SEATTLE — Jake Burger‘s opposite-field home run off Bryce Miller is the at-bat Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker reached for Tuesday when he described what has worked against the Seattle Mariners right-hander.
Being on time with Miller’s fastball is the condition Schumaker attached to any of it.
“I think our righties, the last time we faced him, hit a couple homers. Jake Burger hit a home run against them opposite field,” Schumaker said. “So hopefully we can get some power, but it’s always on time with the fastball.”
Burger hit that home run on July 24 at Globe Life Field. The two-run shot came in the fourth inning and tied the score 3-3, and it barely cleared the right field wall. Texas won 5-4 in the opener of a four-game series between the top two teams in the American League West.
Burger was hitting .150 in July before the swing. He finished that night with 3 RBIs, adding a go-ahead single off reliever Eduard Bazardo in the sixth.
Wyatt Langford Homered Off Bryce Miller The Same Night
Wyatt Langford homered off Miller in the first inning of that game, driving a 1-1 splitter over the fence in left. Both Burger and Langford hit right-handed.
Miller was charged with 5 runs on 6 hits over 5 1/3 innings that night. He walked one and did not strike out a batter, and he fell to 0-4 in six career starts against Texas.
Skip Schumaker Stacked Left-Handed Bats Against Bryce Miller
Miller has had success against right-handed hitters, which is why Texas went left-handed heavy Tuesday.
“I think timing. Hitting is always about timing. And if we’re on time for his really good fastball, we should be okay,” Schumaker explained. “He’s had really good success against right-handers. That’s why we have a number of lefties. Nicky Lopez getting the spot start today.”
Burger has 25 home runs and 82 RBIs this season, both club highs. He homered twice in Sunday’s 8-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays and drove in 3 runs. Texas ranks seventh in the American League with 165 home runs.
Miller is 4-8 with a 4.01 ERA in 2026. Seattle drafted him in the fourth round out of Texas A&M in 2021. He grew up in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and struck out 10 without a walk in his major league debut on May 2, 2023, against the Athletics.
Corey Seager homered off Miller in the first inning Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park. Lopez, in a spot start at second base, singled home Langford in the second.
Texas leads the season series 7-3, and six of those wins came at Globe Life Field. Tuesday was the 11th meeting of the year and the last of the season.
Texas opened the road trip at 71-73 with 18 games left, two games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and two games out of the third American League wild card spot.
Cody Bradford starts Wednesday and Jacob deGrom takes the finale Thursday. Both games begin at 3:10 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network, and the Rangers open a three-game series at the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
