ARLINGTON, Texas — — Corey Seager just provides something extra when he is in the lineup for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers.
Manager Bruce Bochy said he is running out of different ways to describe the All-Star shortstop, and his teammates anticipate big hits whenever Seager goes to the plate.
Seager homered twice and drove in five runs as the Rangers beat the slumping Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Tuesday night. Texas is 16-2 in games he has played since the All-Star break — and were 3-6 during a stretch when he out with a sprained right thumb.
“We’re expecting something something special every at-bat,” All-Star catcher Jonah Heim said. “When he gets a single, it’s kind of disappointing to us in the dugout. He’s a special player.”
Seager has seven home runs and 15 RBI in his 11 games since coming off the injured list Aug. 2. He has 22 homers and 73 RBI this season while hitting .350, which would lead the American League by a wide margin if he qualified. He also missed 31 games early because of a left hamstring strain.
“Hitting is contagious. And when you have a lineup that’s going to throw out competitive at bats one through nine, it makes you want to join in,” said Seager, who said his thumb feels fine.
“Really how tough he is, that’s probably something we haven’t talked about,” Bochy said. “He hasn’t really missed a beat. We were trying to keep a watchful eye on him … and we’ll continue to do that. But right now he feels good. It’s obvious the way he’s swinging the bat. He’s been great at shortstop too.”
Jordan Montgomery (8-10) struck out nine without a walk over six innings in his third start for the Rangers since they got him in a trade deadline deal from last-place St. Louis. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA for Texas.
Angels starter Lucas Giolito (7-9), one of their deadline acquisitions, allowed four runs while throwing a season-high 110 pitches over six innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked two.
Los Angeles (59-62) kept two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who can become a free agent this offseason, and made moves hoping for a playoff push. The Angels are instead 3-11 in August and now three games under .500 for the first time this season. They are eight games behind the AL’s final wild-card spot, with three teams between them and that.
Seager’s opposite-field, two-run shot to left-center in the third inning went 383 feet, and had already cleared the wall when leaping center fielder Jordyn Adams appeared to get his glove to the ball. When Adams landed on his feet, he reached into his glove like he might have the ball.
After pulling a no-doubt shot into the right-field seats in the seventh for his 12th career multihomer, Seager capped his three-hit night with a two-run single in the eighth.