After three games of the World Series, here's where it stands:
Texas 2 - 1 Arizona
For most of the 20th century, an ace could pitch Games One, Four, and Seven of the World Series. But that doesn't really happen any more. Now Aces pitch One and Five, or Two and Six. So Games Three, Four, and Seven are for whoever's left. Today, the Rangers are going with Andrew Heaney, who went 10-6 with an ERA of 4.15 in 28 starts and six relief appearances. So far, Heaney has made two starts in the post-season, and he's made two appearances in relief, but he's only thrown six innings. So I think we can assume he'll be on a short leash.
Meanwhile, the D-backs are starting Joe Mantiply. He only made three starts during the regular season, and went 2-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 39 innings across 35 appearances. So for the D-backs at least, this will be what they call a "bullpen" game. Instead of using a true starter, the D-backs will probably call on at lease six or seven pitchers today, in the hopes of getting a few outs from each of them. The D-backs mostly relief on their lesser starters yesterday, so their bullpen should be ready to go.
Corey Seager is something!
ReplyDeleteAdolis Garcia is out for the Rangers. That could be a problem.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 1st, Mantiply pitches around a two-out walk. After half an inning, it's the Rangers zero, and the D-backs coming to bat.
ReplyDeleteKetel Marte has gotten a hit in all 16 post-season games for the D-backs this year, and he leads off with a single in the bottom of the 1st.
ReplyDeleteIn this post-season, the D-backs have a record of 10-5. The Rangers have a record of 11-4. First to 13 is the World Champion.
ReplyDeleteHeaney strikes out the next two batters, and then Marte is thrown out trying to steal. No score after 1.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 2d, Mantiply gives up a double to Josh Jung, and then strikes out Nathaniel Lowe. That's all for Mantiply, who will now be replaced by Miguel Castro. It's a bullpen game!
ReplyDeleteESPN points out that Max Scherzer and Adolis Garcia are out for the rest of the World Series. In 62 at-bats in this post-season, Garcia batted .323, hit 8 home runs, and drove in 22 runs. He will not be easy to replace.
ReplyDeleteJung advances to third on a ground out, and then scores on a wild pitch! Rangers lead 1-0 in the top of the 2d.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, with two outs, the roof has fallen in on the D-backs. Taveras walks. Travis Jankowski -- the number 9 hitter who was brought in to replace Garcia -- grounds a seeing-eye single through the infield. And then Marcus Semien hits a triple down the left field line, scoring Taveras and Jankowski. Suddenly, the Rangers are up 3-0, with another runner on third.
ReplyDeleteThat's all for Castro, who is replaced by Kyle Nelson (7-4, 4.18 ERA in 68 appearances).
ReplyDeleteCorey Seager crushes a long home run -- 431 feet -- to center field, and the Rangers are up 5-0. This is what the Rangers have done pretty much every time they've gotten a chance to feed on second-tier pitching.
ReplyDeleteOn ESPN, Jennifer Mendoza expresses surprise that the D-backs would pitch to Seager without Garcia behind him in the lineup, and that's a great point.
ReplyDeleteAfter 1 1/2 innings, Texas is up 5-0.
ReplyDeleteEduardo Perez, on ESPN Radio, says that Maniply shouldn't have started the second inning, and underscores that the D-backs shouldn't have pitched to Seager. In 119 games this year, Seager batted .327, with 33 homers and 96 RBI's. So you can see Perez's point.
ReplyDeleteTexas still leads 5-0 after 2. The Rangers now have a 90.3 percent chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteI won't have a lot more to say unless the D-backs get back into this game.
ReplyDeleteCorey Seager played for the Dodgers from 2015 to 2021. While he was there, the Dodgers won three pennants and a World Series. Since he left, they haven't even been back to the NLCS.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 8th, Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. hits a three-run homer for the D-backs to make the score 11-5 in favor of Texas. Arizona's chance of victory goes from 0.1 percent to 0.4 percent.
ReplyDeleteArizona tacked on two more runs in the 9th, but Texas won 11-7. Heaney was the winning pitcher. Mantiply was the loser.
ReplyDeleteTexas now leads the series 3-1. So far in the playoffs, they have won two games in Tampa Bay, followed by two games in Baltimore, followed by four games in Houston, and now two games in Arizona. That's a ten-game winning streak on the road.
ReplyDeleteIn the history of the Rangers' franchise -- back to win they were the expansion Washington Senators in 1961 -- they had never won ten road games in a row before.
ReplyDeleteBut they still have to win one more game to be the champions.
ReplyDeleteCorey Seager, man.
ReplyDelete