Semien just adds to misery at home
Former A's star hits slam in Rangers rout
The Athletics had insult added to indignity Saturday, floundering at home again in an 11-4 loss to the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum.
It was the 14th loss at the Coliseum in the last 16 games as the Athletics fell to 6-17 overall at home. Making it worse for the announced crowd of 6,502 is the game was broken wide open in the fifth inning when favorite son Marcus Semien unloaded a grand slam against Jake Lemoine to give Texas a 9-1 lead.
It was Semien's first home run of the season after signing a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers in the offseason one year after hitting 45 home runs for the Toronto Blue Jays. Semien, a favorite of A's fans from Berkeley, St. Mary's High and Cal, signed with Toronto as a free agent before the 2021 season because he was too expensive in the eyes of ownership, much as Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Sean Manaea were when they were traded before the 2022 season started.
Semien, who came in hitting .193 with 11 RBIs, also drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning for a fifth run batted in.
The drive to right center against Lemoine barely cleared the fence and was the highlight of a six-run inning for Texas that also included run-scoring singles by Andy Ibáñez and Kole Calhoun, with Calhoun's hit coming against Adam Kolarek. It was the sixth grand slam of Semien's career, four of which have come at the Coliseum.
“It felt good. When I first hit it, I was like, `It's probably going to get caught,' ” Semien said. “But you know, it carried out. Sometimes, day games, you hit it right here and it carries. First home run with a new team was a grand slam, a swing to help us win. I'll