Oct. 31 (UPI) — Marcus Semien tripled and Corey Seager homered in consecutive at-bats, plating five early runs for the Texas Rangers in a dominant win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday in Game 4 of the World Series.
The Rangers followed their five-run second inning with another five runs in the third en route to their 11-7 triumph at Chase Field in Phoenix. They are now just one win away from clinching the first World Series in franchise history.
“Any time you put yourself in this position, it’s where you want to be,” Seager said on the Fox broadcast.
Semien went 2 for 5, with a home run, in addition this triple. The star second baseman drove in five runs. Seager, who became the first shortstop to hit at least three home runs in a single World Series, went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Third baseman Josh Jung recorded three hits. Outfielder Travis Jankowski recored a two run-double.
Rangers starter Andrew Heaney allowed four hits and one run over five innings.
Jung hit a leadoff double in the top of the second. He came around to score the game’s first run on a wild pitch from Diamondbacks starter Miguel Castro. Castro then issued a walk to center fielder Leody Taveras and allowed a Jankowski single.
Semien ripped his two-run trip to left field in the next at-bat, giving the Rangers a 3-0 edge. Kyle Nelson replaced Castro for the next exchange. Seager hit Nelson’s second pitch of the night to center field for a 431-foot, two run homer.
Jankowsi started the scoring in the third when he ripped a 1-1 cutter from relief pitcher Luis Frias to right field for a two-run double. Semien hit a 383-foot, three-run homer two pitches later for a 10-0 lead.
The Diamondbacks put their first run on the scoreboard when left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth. Rangers catcher Jonah Heim then led off the eighth with a 377-foot solo homer to right field, pushing the advantage back to 10 runs.
Designated hitter Tommy Pham plated the Diamondbacks’ second run with an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth. Gurriel followed with a 382-foot, two-run homer.
Rangers relief pitcher Will Smith walked Jordan Lawlar to start the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a Perdomo single in the next exchange. Smith then settled and struck out second baseman Ketel Marte and outfielder Corbin Carroll.
Fellow Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc replaced Smith to face Gabriel Moreno in the next exchange.
The Diamondbacks catcher ripped the fifth pitch of that exchange up the middle for a two-run single. Leclerc then secured the victory by forcing first baseman Christian Walker to pop out in foul territory.
Walker went 3 for 5 with a run scored in the loss. Gurriel went 2 for 3 with four RBIs and a run scored. Marte also recorded to hits for the Diamondbacks.
Game 5 of the best-of-seven game series will be at 8:03 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Phoenix. The game will air on Fox.
