The Texas Rangers struggled Tuesday night, falling to the Los Angeles Angels 9-3 to end a six-game winning streak.
Making matters worse, All-Star shortstop Corey Seager suffered another injury. Seager was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning and examined by medical staff but stayed in the game until the Rangers brought a slew of substitutions off the bench in the sixth after falling behind 9-1.
He was replaced by Josh Smith, who hit a two-run home run in the ninth.
Seager appears to have avoided serious injury.
“He’s got a contusion on the right forearm, low forearm,” manager Bruce Bochy told the media after the game. “We did an x-ray. [It was] negative, so that’s good news there. It’s a contusion. We’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow.”
Seager has already missed time with multiple injuries this season and is a crucial component of the offensive lineup, leading the team with a .332 batting average while hitting 33 home runs with 96 runs batted in (RBIs).
The Rangers offense struggled on Tuesday, collecting just six hits, and their pitching was not any better, allowing nine runs in a span of two innings, primarily off of Cody Bradford and Chris Stratton.
“It was just one of those games that got away,” Bochy explained. “A game we have to let go, that’s for sure, and come out and be ready to go tomorrow.”
Luckily, the Houston Astros also lost, allowing Texas to maintain its two-and-a-half-game lead in the American League West with five games remaining.
While the loss means the Rangers will not be able to clinch a playoff berth in Los Angeles, they are still in a good position in the playoff race because they control their own fate. Winning games will hinder the Astros’ chances, and Texas finishes the season against a Seattle team that it has beaten eight out of nine games this year.
The Rangers (88-69) continue their series against the Angels (71-87) at 8:38 p.m. CT on Wednesday before beginning their final series in Seattle on Thursday.
