World Series 2023: Texas Rangers lead Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 after 11-7 win
- Published
Corey Seager recorded his third home run of this World Series, having homered in each of the three games the Rangers have won
The Texas Rangers are one win away from their maiden World Series title after an early run glut helped them crush the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-7 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The visitors blew Arizona away early on, scoring five runs in each of the second and third innings to lead 10-0.
The Diamondbacks rallied late on but still fell well short.
Game five takes place on Wednesday evening, again in Phoenix, with Arizona needing a win to keep the series alive.
In that event, the teams would return to Texas for game six on Friday, and potentially a decider on Saturday.
A fast start was what both teams wanted at Chase Field, given that both were unbeaten in the 2023 postseason in games where they had taken the lead.
Arizona had opted for a 'bullpen game',, external featuring a succession of short stints by relief pitchers rather than using a conventional starter.
But that relief corps cracked first as Josh Jung led off the second inning with a double, advanced to third base on a groundout, then scored on a wild pitch from Miguel Castro.
Marcus Semien smashed a two-run triple, before Corey Seager's third home run of the World Series stretched the lead to 5-0.
And the runs continued to flow after Texas loaded the bases in the third, as Travis Jankowski's two-RBI double and Semien's three-run homer to left field gave them a double-digit lead.
Remarkably, by that point, all 10 runs had been scored with the Rangers down to their last out of the inning.
The D-backs did stage a rally of sorts in the bottom of the eighth while trailing 11-1 as Lourdes Gurriel Jr's three-run home run reduced the deficit to 11-5
With the hosts down to their last strike in the ninth, Gabriel Moreno's two-RBI single made the score 11-7, but a fairytale comeback was not to be as Texas extended their record postseason winning streak on the road to 10 games.
Meanwhile, Rangers star slugger Adolis Garcia and pitcher Max Scherzer, who both left game three with injuries on Monday, will play no further part in the Fall Classic. Both have been replaced on the 26-man World Series roster and are ineligible to return.
World Series schedule & reports (home team listed first) | |
|---|---|
Game 5 (Arizona): Wed 1 Nov | |
Game 6* (Texas): Fri 3 Nov | |
Game 7* (Texas): Sat 4 Nov | |
Game 4: Arizona 7-11 Texas | *if required |
Spanish golfer and Arizona State University graduate Jon Rahm, Open and Masters champion in 2023, donned his Green Jacket from Augusta to throw out the ceremonial first pitch
To infinity and beyond: Among the fans wearing fancy dress for Halloween was Diamondbacks mascot D Baxter the Bobcat, who came dressed as Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear
Spotted him! The children's book character known as 'Where's Wally' in the UK is known as 'Where's Waldo' in North America - in any event, he was to be found watching from behind home plate at Chase Field on Tuesday