Garcia’s walk-off HR lifts Rangers 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 rightfield wall in the bottom of the 11th, two innings after Corey Seager’s tying two-run 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.
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.
In the first extra-inning game of this postseason, Texas became the first team to win a World Series game when trailing by multiple runs in the ninth since the 2015 Kansas City Royals in their clinching Game 5 against the New York Mets.
Game 2 was Saturday night in Texas.
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.
José Leclerc retired all six batters he faced for the win, and five Texas relievers combined for 6 ⅓ scoreless innings.
The blown save for Sewald, his first in seven chances this postseason, was the first glaring blip for a Diamondbacks bullpen that’s been brilliant in October.
“It’s frustrating. This is how the game goes sometimes. And we’ve got to find a way to be resilient and adaptable and come out with a clean mind and do our best,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.
Arizona had a 4-3 lead after Tommy Pham hit a tiebreaking homer leading off the fourth. An inning later, Ketel Marte’s RBI double matched a record by stretching his postseason hitting streak to 17 games. Marte is the only player to get a hit in each of his first 17 postseason games.
Carroll hit a two-run triple for the Diamondbacks and dashed home on Marte’s grounder in the third. Texas tied it in the bottom half when Zac Gallen walked Mitch Garver with the bases loaded.
Gallen made it through five innings with a gritty effort for Arizona after the NL All-Star starter trailed 2-0 only four batters into the game.
Eovaldi’s eight strikeouts were the most by a Texas pitcher in a World Series game, but the big right-hander allowed five runs over 4 ⅔ innings after giving up only five runs total while winning his first four starts this postseason.