Garcia’s 11th-inning blast lifts Rangers in Game 1
Adolis Garcia etched his name into the record books in grand style.
Corey Seager belted a gametying, two-run homer in the ninth inning and Garcia went deep in the 11th to give the Texas Rangers a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday in Arlington, Texas.
“It was an exciting moment. I was just looking to the dugout, looking at all my teammates cheering [and being] happy,” Garcia told FOX Sports of his homer during a postgame interview on the field.
Garcia’s eighth home run of the postseason pushed his RBI total to 22, eclipsing David
Freese (2011) for the most in one postseason in major league history.
“He’s been our guy all postseason. He stepped up in big moments. Special players like that do that,” Seager told ESPN of Garcia. “He’s been carrying us this postseason, so why not tonight?”
Well, Seager showed he was quite special as well.
Arizona’s Paul Sewald converted all six of his previous save opportunities in the postseason before starting the ninth inning by issuing a walk to Leody Taveras. Seager stepped up two batters later and deposited a firstpitch fastball over the wall in right field to forge a 5-5 tie.
The homer was Seager’s fourth of this postseason and the fourth of his career during the World Series.
“Not the first time I’ll face all those guys, and I assume it won’t be the last [time] this series,” Sewald said. “I just have to disguise how I’m going to get them out and learn from this and get better.”
Jose Leclerc (1-1) retired the side in order in both the 10th and 11th innings to set the stage for the Rangers.
Miguel Castro (0-1) replaced Kyle Nelson with one out in the 11th and saw Garcia take his 3-1 sinker over the wall in right field.
“The shock factor was very high. But I sat back down and reminded myself that this is the World Series for a reason,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “The best players are here on this stage, and the best players do big-time things.”
Texas’ Evan Carter smacked an RBI double and scored on Garcia’s RBI single in the first inning.
Garcia had three hits, and Carter and Josh Jung each had two for the Rangers, who snapped a three-game home losing skid. They will look to continue their momentum at home on Saturday in Game 2 of the best-of-7 series.
Arizona’s Corbin Carroll ripped a two-run triple in the third inning and scored on Ketel Marte’s fielder’s-choice grounder. Marte wasn’t done, as he smashed an RBI double in the fifth to extend his career postseason hitting streak to 17 games — matching the major league record shared by Hank Bauer (1956-58), Derek Jeter (1998-99) and Manny Ramirez (2003-04).
Tommy Pham homered to lead off the fourth inning and Alek Thomas had two hits for the Diamondbacks, who lost for just the second time in their past six games.
Carroll, who had a National League-best 10 triples this season,
For late results and boxscores, go to the eEdition at MiamiHerald.com.
Texas 6, Arizona 5 (11) at Texas
Texas at Arizona (Pfaadt 3-9), 8:03 at Arizona, 8:03 at Arizona, 8:03 at Texas, 8:03 at Texas, 8:03 tied the score 2-2 with his triple in the third. The speedy Carroll then beat the throw home from first baseman Nathaniel Lowe on Marte’s grounder.
Mitch Garver worked a basesloaded walk to tie the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the third before Pham deposited a 1-0 fastball from Nathan Eovaldi over the wall in left field to start the fourth. Pham’s homer was his third of the postseason and second in three games.
Marte’s RBI double in the fifth inning gave Arizona a 5-3 lead. Texas’ bullpen, however, shut the door from there, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out six batters over 6 1⁄3 scoreless innings.
“I can’t say enough about what [the relievers] did. I don’t know where to start with all of them, and some of them hadn’t been out there in a while,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.
“They rose to the occasion to hold them there. You’re down two runs, and you want to keep it close and give yourself a chance to get back in it.”