Rangers grab World Series Game 1 on Garcia’s home run in 11th
ARLINGTON, Texas – Adolis García took a few steps while watching the ball before tossing his bat aside after another big swing this postseason. This one won an extended Game 1 of the World Series for the Texas Rangers.
Once his drive cleared the right-field wall in the bottom of the 11th, two innings after Corey Seager’s tying tworun homer, García thrust his right arm high into the air as he started a trot around the bases that ended with him being mobbed at home plate – and a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks to start this surprise World Series of wild-card teams Friday night.
“He’s on another planet,” Rangers rookie Josh Jung said. “Every time he steps into the box it’s like, grab your popcorn. … I have no words. It’s just like, wow.”
Miguel Castro entered to face García with one out, and the Cuban slugger known as El Bombi drove a 3-1 sinker the other way into the second row of seats beyond a leaping Corbin Carroll. It was García’s second RBI of the game, setting a record for most in one postseason with 22.
García has homered in five consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in postseason history, and he delivered the first walk-off homer in the World Series since Max Muncy connected leading off the 18th inning of Game 3 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018 against Boston and Nathan Eovaldi – who started for the Rangers in this one.
“It was an exciting moment,” García said. “I was just looking to the dugout, looking at all my (happy) teammates.”
García, the AL Championship Series MVP, also had an RBI single in the first following rookie Evan Carter’s run-scoring double. He finished with three hits and reached base five times.
Seager tied it in the ninth when he drove closer Paul Sewald’s fastball deep into the right-field stands with one out after the inning began with No. 9 hitter Leody Taveras drawing a walk.