Colorado Rockies vs. Texas Rangers Pick & Prediction MAY 21st 2023
Jacob Hoffman
The Texas Rangers will bid for their third sweep of the season when they face the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers have cruised to convincing victories in the first two games by a combined score of 18-7, including an 11-5 rout on Saturday. The Rockies are just 9-15 on the road this season.
Texas will look to close the series in style when it turns to veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney (2-3, 4.71 ERA).
Heaney is coming off a no-decision in his previous start at Oakland last Sunday despite allowing one run on four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts over six innings.
He is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in five career games (four starts) vs. the Rockies.
Offensively, the Rangers have been impressive lately. Saturday marked an MLB-leading 11th time in which they scored 10 or more runs in a game. They have 284 runs, which is the second-most in franchise history over the first 45 games.
"It's been fun to watch how these guys are all doing something," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "Somebody throughout the lineup is doing something to help win a ballgame, or get a big hit, score a run, whatever. It's a deep lineup, and it's contagious with these guys."
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager homered for the first time Saturday since returning from the injured list.
Marcus Semien, meanwhile, is riding a 10-game hitting streak entering the series finale. Semien went 3-for-5 on Saturday and is batting .347 in May.
Ezequiel Duran also is swinging the bat well, as he hit his third home run in his last seven games on Saturday.
Slowing the Rangers' offense will fall on Colorado right-hander Connor Seabold (1-0, 5.14). He will make his 11th appearance, including fourth start, of the season.
Seabold entered the Rockies' rotation earlier this month. In his three starts, he's gone 1-0 with a 5.02 ERA. He has seven strikeouts to six walks over 14 1/3 innings.
Seabold keeps a simple approach, as he said after earning his first career victory at Pittsburgh on May 9.
"I just go out and try to get the team five, six innings at a time," he said. "Got the run support today and was able to get out of a few jams. Walked away with a win."
Seabold will make his first appearance against the Rangers. He has pitched better on the road (4.82 ERA) than at home (5.30) this season.
Offensively, Colorado's Charlie Blackmon has been a bright spot and went 2-for-5 with a double on Saturday. The double was the 297th of his career, which tied him with Larry Walker for second-most doubles in Rockies history.
Blackmon also has reached base in 34 of 39 starts this season and has hits in nine of his last 10 games.
Finally, on the manager front, Sunday will be the 213th game between Colorado's Bud Black and Bochy. The all-time record sits at 106-106.
--Field Level Media
Colorado Rockies vs. Texas Rangers Recap MAY 21TH 2023
Corey Seager and Josh Jung both went deep in a five-run second inning, Andrew Heaney threw six innings of one-run ball and the Texas Rangers routed the Colorado Rockies 13-3 on Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers outscored the Rockies 31-10 over the series. Texas has won 11 of its last 15 games and is 12 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2016 season.
For the Rockies, their road woes continued as they dropped to 9-16 away from home.
It didn't take long for Texas' offense to break loose against Colorado right-hander Connor Seabold (1-1) on Sunday.
Jung opened the second inning with a solo home run, sending a 3-2 fastball over the left-center field fence. It was Jung's first homer since May 3.
Marcus Semien extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two-run double later in the inning followed by a two-run shot to right by Seager. Seager worked his way back from an 0-2 count, turning on a 3-2 slider.
The Rangers pulled away with a six-run fifth inning against Rockies reliever Matt Carasiti, and then added two more in the eighth. The highlights of the fifth inning were a three-run double by Leody Taveras and an RBI double by Seager, while Josh H. Smith went deep in the eighth.
Since being activated off the injured list on Wednesday, Seager has seven hits in 16 at-bats, including three doubles and two home runs.
The Rockies scored an unearned run on a fielder's choice groundout by Mike Moustakas in the sixth inning. They added two more runs in the eighth on an RBI double by Brenton Doyle and a wild pitch by Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc.
Heaney (3-3) allowed one unearned run, scattering six hits with two walks and five strikeouts over six innings. Heaney has now thrown five quality starts in his last six outings.
Seabold went 3 2/3 innings in his fourth start of the season, allowing five runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Carasiti, who was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque before the game, gave up six runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts over his lone inning of relief.
--Field Level Media