ARLINGTON -- In the third inning of Saturday night’s matchup between the Rangers and Astros, Marcus Semien came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.
The Rangers’ veteran second baseman ended up with a first-pitch groundout, allowing Houston starter Ronel Blanco to escape the jam. That’s been the story of the season for Semien, who entered the day 4-for-36 (.111) in his last 10 games, sliding from a .190 average to .173, lowest in the American League among qualified starters.
But just three innings later, Semien and another scuffling veteran in Joc Pederson would carry the Rangers to victory.
Pederson delivered the go-ahead knock in the sixth inning with a two-run homer that broke a 1-1 tie. Semien singled ahead of him. The Rangers extended the lead the following frame and never looked back, ultimately defeating the Astros, 5-1, at Globe Life Field.
The win assured the Rangers would take at least a split of the four-game Rivalry Weekend set against the Astros.
The home run was especially notable for Pederson, who entered the day 1-for-17 (.059) over his last six games to drop his average from .135 to .124. He had just hit his first homer as a Ranger last Saturday at Detroit, as he’s struggled at the plate throughout the first six weeks of the season.
“It's good to see Marcus get things going there,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “I know he's been battling a little bit. Leading off the inning to get us going, that’s big. Those two are a big part of this club, and we're gonna need them.
“I thought Joc saw the ball better tonight. They all want to contribute. They have to feel good about their games. It's a lineup that, when it gets clicking … you're going to see everybody doing something to help us win the ballgame.”
That being said, Pederson has appeared to right the ship in recent weeks. He’s posted a .939 OPS in his last 12 games since May 6, while drawing 11 walks in his last 11 games since May 7. That’s the most in the AL during that span.
“There's been some big steps over the past two weeks,” Pederson said. “I know I haven't got a ton of hits, but I’m getting on a lot. Some good things are happening which means I'm usually either hitting my way on or walking, which means I'm taking the pitches I should take and swinging at the ones I should be swinging at.”
Semien, like Pederson, is not ignorant to his struggles this season. He’s been doing everything he can to get back on track. He’s a routine-oriented player, and has nearly the exact same schedule for himself every day when he shows up to the ballpark. The way to fix things at the plate lies elsewhere.
“It's more about tinkering with different things and making sure I can see the ball better and swing better,” Semien said. “The actual work in the cage does change from time to time. Of course, there's been a ton of changing and tinkering and trying to see the ball better.”
While the offense has been more effective and consistent lately, Saturday’s win wouldn’t have been within reach without the continued success of Tyler Mahle, who has sneakily been one of the best pitchers in baseball. And he’s making an argument for the Rangers’ best pitcher this season, despite Jacob deGrom returning to form and Nathan Eovaldi continuing to be Mr. Reliable.
Mahle has been as steady as ever this season. After allowing a rare first-inning run, the right-hander locked in, allowing no more than the one over six innings.
Mahle’s ERA remains at 1.47 through his first 10 starts, good for third in MLB. He's allowed two or fewer runs in every appearance this season, which is the longest such season-opening span in franchise history.
“It starts with Tyler and the job he did,” Bochy said. “He just has great pitchability and game awareness. You just love the way he competes out there.”