Rangers surge ahead, but it’s not healthy lead
PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers gained command of the World Series with a 3-1 victory in Game 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
The Rangers are now two games away from the franchise’s first championship. Or are they in trouble?
Max Scherzer pitched three shutout innings before leaving with back spasms. Then No. 3 hitter Adolis García was injured taking a swing in the eighth inning and also left the game.
The Rangers can likely work around the loss of Scherzer, who has given them only 9„ innings in the postseason.
García is potentially a much bigger problem.
The right fielder is 20 of 62 (.323) in the playoffs with nine extra-base hits and 22 RBIs. He was the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series and gives Texas righthanded power between lefty hitters Corey Seager and Evan Carter in the lineup.
Take García out of the mix and the Rangers are a much different team.
García took a swing at a fastball from Luis Frias to center field to end the inning. He grabbed his left side as he completed his swing and moved awkwardly to first base before leaning over and putting both hands on his knees.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, an old catcher who doesn’t move too quickly these days, popped out of the dugout in a hurry to check on García. Travis Jankowski was then sent out to right field.
The Rangers said García has tightness on his left side, which usually suggests an oblique strain. That’s not an injury you can tape up and play with. He was taken to get an MRI.
“We’re being optimistic there but we’ll know more tomorrow,” Bochy said.
Jankowski, a lefthanded hitter, has had only two at-bats in the postseason after hitting .263 with one home run in 247 at-bats during the regular season.
The Rangers have a 2-1 lead in the series, so it could be worse.
Jon Gray, who was lined up to start Game 4, replaced Scherzer and pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three without a walk. It was only his third appearance of the postseason.
“After one day I’ll know where this is going,” Scherzer said. “If I feel better the second day, I could pitch again. But right now I’m locked up.”
Scherzer was pitching well until he went out to warm up for the fourth inning.
“I’ve had it last a little longer and had
it get better in 48 hours. I can’t tell you where we’re at,” he said. “I have to see how bad this is and if the drugs will work . . . There’s definitely a path forward for me to get out of this and get back on the mound.”
Scherzer, who threw only 36 pitches, probably wouldn’t be considered until a potential Game 6 on Friday in Texas.
Andrew Heaney will start for Texas on Tuesday with Nate Eovaldi lined up for Wednesday.
Losing García for even just a game or two would be a blow for the Rangers. He even made the play of the game defensively with a blistering throw to the plate in the second inning to get Christian Walker trying to score from second base on a single by Tommy Pham.
Third base coach Tony Perezchica threw up both hands trying to stop Walker but he headed for the plate and was out easily.
“We should have been better in that situation. Christian Walker owned it. He accepted it. He was accountable for his actions,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.
In the third inning, Arizona pitching coach Brent Strom came to the mound to talk to starter Brandon Pfaadt. Texas had just taken a 1-0 lead on a two-out single by Marcus Semien and had Seager at the plate.
After imparting his advice, Strom got back to the dugout and watched Pfaadt throw a hanging changeup on his first pitch. Seager hit it 421 feet to right field.
The Rangers are 9-0 on the road in the postseason, outscoring opponents by 33 runs.
“We’re just showing up to play every day,” said Seager, who has played up to his $325 million contract by hitting five home runs and driving in 10 runs in 15 postseason games.
“We’re trying to win that day. No matter where, we’re trying to play good baseball every day,” he said.