Corey Seager has been flexing his muscles despite the fact that the Texas Rangers have had sand kicked in their faces for the majority of the last two and a half weeks. Seager, who recently hit two home runs, will seek to continue his power exhibition on Tuesday when the Texas Rangers face the Arizona Diamondbacks in a repeat of last season’s World Series in Arlington.
Seager, who was named the World Series MVP for the second time last year, has six homers in his last six games. His two-run blast in the third inning and solo shot in the fifth on Sunday went a long way toward helping the Rangers snap a six-game losing skid and record just their third win in the last 15 games. “He’s been locked in. It’s fun to watch great hitters get in the zone, and he’s certainly there now,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said after Sunday’s 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. “He got some great swings off and he’s not missing his pitches.”
Seager is riding a 10-game hitting streak entering the two-game set and has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games. Prior to that, he was batting .219 on the season. “You just get better and better, right? You’re just trying to always improve and fortunately right now I’m on the other end of it (his early season skid),” Seager said. “It’s a lot of just how baseball goes.”
Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (2-3, 4.05 ERA) will be tasked with keeping Seager at bay. Pfaadt, 25, recorded his first win since March 31 after allowing three runs (two earned) and four hits in six innings of a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last Tuesday’s performance represented his fifth consecutive quality start. He doesn’t have fond memories of the Rangers, however.
In his major-league debut against Texas on May 3, 2023, Pfaadt allowed seven runs on nine hits, including four home runs, in 4 2/3 innings. He lost Game 3 of the World Series after giving up three runs on four hits, including Seager’s two-run homer, in 5 1/3 innings of a 3-1 defeat. The Diamondbacks, who lost the World Series to the Rangers in five games, managed only four runs on 15 hits while losing two of three games to the Miami Marlins this weekend. “We came out and had a couple of duds,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo admitted. “I think we’re better than that.”
Texas has yet to name its starting pitcher for the series opener, but right-hander Dane Dunning (3-3, 4.43) is anticipated to receive the ball. Dunning, 29, allowed five runs (three earned) in three and a third innings of an 11-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies last Wednesday. The game was his first after returning from the disabled list with a right rotator cuff issue. In 2021, Dunning won his only regular-season game against Arizona, allowing two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He also pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in three bullpen appearances against the Diamondbacks in the World Series.
