ARLINGTON — The thing about double-digit run victories is that they take an entire lineup’s worth of cohesive hitters to execute. That, purely, is the nature of a blowout’s existence. It’s almost never solely on the shoulders of one singular batter.
Still.
“Marcus needed it,” Bruce Bochy said after the Texas Rangers’ 11-1 win vs. the St. Louis Cardinals Friday night.
No kidding.
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Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, who went 4 for 4 with a home run, collected his first four-hit game of the season and his first home run since May 11 in Friday’s blowout win. He then reached base twice in Sunday’s 2-0 loss. The two games single-handedly raised his batting average by 20 percentage points (from .173 to .193) and his on base plus slugging percentage by by 61 percentage points (from .474 to .535).
Baseball Reference’s Win Probability Added metric measured Friday’s game as Semien’s ninth-most impactful performance (.044 WPA) this season. That doesn’t account for the much-needed morale boost that it created.
“It’s not about me,” Semien said. “We got a good win. I think having four good at bats and producing tonight to help us win makes me feel better about myself. This was a team win for sure.”
Fair, but, it wouldn’t have been possible without his breakout night.
Semien singled vs. Cardinals right-hander Matthew Liberato re to help start the Rangers’ four-run rally in the second inning and scored on right fielder Sam Haggerty’s two-run triple. extended the inning and helped turn the lineup over to bring up Haggerty. In the fourth inning, also against Liberatore, Semien laced a 108.7 mph single into center field and stole second base to work himself into scoring position. It was the hardest he’d hit a ball since April 16 vs. the Los Angeles Angels. Semien chipped a slider that right-hander Gordon Graceffo left in the lowest part of the strike zone into left field for a single that scored first baseman Jake Burger to give the Rangers a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth. He worked a seven-pitch at bat in the eighth inning, didn’t chase any of the three balls off of the plate that right-hander Matt Svanson threw him, and turned on an inside sinker for a two-run home run that pushed the Rangers lead to 11-0. It was just his fourth home run of the season and second extra base hit in May.
“He’s so important to this lineup,” Bochy said. “We’ve seen what Marcus can do. He gets on a roll, has good at bats. It’s not going to be one guy carrying this club — Marcus or Corey [Seager] — it’s going to be everybody.”
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