14-9 - Runs aplenty for Rangers in 8-5 win to open series in Sacramento

The Texas Rangers scored eight runs while the Athletics scored five runs.

It took Texas nearly a month but they finally scored enough runs to get you half price pizza at Papa Johns if you let your mind drift back to like 2011. The Rangers7 threshold was reached and exceeded for a season-high eight runs as the ball was flying out of the minor league park in West Sacramento that formerly Oakland is temporarily calling home.

After the most apparent lineup shakeup perhaps during Bruce Bochy’s time with Texas, the Rangers had ten hits in their first game against the A’s away from Oakland. Wyatt Langford, Josh Smith, Marcus Semien, and Jake Burger all went deep as the Rangers doubled up the total number of runs that they had scored last weekend against the Dodgers all by the sixth inning tonight.

Semien’s homer was especially gratifying as he was moved off the leadoff spot for the first time pretty much since joining the Rangers and he ended up having his best game of the season at the plate with two hits, including the dong, with four RBIs and a walk.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Patrick Corbin did what the Rangers scrambled to sign him late in spring training to do, he threw 85 pitches and didn’t let the game get away from him when it was still close. In total, Corbin made it through five frames, which earned him a win. The left-hander allowed seven hits, but he limited the damage to just two solo home runs on a night where the ball was carrying.

It wasn’t all peaches and gravy tonight, unfortunately, especially for 2023 World Series champion heroes. 2023 World Series MVP Corey Seager left the game grabbing his hamstring and was removed. Meanwhile, former Ranger Jose Leclerc, Texas’ closer for their World Series run, was also hurt and left the contest.

One of these events far greater impacts the 2025 Rangers and it’s not the prospect of missing out on facing Leclerc. Should Seager miss time, an already slow-to-arrive lineup will be without its best hitter. Keep your fingers crossed that he won’t have to go on the shelf for a lengthy spell.

Player of the Game: I’d probably give the nod to Semien. His big game with a three-run home run in the fifth turned a 4-2 game into a more comfortable 7-2 score. That was the biggest hit of the night.

But Langford, now in the prestigious No. 2 spot in the lineup, went 3-for-4 with a home run of his own, a walk, and a stolen base. The youngster very well could be challenging Seager for that best hitter title at a breakneck pace.

Up Next: More Rangers and A’s with RHP Kumar Rocker looking to follow up a gem from last week for Texas opposite LHP JP Sears for the Athletics.

The Wednesday night first pitch from Sutter Health Park is scheduled for 9:05 pm CT once again and will be telecast via the Rangers Sports Network as usual.