Semien helps Rangers beat White Sox 3-1 in resumption of suspended series opener
CHICAGO — Marcus Semien hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Wednesday in the resumption of a game suspended after just four pitches.
Corey Seager added a single to give Texas a 5-0 win over Chicago this season. Matt Festa (2-1) got three outs for the win, and Kirby Yates made the ninth for his 24th save in 25 chances.
Semien was batting and Garrett Crochet was on the mound Tuesday night when a fast-moving storm caused a delay. The game was eventually suspended due to persistent rain.
Semien had a 2-2 count and Chris Flexen (2-13) was pitching when the game resumed before a sparse crowd on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Semien finished with a walk in the top of the inning.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said he had to make a small adjustment due to the lack of fans in the stands.
“You know you have to tone down your comments because you know everyone can hear them,” he said with a smile.
The teams were scheduled to play again on Wednesday night in their regular fixture.
The White Sox (31-102) lost for the ninth time in their last 10 games. They fell to 4-31 since the All-Star break, closing in on the franchise record of 106 losses set in 1970.
“I felt like the guys played hard,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “They just couldn’t string together offensive efforts.”
Flexen was charged with three runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander fell to 0-10 in his last 20 appearances.
“I just couldn’t execute it in the end,” Flexen said.
Flexen was tagged out after Semien’s fly ball to left field scored Wyatt Langford. Seager then greeted Fraser Ellard with a ground ball to right field that gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead.
Texas (61-71) took the lead thanks to Adolis García’s RBI double in the first inning, but Corey Julks answered with a game-tying single for Chicago in the third inning.
Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney allowed five hits in five innings. He told Bochy he was ready to play after not facing a batter before the game was suspended Tuesday night.
“It’s definitely not my best asset,” Heaney said. “It’s not my best asset, but any time you can get out there and give your team a chance to win, that’s what you try to do.”
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Rangers: Bochy said Jacob deGrom’s second start in minor league rehab went so well that the right-hander went to the bullpen for more work after his removal. The two-time Cy Young Award winner pitched two perfect innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday night. “He’s doing really well right now with the way the program’s set up,” Bochy said. “So next time he’ll go three to four innings.”
White Sox: Right-handed relief pitcher Steven Wilson (lower back strain) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday night.
FOLLOWING
Jack Leiter (0-1, 16.39 ERA) was expected to start the scheduled game for Texas. The second overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft is making his fourth major league appearance. Right-hander Matt Foster is the starter for Chicago.
___
