Kyle Higashioka delivered a two-out, three-run double in the ninth inning and the visiting Texas Rangers earned a needed 6-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Kansas City’s Sam Long (1-3) retired the first two batters of the ninth but walked Wyatt Langford before Corey Seager reached on an error by first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and Marcus Semien recorded a half-swing infield single. On came Higashioka, the catcher making his first start of this series, who roped Long’s pitch inside the third base bag and down the left field line to clear the bases.
Hoby Milner (2-3) then closed the door in the bottom of the frame and Texas prevailed after losing the first two of this four-game set. Semien had three hits with an RBI. After opener Caleb Boushley allowed a first-inning, three-run homer to Pasquantino, Jacob Latz, Shawn Armstrong and Milner held the Royals to just three hits as the Rangers won for only the third time in 13 contests.
Rookie Noah Cameron, who struck out five, labored while allowing two runs, three hits and three walks over 89 pitches through 4 2/3 innings for the Royals, who had won five straight and fell to 7-2 on their 10-game homestand.
Texas wasted no time getting to Cameron, as Langford crushed a fastball deep over the left field wall to open the contest.
However, Kansas City got that run back and more with its first three batters of the night. Boushley allowed back-to-back singles to Mike Yastrzemski and Bobby Witt Jr., then Pasquantino clubbed a pitch that landed in the right field fountains for a 3-1 Royals lead.
Texas made it a one-run game in the third when Langford singled and eventually scored on Semien’s two-out base hit. The Rangers tied it in the seventh when Jonah Heim doubled and eventually scored on Seager’s two-out single.
Kansas City, which stranded nine men, had runners on first third with one out in the seventh before loading the bases with two out but couldn’t score.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy was away from the team Wednesday while attending to personal matters. Bench coach Luis Ureta managed the club in his place.
–Field Level Media
