Jared Walsh homers after watching new teammates get World Series rings as Rangers beat Cubs 11-2
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jared Walsh homered in his first at-bat for Texas after watching his new teammates get their World Series rings, and the Rangers beat the Chicago Cubs 11-2 on Saturday night.
Adolis García matched Walsh's two-run homer in the second inning with a go-ahead shot in the third, and Corey Seager had four singles and two RBIs to help the defending champs to a 2-0 start.
All three of Chicago's hits off left-hander Cody Bradford came in the second, including Dansby Swanson's two-run homer.
Bradford (1-0) finished the second with two of his six strikeouts over five innings and faced the minimum over his final three frames.
Four Texas relievers pitched a scoreless inning apiece in a five-hitter, capped by Brock Burke after the Rangers blew open the game with a six-run eighth.
Seager, last year's World Series MVP, finished his 12th four-hit game as one of five consecutive batters to drive in a run in the eighth against right-hander Ben Brown, who made his major league debut.
Marcus Semien had an RBI single before Seager, then Evan Carter added a run-scoring groundout and García a hit sacrifice fly. Josh Jung's two-run homer knocked out Brown.
The 24-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Iowa after left-lander Justin Steele went on the injured list. Steele is expected to miss at least a month after straining his left hamstring in his first opening-day start.
Walsh, who had three hits and scored three times, followed his homer by lining a double off the base of the center-field wall in the fourth and came home on Seager's third consecutive single for a 5-2 lead.
Kyle Hendricks (0-1) gave up five runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.
After spending his first five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Walsh signed a minor league contract and as Gold Glove first baseman Nathaniel Lowe recovers from a right oblique strain.
After Swanson had given the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the second, Walsh pulled the third pitch he saw with the Rangers into the seats above the bullpen in right-center field
It didn't take García long to put his World Series ring on his finger for the cameras during a pregame ceremony. Then the reigning AL Championship Series MVP homered for the second time in two games.
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Cubs LHP Jordan Wicks opens his first full big league season against Texas RHP Jon Gray. Wicks debuted in August and was 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in seven starts. Gray, who was scratched from an exhibition start Tuesday due to neck stiffness, made a team-high 29 starts last season.
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