Corey Seager and rookie Cody Bradford lead Rangers past Yankees 9-4 for a doubleheader split

NEW YORK (AP) — Corey Seager homered and rookie Cody Bradford pitched five strong innings as the Texas Rangers beat the New York Yankees 9-4 to earn a doubleheader split on Saturday.

Rookie Wyatt Langford had two hits and stole a base, and Adolis García finished the doubleheader with five hits and an RBI as Texas snapped a three-game skid in the two-game set that resulted from a rainout on Friday

“Pretty cool,” Seager said of his first homer at Yankee Stadium. He grew up a fan of the Yankees, and his parents grew up in upstate New York, with his father playing collegiately at Fairleigh Dickinson University, which is less than 10 miles from Yankee Stadium.

In the opener, Carlos Rodón scattered three hits over 5 2/3 innings and Austin Wells drove in four runs in the Yankees’ 8-0 win. Aaron Judge drove in his major league-leading 105th run and reached base four times. García and Josh Jung had two hits apiece for Texas.

The victory in Game 2 was the fourth in 14 games for the Rangers, who are 6 1/2 games behind AL West frontrunners Houston and Seattle. The Astros defeated the Red Sox 5-4 and Seattle hosts the Mets later Saturday.

“That’s more our baseball,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s been frustrating because we haven’t clicked.”

Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisolm Jr. homered in the second game for New York, which slipped a half-game behind Baltimore in the American League East and for the best record in AL. The Orioles take on Tampa Bay later Saturday. Chisolm made a costly mental mistake at third base in the loss.

Seager’s 25th homer of the season highlighted a five-run sixth inning. Nathaniel Lowe and García had consecutive singles with one out. Leody Tavares hit a sinking line drive to right. Juan Soto dove and initially appeared to make the catch, but the ball fell out of his glove as he hit the ground. Soto threw to the infield and Gleyber Torres alertly threw to third base. Lowe was initially called out at third, but the ruling was overturned after Chisolm’s back foot came off the side of the bag as he tried to tag the runner instead of accepting the force out.

“I thought they called it a catch, so I was really looking for the double play,” Chisolm said.

Seager said: “We got a break at third and it kind of changed from there.”

In the sixth, Luke Weaver (4-3) walked Carson Kelly to force in a run and Josh Smith added a sacrifice fly. Seager then drove Weaver’s next pitch into the stands in right to break the game open.

Texas’ offensive outburst in the sixth spoiled a strong effort by Yankees starter Gerrit Cole. The 33-year-old right-hander allowed an RBI single to García and struck out a season-high 10 over 5 1/3 innings in one of his best starts after missing the first 75 games of the season with nerve inflammation and edema in his right elbow.

Bradford, whose family traveled from Texas for the start, matched Cole in his second start after missing over three months with a back injury and a rib fracture. Making his first start against the Yankees, Bradford (4-0) matched his season best with seven strikeouts and allowed one run.

“Today was a real dream come true, pitching at Yankee Stadium,” he said.

The Yankees scored three times against Gerson Garabito in the eighth. Judge worked a two-out walk before Stanton drove a 2-0 pitch 451 feet for his 19th home run of the season.

Chisolm homered in both games. He has seven homers in 12 games since joining New York. He had 13 homers in 101 games with Miami.

In the opener, New York chased Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (8-6) after three innings when the right-hander was pulled for precautionary reasons with tightness in his right side.

Rodón (13-7) yielded three hits, walked five and struck out six in his eighth start allowing one run or fewer.

Relievers Ron Marinaccio and Tim Hill combined for three strikeouts and completed the five-hitter, marking the Yankees’ eighth shutout of the season.

GAME RECOGNIZES GAME

WNBA star Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and boyfriend Connor McCaffrey were on the field for batting practice. Clark, on a WNBA-wide Olympic break, sported a No. 22 Yankees jersey and signed a few autographs. She posed for a clubhouse picture with Aaron Judge before the slugger signed a custom jersey. She also took a picture with Jung and former Chicago Cub and current Yankee Anthony Rizzo. Clark is a lifelong Cubs fan who was making her first trip to Yankee Stadium. “She was impressive,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “It was fun to see the amount of our guys that were star-struck being around her.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: SS Anthony Volpe played in both games after leaving Thursday night’s game after fouling a ball off his left foot. He went 0 for 5 in the two games. … RHP Clarke Schmidt (right lat strain) and RHP Cody Poteet (right triceps strain) each threw 25 pitches against hitters in a live BP session. … C Jose Trevino (left quad strain) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday. … OF Trent Grisham remained in the game after getting hit on the left hand by a 96 mph fastball in the fourth inning. He did exit for a defensive replacement in the fifth. Initial CT scans and X-rays were negative and Grisham was diagnosed with a left hand contusion.

Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom’s live BP session on Thursday went “really well,” according to reports Bochy received. He will throw again in Boston as he continues his recovery from 2023 Tommy John surgery.

UP NEXT

New York’s Marcus Stroman (7-6, 4.10 ERA) faces LHP Andrew Heaney (4-11, 3.98) in the series finale. Stroman is coming off his worst start of the season, allowing seven earned runs over 2 2/3 innings. Heaney is tied for the AL lead in losses.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

WNBA basketball player Caitlin Clark is photographed before a baseball double header game between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

WNBA basketball player Caitlin Clark is photographed before a baseball double header game between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

WNBA basketball player Caitlin Clark throws a baseball before a baseball double game between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

WNBA basketball player Caitlin Clark and Texas Rangers Josh Jung are photographed before a baseball double header game between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Texas Rangers' Brock Burke pitches against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of the first game of a baseball double header, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo follows through on a single against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning of the first game of a baseball double header, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a double against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning of the first game of a baseball double header, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Yankees' Austin Wells tosses his bat after hitting a double against the Texas Rangers during the third inning of the first game of a baseball double header, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Yankees' Carlos Rodón pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of the first game of a baseball double header, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso homered and drove in five runs, Luisangel Acuña added his first major league longball to cap a huge night at the plate, and the New York Mets routed the Washington Nationals 10-1 on Tuesday to boost their chances in a close National League playoff race.

Tylor Megill (4-5) provided another terrific outing in place of injured starter Paul Blackburn, and Francisco Alvarez also went deep as the Mets improved to 10-2 against Washington this year.

New York is tied with Arizona for the second of three NL wild cards, two games ahead of rival Atlanta for the league’s last postseason berth with 11 to play.

“I’m just really fired up because of the situation we’ve put ourselves in,” Alonso said, explaining his passionate address to teammates during a meeting Monday in the wake of Francisco Lindor’s injury last weekend. “We control our own destiny.”

A roar went up in the crowd of 24,932 at Citi Field when the out-of-town scoreboard showed Cincinnati had polished off a 6-5 comeback victory over the Braves.

“I didn’t know," Alonso said. "So someone told me that’s what they were cheering about, but I thought someone was just getting rowdy like, chugging beers or something like that. I mean, people do that.”

Jose Iglesias had three of New York's 14 hits and scored twice, batting leadoff with Lindor sidelined by a sore back. The 22-year-old Acuña, subbing for the MVP contender at shortstop, finished a triple shy of the cycle and scored three times from the No. 9 spot in his fourth big league game and second start.

“He's a true pro so far and that's awesome to see,” Alonso said.

Acuña, younger sibling of Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., knocked in New York's first run with a double for his first career extra-base hit. He connected for a solo homer in the eighth to finish with his first two RBIs.

“That confidence comes from my brother,” the younger Acuña said through a translator.

He received a congratulatory text message from his big brother, and plans to put the souvenir ball from his first home run in a trophy case in the new house he's building.

“Excited. Proud of myself,” Acuña said. “I think this is something that I earned.”

Alonso also was a triple short of the cycle. He blooped a two-run single off shaky starter Mitchell Parker (7-10) with the bases loaded in a four-run third inning, then launched a three-run homer in the sixth.

Iglesias is batting .425 during an 11-game hitting streak.

Acuña's first career error helped the Nationals score an unearned run in the third, but Megill recovered. He permitted just two hits in six innings and retired his final 10 batters — after striking out nine over six shutout innings of one-hit ball at Toronto last time out on Sept. 9.

“We just couldn’t catch up to a fastball,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “The guy was throwing fastballs, and we were late. Bad combination.”

Touted rookie Dylan Crews had three of Washington's four hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams (left shoulder) was back in the leadoff spot after missing four games. ... 2B Luis García Jr. exited in the fourth with a sore right wrist. ... RHP Trevor Williams (flexor muscle strain) threw a bullpen and could be reinstated from his minor league rehab assignment to start this weekend in Chicago against the Cubs. ... OF Alex Call (partial tear of plantar fascia) has been taking flyballs at Citi Field. “If everything goes well, we might possibly send him out on a quick rehab,” Martinez said. “I know we're running out of time here, but I would like to get him back and get him in some games.”

Mets: Lindor was feeling better, manager Carlos Mendoza said, and still hopes to return this week. ... RHP Kodai Senga (left calf strain) threw another bullpen and went through some fielding drills. The team will wait to see how he feels Wednesday before announcing whether Senga's next step will be live batting practice, a minor league rehab game or another bullpen session. Senga hopes to come off the 60-day injured list next week — he becomes eligible on Sept. 25 — to provide even a few innings before the regular season ends. ... OF Brandon Nimmo was rested against the left-hander.

UP NEXT

Mets LHP Jose Quintana (9-9, 3.91 ERA) makes his 30th start of the season when he faces left-hander DJ Herz (4-7, 3.70) in the series finale Wednesday night.

Quintana has allowed one earned run in 25 innings over his last four starts, winning the past three. He threw 14 shutout innings in back-to-back starts against Washington in early July.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Washington Nationals' Dylan Crews runs to second base for a double during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Washington Nationals' Dylan Crews hits a double during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Luisangel Acuña hits an RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Washington Nationals' Mitchell Parker pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Tylor Megill pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker reacts as New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso runs to second base for a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez celebrates as he passes Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Luisangel Acuna tosses his bat as he runs the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Luisangel Acuna hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso hits a three-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)