After Being Drilled in the Head, Marcus Semien Wins It For Rangers

“You can’t take him out,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. “He’s just hard-headed.”

If Semien ever was going to take some time off it would have been after being drilled in the head by Grant Holmes in the third inning.

He went to the ground and grabbed his head with both hands before team trainer Matt Lucero and Bochy arrived at the scene. Semien’s helmet flap deflected the pitch, which then grazed his cheek.

Without the flap, obviously, things could have been much worse.

“I think I got lucky,” Semien said. “I don’t know where it hit me on the helmet. Initially I felt impact on the side of my face. If it got me without the helmet it’d probably be way more painful. Eventually I got up and I was fine.”

Semien passed on-field concussion tests and convinced Bochy he was able to remain in the game. Seven innings later, he sent Rangers fans home happy.

“He ended up winning the ballgame after getting smoked,” Bochy said. “I can’t say enough great things about Marcus. What a warrior effort, huh? You get hit in the head like that, there’s not too many guys that’d stay in the game.

“It’s just fitting that he came up there in the situation.”

“He’s an iron man,” Rangers starter Kumar Rocker said.

The extra-inning win clinched the Rangers’ fourth consecutive series victory. The teams close out their series on Sunday afternoon.

“We want to win,” Semien said. “We want to win every night. The team’s playing well and the vibes are good.”

VAUGHN GOES DEEP: Cal alum Andrew Vaughn continues to contribute to the Milwaukee Brewers, who enter Sunday tied for the NL Central Lead with the Chicago Cubs at 61-43.

The Brewers lost 7-4 to the Miami Marlins on Saturday, but Vaughn doubled and scored a run in the second inning and hit a solo home run in the ninth.

Traded to Milwaukee by the Chicago White Sox last month, Vaughn is batting .324 with 13 RBIs in 12 games since the Brewers promoted him from their Triple-A team at Nashville. 

The 27-year-old first baseman, who batted just .189 in 48 games with the White Sox this season, is now hitting .212 overall with eight homers and 32 RBIs.