It was tonight that the World Series took off. The Texas Rangers received a visit from the Diamondbacks for the occasion.
I don’t know if the Rangers were energized by the pre-match introductions with “Higher” as the song, but the club started strong.
After seeing Nathan Eovaldi retire the first three batters of the game, the Rangers stepped up offensively.
Corey Seager drew a walk and Evan Carter hit a double for a run. Already there, it brought the atmosphere to the place.
And subsequently, Adolis Garcia hit the ball to safety to make it 2-0.
It was his 21st RBI of the series. He joins David Freese (2011, obviously) at the top of history for the most PP in a playoff run.
He also, in the process, overtook his teammate Corey Seager. The shortstop did it while playing for the Dodgers in 2020.
He did it in five games and eight fewer innings, too…
And with Nathan Eovaldi in full control, Rangers fans were going wild. We can clearly understand them.
That said, the DBacks had not said their last word.
Alek Thomas and Evan Longoria went on base and were put in position to score via a sacrifice bunt.
And Corbin Carroll, via a triple (and a little help from the center fielder), allowed the Diamondbacks, in the third, to bring both teams back to square one.
In front of Travis Kelce (but not Taylor Swift), the Diamondbacks added more.
Carroll beat out an infield throw from Lowe on a single to get to the plate and give his team the lead. How fast!
The Rangers, however, had not said their last word. With the bases loaded, top hitter Mitch Garver drew a walk against Zac Gallen.
The third round therefore ended in a tie.
But don’t think the Diamondbacks weren’t going to fight back. In the top of the fourth inning, Tommy Pham hit an important long ball.
The first home run of the World Series made Arizona 4-3. Clearly, Nathan Eovaldi was not off to his best start of the season.
Ketel Marte, who hit a hit in a 17th straight playoff game (his first 17 in the playoffs, by the way), doubled his team’s lead with a slap in the outfield.
5-3 at the start of the fifth, then.
The mark was not changed for several rounds. After seven innings, the DBacks still led 5-3.
In the 2023 playoffs, before the World Series, the Diamondbacks were 7-0 when leading after seven innings. Were they going to make it 8-0?
Let’s just say Corey Seager had other plans.
With Paul Sewald (no runs allowed in the playoffs) on the mound, Seager hit a huge two-run homer to tie the game. And he was happy.
Seeing Sewald walk the ninth batter in the lineup hurt him. He obtained his first sabotage since August 26.
This exciting ball match continued when Sewald made friends (…) in Texas by hitting Adolis Garcia in the hands. It seemed to hurt.
This led to free baseball. And don’t forget that in the playoffs, it happens without a phantom runner on second base.
It was finally in the 11th inning that the debate was settled: no, the Diamondbacks were not going to win that game. Adolis Garcia, with his eighth circuit of the series, gave his team the victory.
Here he is at 22 RBIs, a record in the same playoff run. What a dramatic victory in Texas!
The next match will take place tomorrow evening, again in Texas. Jordan Montgomery and Merrill Kelly will pay the price for a duel which possibly pits the best starters on each side against each other.
