pitched for the Rockies from 2015-21.

The series wraps Sunday at 1:35 p.m. The Rangers go for their third sweep of the season with Andrew Heaney (2-3, 4.71) on the mound. Connor Seabold (1-0, 5.14) starts for Colorado.

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You can follow Art Garcia on Twitter @ArtGarcia92.

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