The Texas Rangers win their first World Series title, coming back late to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Texas Rangers stared at each other in awe, hugged and surrounded one another, and it finally happened on Wednesday night. The Rangers have finally won the World Series 63 years after the franchise was founded. The Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-0, to continue their spectacular road trip and win the World Series in Game 5 at Chase Field. Texas went 11-0 in the postseason away from Globe Life Field.
On this day 13 years ago, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy defeated the Texas Rangers to win the World Series. He now returned the favour for the Rangers, winning his fourth World Series ring and became only the third manager in history to win World Series championships in both leagues.
The Rangers have won the World Series. While Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen spent the first six innings Friday night conjuring up images of Don Larsen, Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi demonstrated why he’s one of the best clutch pitchers in today’s game. Eovaldi, who pitched in and out of trouble the entire night, ended up pitching six scoreless innings and tying the playoff record with five wins, going 5-0 with a 2.98 ERA in six starts.
Gallen didn’t give up his first hit until the Diamondbacks’ nemesis, Corey Seager, slapped a dribbler down third base. Rookie Evan Carter followed with his eleventh postseason double to right centre, the most in franchise history. Mitch Garver scored the game’s first run on a crisp single up the middle. Gallen went in for one more batter, striking out Josh Jung, and walked off the mound to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd.
The D-backs reliever Kevin Ginkel came in and stopped any further damage, but it was too late, as the Rangers blew the game open with a four-run ninth-inning outburst against closer Paul Sewald. The Diamondbacks will spend the entire winter blaming themselves for not extending the series to a sixth game in Texas.
They spent the first half of the game putting the Rangers under a lot of strain, landing punch after punch but unable to land a knockout blow. They had two runners on base in two of the first three innings and had the leadoff batter on base in all three. And each and every time, I came away empty-handed.