ARLINGTON, Texas — Wyatt Langford is leading off and playing left field for the Texas Rangers on Sunday, according to the club’s lineup card. Corey Seager is the designated hitter for a second straight day, and Ezequiel Durán is at shortstop again.
Durán led off Saturday night, when Langford batted fifth. On Sunday, Durán bats fourth, and Brandon Nimmo moves from fourth to fifth. Texas is starting the same nine hitters it used Saturday.
In the finale of the three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field, Jacob deGrom (11-9, 3.79 ERA) starts for Texas. First pitch is 1:35 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network, and the roof is closed. Here is the Texas lineup:
- Wyatt Langford, LF
- Corey Seager, DH
- Josh Jung, 3B
- Ezequiel Durán, SS
- Brandon Nimmo, RF
- Jake Burger, 1B
- Nicky Lopez, 2B
- Danny Jansen, C
- Evan Carter, CF
Seager, Nimmo, Lopez, and Carter bat left-handed. Against Boston Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray on Thursday, Texas used Saturday’s nine hitters in the same order. That night, Durán played third base, Seager played shortstop, and Jung was the designated hitter.
In Saturday’s 6-2 win, Langford drew a walk to open the second inning and scored the first of two runs Texas put up without a hit. He doubled off the left-field wall in the sixth to drive in Jung, then scored from third on Carter’s sacrifice fly. Jung homered to right field in the first inning.
Toronto intentionally walked Lopez to load the bases in the sixth, and Jansen was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said after the game that the Blue Jays were probably looking for a double-play ball from Jansen.
“Nicky Lopez, another good day, another good game with obviously really good defense and incredible play,” Schumaker said. “Him and Jake Burger have been outstanding on the defensive side this series. [I] mean, picking each other up was just fantastic.”
“That’s a baseball play,” Schumaker continued. “The intentional walk, it’s a baseball play. And they wanted to probably try to get a double play with Jansen. I’m not sure that, I’m not on their side, but that’s most likely. I probably would have done the same thing, quite honestly. And it just so happened that Jansen got hit by the pitch.”
Spencer Miles Opens For Toronto Blue Jays With Spencer Arrighetti In Line To Follow
Right-hander Spencer Miles (6-2, 2.65 ERA) is Toronto’s listed starter on MLB.com’s probable pitchers page. He has 87 strikeouts this season. On Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reported the Blue Jays would go with a bullpen day built around right-hander Spencer Arrighetti.
Miles has not pitched more than two innings in an appearance since the start of August, CBS Sports reported. On Sept. 12 against the Baltimore Orioles, Miles opened and Arrighetti followed him in bulk relief. The San Francisco Giants drafted Miles in the fourth round in 2022 out of Missouri. Toronto took him from San Francisco in the Rule 5 draft, and he made his major league debut March 28.
Arrighetti beat Texas twice this season as a member of the Houston Astros. On May 15, he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 2-0 win, and his line was 7 1/3 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned runs, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Thirteen days later at Globe Life Field, he allowed 1 run on 3 hits over 6 innings in a 5-1 Houston win.
Houston traded Arrighetti to Toronto on Aug. 3. Through six appearances with the Blue Jays, two of them starts, he had a 6.20 ERA over 20 1/3 innings, CBS Sports reported.
Texas is 6-0 against Toronto this season, including a four-game sweep at Rogers Centre in June. The Blue Jays (76-79) have lost eight of their last 12 games.
Jacob deGrom Makes Home Start With Texas Rangers Atop AL West
This season, deGrom has 194 strikeouts. He is 8-2 at home, according to the AP.
On Tuesday against Boston, deGrom made his first start since groin tightness ended his outing Sept. 10 at T-Mobile Park. His line was 5 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts on 92 pitches in a 4-2 win. Schumaker said afterward that deGrom did not feel 100%. In Seattle, deGrom left with a 3-0 lead after 6 scoreless innings, and the Seattle Mariners won 4-3.
With Saturday’s win, Texas (78-77) moved one game ahead of the Astros (77-78) for first place in the American League West. Houston won the season series 9-4 and holds the tiebreaker. The Astros finish their series against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, then play two games at Seattle and four at the Athletics.
Cal Quantrill was scheduled for an MRI on Sunday after leaving Saturday’s start with right lat tightness. He faced 4 batters and threw 12 pitches. Left-hander Jordan Montgomery followed with 3 2/3 hitless innings.
Texas is off Monday before hosting the New York Mets from Sept. 22 to 24. First pitch Tuesday is 7:05 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network. The Rangers close the regular season with three games at the Minnesota Twins from Sept. 25 to 27.
