The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Long roads lead both teams to tonight’s Series opener
The Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks took long, bumpy roads back to the World Series. For both of these long shot pennant winners, it’s become part of their DNA.
Both teams rallied on the road in their League Championship Series, winning Games 6 and 7 away from home to punch their tickets to the Fall Classic — the first time that happened in both leagues since the LCS went to a bestof-seven format in 1985.
“I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again: A connected team is a very dangerous team,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “No matter what happened in those times of crisis, these guys stuck together.”
Texas hasn’t played in the World Series since twice being within one strike of winning the 2011 title against St. Louis. The Rangers have never won it all.
“We’ve had some hard times recently. Those are over,” GM Chris Young declared soon after the Rangers took their third AL pennant.
The Diamondbacks are back on baseball’s biggest stage for the first time since 2001, when Luis Gonzalez’s ninth-inning single off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in Game 7 earned the franchise its only title. It’s certainly not the showdown fans expected. A Rangers-diamondbacks matchup had 1,750-to-1 odds when wagering opened last fall.
Betting favorites: The Rangers opened as nearly 2-to-1 favorites over the Diamondbacks and are favored at -162 to win the Series, according to Fanduel Sportsbook.
Game 1 in Texas: Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi starts the opener tonight against Zac Gallen and the Diamondbacks in baseball’s third World Series matching two wild-card teams. Texas has home-field advantage in the best-of-seven Series because it won more regular-season games (90) than Arizona (84). But is that really a plus for a club that’s already equaled a postseason record by winning its first eight road games?
Corey Seager and the Rangers have played only four home games over the past month — and they lost all three to Houston in the AL Championship Series. “We’ve learned throughout the losses in the (ALCS) that maybe we need to keep our emotions a little calmer in the big moments,” second baseman Marcus Semien said. Diamondbacks’ journey:
After beating defending NL champion Philadelphia in the NLCS, some say Arizona is ahead of schedule advancing to the World Series with a young roster. For Lovullo and GM Mike Hazen, who have navigated a difficult five years personally and professionally, the D-backs’ improbable run to the Fall Classic is even sweeter.
The Diamondbacks lost 110 games in 2021. But Arizona’s president, CEO and general partner Derrick Hall said he “had a hunch” his patience would be rewarded if he stuck with Hazen and Lovullo.
Leading the way: Texas slugger Adolis García homered in the last four games of the ALCS and set a record for RBIS in a postseason series with 15. He had four hits and scored three times in Game 7 against defending World Series champion Houston. García’s 20 RBIS are one shy of the postseason record set by David Freese, whose 2011 St. Louis Cardinals beat the Rangers in a seven-game World Series.
Impressive company:
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is trying for his fourth World Series title after winning with San Francisco in 2010, 2012 and 2014, to tie Walter Alston and Joe Torre for fourth-most, behind Joe Mccarthy and Casey Stengel (seven each) and Connie Mack (five).
How to watch:
The World Series will be broadcast on Fox and Fox Deportes, with first pitch for all games set at 8:03 p.m. The games are today and Saturday at Texas, Monday and Tuesday at Arizona, and (if necessary) Wednesday at Arizona and Nov. 3 and 4 at Texas.