Rangers' Martin Perez, Corey Seager help AL to All-Star Game win

Texas Rangers pitcher Martin Perez and shortstop Corey Seager participated in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, as the American League won, 3-2.

Perez entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, with the American League up, 3-2. The AL tied the game on a two-run home run by the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton, and took the lead on a solo home run by Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, both in the fourth inning.

Perez retired the side on three groundouts by the New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil, the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. and Washington’s Juan Soto.

Perez became the fifth straight Texas pitcher to post one shutout inning in the All-Star Game, joining Joe Nathan (2013), Yu Darvish (2014), Cole Hamels (2016) and Kyle Gibson (2021). He also joined Charlie Hough (1986), Nolan Ryan (1989), Kevin Brown (1992), John Wetteland (1998), Cliff Lee (2010), Nathan (2012) and Darvish (2016) as Rangers pitchers to record a perfect inning in an All-Star Game.

Perez, who is 7-2 with a 2.68 ERA and was the American League Pitcher of the month in May, was selected as part of the AL pitching staff.

Seager entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning at shortstop. Seager went to work immediately, fielding a groundout from Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the inning’s first out. Seager later forced out Ian Happ at second base for the third out of the seventh.

Seager got his turn at the plate in his old home in the top of the ninth inning, leading off against Pittsburgh’s David Bednar. Seager grounded out to first base on a 3-2 pitch.

Seager was selected to the team on Thursday as an injury replacement for Toronto’s George Springer.

Seager participated in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby on Monday, losing in the first round to Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez. Seager actually hit the third-most home runs of anyone in any round of the competition, but had the misfortune of being pitted against Rodriguez, who had 32 home runs in their head-to-head battle. Rodriguez then hit 30 home runs in the semifinal before losing to Soto in the final.

After the break, the Rangers have a one-game road trip to Miami to face the Marlins at 12:10 p.m. central, followed by a 10-game West Coast road trip in Oakland, Seattle and Los Angeles to close out the month of July.