Rangers beat White Sox 3-1 in resumed game
Marcus Semien hit a tiebreaking RBI 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 run-scoring single as Texas improved to 5-0 against Chicago this season. Matt Festa (2-1) got three outs for the win, and Kirby Yates handled the ninth for his 24th save in 25 opportunities.
Semien was at the plate and Garrett Crochet was on the mound Tuesday night when a fast-moving storm resulted in a delay. The game was eventually suspended because of persistent rain.
Semien had a 2-2 count and Chris Flexen (2-13) was the pitcher when the game resumed in front of a sparse crowd on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Semien ended up with a leadoff walk.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said he had to make a small adjustment because of the lack of fans in the stands.
"You know you have to tone down your comments, though, because you know everybody can hear them," he said with a grin.
The teams were set to play again Wednesday night in their regularly scheduled game.
The White Sox (31-102) lost for the ninth time in their last 10. They dropped to 4-31 since the All-Star break, moving closer to the franchise record of 106 losses in 1970.
"I felt like the guys played hard," interim manager Grady Sizemore said. "Just couldn't string anything together offensively."
Flexen was charged with three runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped to 0-10 in his last 20 appearances.
"Just didn't execute at the end," Flexen said.
Flexen exited after Semien's liner to left field drove in Wyatt Langford. Seager then greeted Fraser Ellard with a grounder into right field that lifted the Rangers to a 3-1 lead.
Texas (61-71) jumped in front on Adolis García's RBI double in the first, but Corey Julks responded with a tying single for Chicago in the third.
Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney allowed five hits in five innings. He told Bochy he was good to go after he didn't face any hitters before the game was suspended Tuesday night.
"Definitely not my best stuff," Heaney said. "Not my sharpest, but anytime you can go out there and compete, give your team a chance to win, that's what you're trying to do."
Bochy said Jacob deGrom's second minor league rehab start went so well the right-hander went to the bullpen for more work after he was removed. The two-time Cy Young Award winner tossed two perfect innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday night.
"He's doing really well right now with how the program has been set up," Bochy said. "So the next time out he'll go three to four innings."
Jack Leiter (0-1, 16.39 ERA) was slated to start the regularly scheduled game for Texas. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft is making his fourth major league appearance. Right-hander Matt Foster is the starter for Chicago.