Welcome Back, Corey Seager! Texas Rangers Slugger Rips Game-Changing Homer To Beat Los Angeles Dodgers

Corey Seager's three-run homer in the fifth inning lifted the Texas Rangers over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's Seager's first game since a hamstring strain a week ago.

May 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) hits a home run during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES — Welcome back, Corey Seager. You were missed.

The Texas Rangers evened their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 3-2 win Wednesday at Dodgers Stadium.

The Dodgers nearly forced extra innings in the ninth. Jason Heyward hit a double to the right-center gap, scoring one run, but second baseman Marcus Semien's relay throw home was in time to get Andy Pages to end the game.

Seager, playing his first game in a week, belted a three-run homer in the fifth to lift the Rangers over his previous club.

Seager has been on the bench with a left hamstring strain since leaving a May 5 game in the second inning with hamstring tightness. He was 1 for 3 with a walk and the three-run homer as the designated hitter Wednesday night.

Shohei Ohtani homered in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead against Jon Gray. Gray and the bullpen, however, held the Dodgers scoreless over the next eight innings.

Smashed by Seager for a @Rangers lead! 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/giXdsKKl5L

— MLB (@MLB) June 13, 2024

Three thoughts from Wednesday's game:

1. Corey Seager Joins Juan Gonzalez

Jun 2, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) celebrates after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Seager's three-run homer in the fifth inning turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. It's the third time in 2024 that Seager has homered with two or three men on base to turn a deficit into a lead. The only Rangers batter with three such home runs of three or four runs to give Texas the lead was Juan Gonzalez in 2003. Seager had similar three-run homers on May 6 at Oakland and May 28 against Arizona.

2. Jon Gray Goes Three

Jun 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray (22) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Gray's workload was limited in his first start since May 21. Except for one pitch to Shohei Ohtani, it was a solid outing for Gray. He held the Dodgers to a run (Ohtani's solo homer in the first inning) on four hits and a walk in three innings. Gray likely could have pitched another inning but he threw 65 pitches, which is close to what the Rangers wanted him throwing in his first start back. He'll be available to throw more in his next start.

3. Up Next

May 3, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Michael Lorenzen (23) pitches during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (3-3, 3.05) vs. an unnamed starter for the Dodgers. Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-2, 3.00) was originally scheduled to start, but he has been scratched. The Dodgers are likely to make extensive use of their bullpen.

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