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Archives for October 31, 2023

Garcia, Scherzer Out for Series

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PHOENIX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Texas Rangers slugger Adolis Garcia has a moderate oblique strain and he, along with starting pitcher Max Scherzer, will miss the remainder of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Garcia left the Rangers’ Game 3 victory in the eighth inning after experiencing side tightness following a swing. He underwent imaging on his torso before Game 4, allowing the team to diagnose the strain.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters Garcia tried to take some swings and was “on the table getting further evaluation” with less than three hours before first pitch.

An hour before Game 4, Texas decided to replace both Garcia and Scherzer, who suffered back spasms during his start Monday, for the remainder of the series.

Garcia will be replaced by infielder/outfielder Ezequiel Duran and Scherzer will be replaced by left-handed pitcher Brock Burke.

In accordance with MLB rules, both Garcia and Scherzer will be ineligible to return for the rest of the World Series.

For Tuesday, Travis Jankowski drew the start in right field in Garcia’s place and will bat ninth. Designated hitter Mitch Garver moved up from the fifth spot in the lineup to the third.

Garcia hit the game-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 1. He had already set the record for most RBIs in a single postseason (22).

Scherzer left his Game 3 start with what the Rangers called back tightness. He said after the game his back “went into full spasm.”

Scherzer, a trade deadline acquisition from the New York Mets, would have been in line to start a potential Game 7 if healthy.

–Field Level Media

Diamond (Bounce) Backs

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PHOENIX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Texas Rangers look to grab a commanding 3-1 advantage tonight when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the World Series at Chase Field.

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Texas took Game 3 Monday night 3-1 on the strength of its pitching and a two-run home run from Corey Seager, the one-time World Series MVP’s second two-run home run of this series.

Pitchers Max Scherzer, Jon Gray, Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman and Jose Leclerc held the Diamondbacks to a run on six hits. Arizona had scored a combined 14 runs in the first two games of the series.

Game 4 looks like a bullpen game for both teams. Left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-0) is set to make his third start and fifth appearance for the Rangers this postseason, with six innings pitched and four runs allowed on seven hits thus far.

Heaney has a 6.00 earned run average and opponents are batting .292 against him this postseason. Heaney went 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA in the regular season and made 28 starts, with nine wins as a starter.

The Diamondbacks counter with lefty Joe Mantiply, an All-Star in 2022 who made his first career World Series appearance in Game 1. He pitched a scoreless inning.

Mantiply is 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA over eight career postseason appearances (all this season). He did not allow an earned run over his last six games of the regular season (8 1/3 innings) and had a 1.38 ERA over 10 games in September.

The Rangers have opened the postseason with nine consecutive road wins, tying a Major League Baseball record.

“We’re just showing up to play every day. We’re trying to win that day. No matter where you are, we’re trying to play good baseball every day,” Seager said. “I don’t know how to credit it to anything other than that, really.”

The Rangers hope to have a healthy Adolis Garcia back in the lineup on Tuesday after he left Monday’s game with left side tightness. Garcia hit a walk-off home run in Game 1, giving the slugger eight in the postseason, and he has also driven in 22 runs.

“We’re being optimistic there but we’ll know more tomorrow,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of Garcia after Game 3.

The Diamondbacks come off their first World Series game at their home ballpark in 22 years. They won the World Series in 2001, the franchise’s only championship.

Arizona is 16-10 at home in the postseason all time.

Second baseman Ketel Marte has hit safely in each of his first 19 postseason games, the longest streak in MLB postseason history. He has 22 hits.

“At the end of the day we do have to be better. I think our offense is very capable against any type of pitching, whether it’s a reliever or starter. We just got beat. We got beat. We got maybe out-executed. And we’ve got to figure that out,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after Game 3.

The Diamondbacks used Kyle Nelson, Miguel Castro, Luis Frias and Andrew Saalfrank out of their bullpen in Game 3. That should leave them with their top relievers rested and available for Game 4 after Mantiply departs.

Ryne Nelson, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and closer Paul Sewald are in line to pitch in Game 4, especially in a close game.

–Jose M. Romero, Field Level Media

Judge Honored with Clemente Award

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – NY Yankees star Aaron Judge was named the 2023 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, an honor given to the Major League Baseball player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.”

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Judge, 31, followed up his 2022 American League MVP campaign by recording 37 home runs and 75 RBIs over 106 games in 2023 as the Yankees missed the playoffs.

Off the field, Judge’s ALL RISE Foundation continued to support underprivileged kids in his native California and New York. The foundation gave grants this year to six organizations: Bridge2College, NYC Autism Charter Schools (NYCACS), Tourette Association of America, Edward C. Merlo Institute of Environmental Technology (SUSD), Resiliency Center of Fresno and Birch Family Services.

The award was established in 1973 in honor of Clemente, the first Caribbean-born player and first Latin American to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Commissioner Rob Manfred, Clemente’s three children, former players and a panel of journalists help select each year’s winner.

Clemente died while personally organizing and transporting relief supplies to the people of Nicaragua.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Wide World Technology

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Golf at a Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.

PGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Zozo Championship (Collin Morikawa)

THIS WEEK: World Wide Technology Championship, Los Cabos, Mexico, Nov. 2-5
Course: El Cardonal at Diamante (Par 72, 7,452 yards)
Purse: $8.2M (Winner: $1.476M)
Defending Champion: Russell Henley
FedEx Cup Champion: Viktor Hovland

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HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Saturday, 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET; Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @WWTChampionship

NOTES: This is the first PGA Tour event to be held on a course designed by Tiger Woods. The tournament had been held in Riviera Maya for the past 16 years. … This is the fifth of seven events of the FedEx Cup Fall that finalizes eligibility for the 2024 season. Nos. 1-50 after the Tour Championship locked in their positions. Nos. 51-60 after the Fall series will qualify for two signature events next year: the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. The top 125 will be exempt into full-field events and The Players Championship, while Nos. 126-150 will earn Korn Ferry Tour status and conditional status on the PGA Tour next year. … Maverick McNealy makes his first start since the RBC Canadian Open in June. McNealy, who is the only tour player gaining more than a shot on the greens this season, has been rehabbing a shoulder injury and fell from No. 26 to No. 121 in the standings during his absence. … Michael Block, the teaching pro who finished 15th at the PGA Championship, is in the field on a sponsor exemption along with Chris Gotterup, amateur Preston Summerhays and open qualifier Billy Davis. … Winners during the Fall series receive world rankings points, a two-year PGA Tour exemption and invitations to next year’s Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship.

BEST BETS: Ludvig Aberg (+900) is seeking his first PGA Tour win, with the rookie Ryder Cup member posting a T2 and T13 in his first two fall events. … Cameron Young (+1200) is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 17 as he also seeks his maiden win on tour. This is Young’s first start since a T15 at the BMW Championship in August. … Sahith Theegala (+1600) claimed his first tour title at the Fortinet Championship and backed it up with a T19 at the Zozo Championship. … Lucas Glover (+2500) is also making his first start since the Tour Championship, where he finished T18 after winning the Wyndham and the first leg of the playoffs at the FedEx St. Jude. … Emiliano Grillo (+2800), who won the Charles Schwab Challenge earlier this year, rebounded from a pair of missed cuts to finish T10 at the Zozo. … Chris Kirk (+3300) hasn’t teed it up since the BMW. He has missed five of his past nine cuts, but Kirk won the Honda last spring and has the veteran experience to be a dark horse against a somewhat modest field.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Southampton, Bermuda, Nov. 9-12