Michael Helman, Kyle Higashioka and Corey Seager had home runs to help Patrick Corbin post his first winning start since July 10 as the host Texas Rangers swamped the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Tuesday to even up the teams’ three-game American League West series.
Corbin (7-9) pitched a season-high scoreless eight innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out eight, including five of the final six batters he faced. His winless drought ended after seven appearances and his victory on Tuesday was his third against the Angels this season.
Texas has won four of its past five games while the Angels have dropped four of five.
The Rangers produced only seven hits, with Adolis Garcia leading the way with two hits and an RBI and Seager scoring twice in the victory.
Los Angeles starter Yusei Kikuchi (6-9) struggled with his command from the first batter and paid the price, surrendering six runs on four hits and three walks, while lasting just four innings.
The Rangers got all the offense they would need in the first inning. Wyatt Langford and Seager walked and Langford raced home on a double by Garcia. Josh Jung followed with a single that plated Seager and sent Garcia to third, from where he scored on Cody Freeman’s sacrifice fly that made it 3-0.
Helman added to the lead with a two-run homer in the second. Higashioka then blasted a solo shot in the fourth to expand the margin to 6-0.
Seager ripped his solo shot in the seventh; it was his 20th home run of the season.
Los Angeles got on the scoreboard in the ninth when Zach Neto homered off Rangers reliever Danny Coulombe. After a single by Mike Trout, Jo Adell reached the second deck in left field with a home run that brought the Angels to within four runs.
Neto had two of the Angels’ six hits in the loss.
The Rangers announced before Tuesday’s game that right handed starter Nathan Eovaldi, an erstwhile Cy Young Award candidate with a league-low 1.73 ERA in 22 starts, would miss the remainder of the regular season with a strained right rotator cuff. The injury was verified by imaging on Tuesday after Eovaldi experienced shoulder soreness when playing catch on Sunday.
