Jankowski saves Rangers with HR robbery as Texas takes 2 from MLB-worst White Sox
Travis Jankowski robbed Andrew Vaughn of a game-winning homer with a leaping catch in the ninth inning, and the Texas Rangers beat the White Sox 4-3 on Wednesday night for their second victory of the day against the majors' worst team.
Corey Seager had four hits, including a tiebreaking single in the ninth, as Texas improved to 6-0 against Chicago this season. Seager also had an RBI single as the Rangers beat the White Sox 3-1 hours earlier in the resumption of a game suspended Tuesday after just four pitches.
The White Sox (31-103) have lost six in a row and 10 of 11 overall. They are 4-32 since the all-star break, moving closer to the franchise record of 106 losses in 1970.
Wyatt Langford hit a 3-run homer in the second game for Texas (62-71). José Ureña (5-8) pitched four scoreless innings for the win in relief of Jack Leiter, and Grant Anderson got one out for his first save.
Chicago had runners on first and second in the ninth when Vaughn hit a deep drive to left field. Jankowski, a defensive replacement, reached his arm over the wall for the spectacular catch.
Following a walk to Gavin Sheets that loaded the bases, Anderson retired Lenyn Sosa on a fly to center for the final out.
Seager drove in the decisive run with a bloop single in the top of the ninth against Justin Anderson (1-1).
Marcus Semien hit a tiebreaking RBI double for Texas in the first game. Matt Festa (2-1) got three outs for the win, and Kirby Yates handled the ninth for his 24th save in 25 opportunities.
Langford gave Texas a 3-2 lead with his eighth homer in the nightcap, a 409-foot drive to left-center off Sammy Peralta in the fourth. Chicago misplayed grounders by Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung before Langford went deep.
Sosa, a major part of the defensive trouble for the White Sox, hit a tying single in the fifth. But he also was called for batter interference with two outs and two on in the seventh, ending the inning. Then he was checked by an athletic trainer after getting plunked by a throw to second base ahead of the eighth.
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.
Flexen was charged with three runs and nine hits in 6⅓ 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 drove in Langford. Seager then greeted Fraser Ellard with a grounder into right field that lifted the Rangers to a 3-1 lead.
Texas 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.”