Jankowski saves Rangers with HR robbery as Texas takes 2 from MLB-worst White Sox
AP Baseball Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Travis Jankowski robbed Andrew Vaughn of a game-winning homer with a leaping catch in the ninth inning, and the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Wednesday night for their second victory of the day against the majors’ worst team.
Corey Seager had four hits, including a tiebreaking single in the ninth, as Texas improved to 6-0 against Chicago this season. Seager also had an RBI single as the Rangers beat the White Sox 3-1 hours earlier in the resumption of a game suspended Tuesday after just four pitches.
The White Sox (31-103) have lost six in a row and 10 of 11 overall. They are 4-32 since the All-Star break, moving closer to the franchise record of 106 losses in 1970.
Wyatt Langford hit a three-run homer in the second game for Texas (62-71). José Ureña (5-8) pitched four scoreless innings for the win in relief of Jack Leiter, and Grant Anderson got one out for his first career save.
Chicago had runners on first and second when Vaughn hit a deep drive off Andrew Chafin. Jankowski, who replaced Langford in left field for the ninth, tracked the towering flyball before climbing up the wall and reaching his left arm high over the fence for a spectacular catch.
“It was high. You know the hang time was perfect,” Jankowski said. “If it was a foot further, probably out of my reach. So that to me, it’s like everything aligns.”
Jankowski said Chafin gave him a big hug and offered to buy him a steak dinner.
“I said, ‘Naw, man. Your friendship and the hug’s good enough,’ and then he gave me another hug,” a grinning Jankowski said.
After Gavin Sheets walked to load the bases, Anderson replaced Chafin and retired Lenyn Sosa on a fly to center for the final out.
Following another heartbreaking loss, Vaughn credited Jankowski for his play.
“It’s probably one of the best catches you’ll see in a long time,” he said. “Got to hand it to him.”
Seager drove in the decisive run with a bloop single in the top of the ninth against Justin Anderson (1-1).
Marcus Semien hit a tiebreaking RBI double for Texas in the seventh inning of the first game. Matt Festa (2-1) got three outs for the win, and Kirby Yates handled the ninth for his 24th save in 25 opportunities.
Langford gave Texas a 3-2 lead with his eighth homer in the nightcap, a 409-foot drive to left-center off Sammy Peralta in the fourth. Chicago misplayed grounders by Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung before Langford went deep.
Sosa, a major part of the defensive trouble for the White Sox, hit a tying single in the fifth. But he also was called for batter interference with two outs and two on in the seventh, ending the inning. Then he was checked by an athletic trainer after getting plunked by a throw to second base ahead of the eighth.
“That’s a tough game to lose,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said of the nightcap. “We played well, did everything right. They got some key hits when they needed it and stole one from us at a good time.”
Semien was at the plate and Garrett Crochet was on the mound Tuesday night when a fast-moving storm resulted in a delay. The game was eventually suspended because of persistent rain.
Semien had a 2-2 count and Chris Flexen (2-13) was the pitcher when the game resumed in front of a sparse crowd on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Semien ended up with a leadoff walk.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said he had to make a small adjustment because of the lack of fans in the stands.
“You know you have to tone down your comments, though, because you know everybody can hear them,” he said with a grin.
Flexen was charged with three runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped to 0-10 in his last 20 appearances.
“Just didn’t execute at the end,” Flexen said.
Flexen exited after Semien’s liner to left drove in Langford. Seager then greeted Fraser Ellard with a grounder into right field that lifted the Rangers to a 3-1 lead.
Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney allowed five hits in five innings. He told Bochy he was good to go after he didn’t face any hitters before the game was suspended Tuesday night.
“Definitely not my best stuff,” Heaney said. “Not my sharpest, but anytime you can go out there and compete, give your team a chance to win, that’s what you’re trying to do.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: Bochy said Jacob deGrom’s second minor league rehab start went so well the right-hander went to the bullpen for more work after he was removed. The two-time Cy Young Award winner tossed two perfect innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday night. “The next time out he’ll go three to four innings,” Bochy said.
White Sox: RHP Steven Wilson (lower back strain) pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Nathan Eovaldi (9-7, 3.79 ERA) starts for Texas in the series finale Thursday. The right-hander pitched six innings of three-run ball in a 5-3 win at Cleveland on Friday night. The White Sox plan to send right-hander Nick Nastrini (0-5, 8.39) to the mound.
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