The Texas Rangers are eyeing their fourth consecutive series win on Thursday, but the series finale with the Kansas City Royals will be delayed due to rain. First pitch was set for 2:10 p.m. ET from Kauffman Stadium.
After an embarrassing series loss to the Houston Astros, the Rangers have turned a corner lately. They swept the Royals and took two out of three against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians.
They’ll have another opportunity for a series win after a back-and-forth victory on Wednesday. Jake Burger delivered two big swings to even up the game in the seventh and eighth innings, and new catcher Elias Diaz delivered the go-ahead hit in the 10th inning.
Starting Lineup vs Royals
Once the rain delay ends, here is who Skip Schumaker will deploy against starting pitcher Michael Wacha.
1. Wyatt Langford LF
2. Corey Seager SS
3. Josh Jung 3B
4. Brandon Nimmo DH
5. Ezequiel Duran RF
6. Jake Burger 1B
7. Evan Carter CF
8. Elias Diaz C
9. Nicky Lopez 2B
Joc Pederson left Wednesday’s game with left hip discomfort and is out of the lineup on Thursday. Burger delivered two clutch hits, including a home run and an RBI sac fly. Diaz will make his second start with Texas since being DFA’d by Kansas City.
Lopez will also get his second consecutive start at second base after going 2-for-3 on Wednesday. The veteran infielder has been a welcome surprise, posting a .333 batting average with 10 hits since joining the team.
While several other players like Jung and Duran are producing at a high level, the pressure will increase on Seager. Since returning to the lineup on June 5th, Seager has three hits in 17 at-bats with a home run. He’s now slashing .179/.280/.353.
Hopefully, the All-Star shortstop will find his groove soon because the Rangers need him if this team is going to be a playoff contender. He is the anchor to this lineup, and it goes as far as Seager is willing to take them. His teammate Langford, who returned from the injured list on the same day, also has three hits.
Schumaker will send Kumar Rocker to the mound to help secure the series win. The 26-year-old has posted a 3.54 ERA, but his road struggles have been well-documented. Rocker has a 4.66 ERA away from Globe Life Field. He’ll look to reverse that against Kansas City.
After Thursday’s game, Texas will continue its road trip against the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series.
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