World Series Archives - Digital Sports Desk https://digitalsportsdesk.com/tag/world-series/ Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports Sun, 10 Nov 2024 00:44:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_0364-2-150x150.jpg World Series Archives - Digital Sports Desk https://digitalsportsdesk.com/tag/world-series/ 32 32 The Revenge of Mookie Betts https://digitalsportsdesk.com/the-revenge-of-mookie/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-revenge-of-mookie Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:00:37 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6821 Betts, LA's right fielder, lifted a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers overcame a five-run deficit and clinched their eighth World Series title with a 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in Game 5 in the Bronx.

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NEW YORK – Was it the revenge of Mookie Betts, the Curse of the Betts-bino, or is it a deeper, darker Curse of the Morons? That’ll be the question the New York Yankees and their ill-fated fans will have to answer after the Los Angeles Dodgers performed the unthinkable and defeated the Yankees in a comeback for the ages, a day after a fan attempted to grab a baseball right out of Betts’ glove. The fan was ejected and banned from baseball but, the Curse might remain.

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Betts, LA’s right fielder, lifted a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers overcame a five-run deficit and clinched their eighth World Series title with a 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in Game 5 in the Bronx.

Six outs away from being forced back to Los Angeles for a sixth game on Friday, the Dodgers won their second title in five seasons and first in a full season since Kirk Gibson and the 1988 team stunned the Oakland Athletics.

Los Angeles also avoided becoming the first team to win the first three games of a best-of-seven Fall Classic and get taken to a sixth game.

The Dodgers trailed 6-5 entering the eighth before Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle (1-1) allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs. Gavin Lux cracked a tying sacrifice fly to center field off Luke Weaver.

Shohei Ohtani then reached base on catcher’s interference when his bat grazed Austin Wells’ glove. Following a brief review, the call was confirmed.

On the next pitch, Betts lifted a fly ball to center fielder Aaron Judge, and utility man Tommy Edman trotted home for a 7-6 lead.

It was the largest comeback ever in a World Series clincher, surpassing the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates overcoming a four-run deficit in Game 7 against the Washington Senators.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead after Los Angeles erased its 5-0 deficit by sending 10 to the plate in fifth. The Dodgers capitalized on physical errors by Judge and Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe along with a mental error by Gerrit Cole, New York’s starting pitcher.

New York held a 5-0 lead and Cole had yet to allow a hit before Enrique Hernandez singled to open the fifth inning.

Edman reached when his fly ball caromed off Judge’s glove, putting runners at first and second. Will Smith followed by hitting a grounder to Volpe, whose throw bounced in front of third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., loading the bases with no outs.

After Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, Betts hit a soft grounder to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Cole went about halfway off the mound before stopping, and Betts beat Rizzo to the bag allowing the Dodgers’ first run to score.

Cole was one strike away from ending the inning with a 5-1 lead but allowed a two-run single to Freddie Freeman. Teoscar Hernandez also was one strike away from making the final out before lining a two-run double over Judge’s head, tying the game 5-5.

Los Angeles rallied after getting a short start from Jack Flaherty, who was tagged for four runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Blake Treinen (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out Anthony Rizzo with two on in the eighth.

Two days after winning Game 3, Walker Buehler pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first major league save, regular season or postseason.

Judge hit a two-run homer in the first and Chisholm followed with a solo shot. Alex Verdugo added an RBI single to chase Flaherty in the second, and Stanton homered in the third off Ryan Brasier.

Cole allowed five unearned runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.

–Field Level Media

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Series Goes to Game 5 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/series-heads-back-to-la/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=series-heads-back-to-la Wed, 30 Oct 2024 09:00:12 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6809 Jack Flaherty and Gerrit Cole spent Tuesday afternoon preparing for a game they weren’t certain would happen. A few hours later, Anthony Volpe ensured the World Series would continue with Game 5 on Wednesday

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jack Flaherty and Gerrit Cole spent Tuesday afternoon preparing for a game they weren’t certain would happen. A few hours later, Anthony Volpe ensured the World Series would continue with Game 5 on Wednesday, when Flaherty pitches for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cole starts for the New York Yankees.

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The Dodgers held a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series entering play on Tuesday, but New York cruised to an 11-4 victory in Game 4, sparked by Volpe’s third-inning grand slam.

Another Yankees win on Wednesday would create some history. Of the 24 previous teams that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series, 21 were swept in four games and the other three were eliminated in Game 5.

If New York can extend the series again, Game 6 would be played Friday in Los Angeles.

The Yankees hit .186 in the first three games and scored a total of seven runs. The Dodgers then grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Wednesday before Volpe sparked a comeback.

“They’re just like, ‘Let’s go get it,’” New York manager Aaron Boone said of his players. “Again, these guys love playing with each other, and you kind of got that sense before the game. And obviously as the game unfolded, it kind of got better and better tonight.

“It’s one game. We wanted to get it to tomorrow, and we’ve done that. Excited for the opportunity tomorrow.”

The Yankees are now hitting .206 in the series after posting their highest-scoring World Series game since a 12-2 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1978 Fall Classic.

Besides Volpe, Austin Wells and Gleyber Torres homered for New York. Aaron Judge hit an RBI single and walked, and every New York player except Anthony Rizzo reached base at least once.

“We’re just going to play our game,” Volpe said. “We feel like if we do that and we play the way we know we’re capable of playing, they can — they’re obviously a good team, and they can do what they do and whatever they want to do. We just have so much confidence in us that we play … that way, we feel like we’ll win.”

The Dodgers had few highlights other than Freddie Freeman setting a pair of major league records by homering in his sixth straight World Series game and becoming the first player to homer in the opening four games of a Fall Classic. Los Angeles mustered just six hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

“We’re up 3-1 right now,” Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts said. “We feel pretty good about it, but you know that they’re going to fight. It doesn’t matter what the score is and it doesn’t matter when it is; they’re going to fight. So, I mean, no lead is safe until you win the fourth game.”

Flaherty (1-2, 6.10 ERA in the postseason) allowed eight runs in three innings during Game 5 of the NLCS against the New York Mets on Oct. 18, but he opened the World Series by allowing two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Flaherty departed his first World Series start due to hamstring tightness he felt on the pitch before allowing a two-run homer to Giancarlo Stanton on his final delivery, but he said he feels fine now.

“It’s caused a little extra work that I normally wouldn’t have to do, but I’m feeling good today, felt good yesterday during my bullpen (session),” Flaherty said before Game 4. “At this point, it’s not anything I’m worried about.”

Cole (1-0, 2.82) will make his fourth career World Series start and first in an elimination game. Cole is 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in World Series starts, and he took a no-decision in Game 1 when he allowed one run on four hits in six innings while throwing 88 pitches.

Cole was not a consideration to start Game 4 on three days of rest because his season began with a 2 1/2-month absence caused by an elbow injury.

“I feel now like I’m in good shape,” he said. “I have a reserve while I’m pitching. So if I need to dip into the tank, I can go get it, and then I can go get it again. It’s not like a one-time thing.

“And then familiarity both with myself and my delivery, how I’m moving, how well I’m concentrating the ball in the areas of the strike zone that I want to get. I’m … missing east and west very rarely anymore. Things are more defined.”

–Field Level Media

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Bullpen Opener for World Series? https://digitalsportsdesk.com/bullpen-opener-for-world-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bullpen-opener-for-world-series Tue, 29 Oct 2024 22:00:36 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6807 Casparius, 25, has just three games of regular-season experience. They all came after Aug. 31 when he went 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in 8 1/3 total innings. After he was given a spot on the postseason roster, he has made three appearances in the playoffs, going 1-0 without allowing a run in 4 1/3 innings.

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With a commanding lead in the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to rookie right-hander Ben Casparius to open Game 4 on the road against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Holding a 3-0 advantage in the series, the Dodgers are in position to pull off the sweep for their first title since 2020, and their first championship after a full 162-game season since 1988.

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Casparius, 25, has just three games of regular-season experience. They all came after Aug. 31 when he went 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in 8 1/3 total innings. After he was given a spot on the postseason roster, he has made three appearances in the playoffs, going 1-0 without allowing a run in 4 1/3 innings.

Tuesday’s game will be the Dodgers’ fourth bullpen game of the postseason, going 2-1 in those contests. They entered the playoffs with just three healthy starters: Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler.

The Dodgers’ most recent bullpen came in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against New York Mets when they earned a 10-5 victory to clinch a spot in the World Series. Casparius went 1 1/3 scoreless innings in that game while earning the win.

Right-hander Ryan Brasier started two bullpen games in the playoffs for Los Angeles, while right-hander Michael Kopech started the other.

–Field Level Media

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World Series Continues in the Bronx https://digitalsportsdesk.com/world-series-continues-in-the-bronx/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=world-series-continues-in-the-bronx Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:00:16 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6800 “We love Walker in big games,” Roberts said. “The road isn’t going to faze him. It also allows him potentially to be available for a Game 7 too.”

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NEW YORK – In the opening two games of their first World Series appearance since 2009, the New York Yankees were close to at least exiting Dodger Stadium with a split and possibly two wins.

Instead, the Los Angeles Dodgers were productive enough and even with Shohei Ohtani off to a quiet start and sustaining a partially dislocated left shoulder, the best team during the regular season is halfway to a title.

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While Ohtani is slated to play and attempt to help the Dodgers inch closer to their eighth title, the Yankees hope returning home can aid them in getting back into the series when the Fall Classic shifts to Yankee Stadium on Monday.

After the Dodgers won games started by Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler gets the nod for Game 3. Following losses in games started by Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt gets the ball for New York in a matchup of former first-round picks.

The Dodgers are attempting to win their first title in a 162-game season since beating the Oakland Athletics in five games in 1988. Like that series, Los Angeles won the opening two games at home and the Dodgers are seeking a three games to none lead for the first time since 1963 when they swept the Yankees.

Los Angeles held serve by earning a 6-3 victory in the opener and following it up with a 4-2 win in Game 2 on Saturday. Freddie Freeman hit the game-ending grand slam with two outs in the 10th inning off Nestor Cortes in the opener, and homered again Saturday before Alex Vesia needed one pitch to escape a bases-loaded jam after the Yankees scored their second run.

Vesia’s escape occurred after Ohtani hurt his shoulder attempting to steal second in the seventh inning. Ohtani is 1-for-8 in the series and manager Dave Roberts said the superstar felt good Sunday morning, flew separately from the team and was able to participate in their workout.

“If (Ohtani) feels good enough to go, I see no reason why he wouldn’t be in there,” Roberts said of the starting lineup before the Dodgers worked out.

The Yankees are hoping to get some better clutch hitting after going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position in Los Angeles. Juan Soto homered in Game 2 but Aaron Judge went 1-for-9 with six strikeouts and is 6-for-40 with 19 strikeouts during the postseason.

“Just expanding the zone. That’s what it really comes down to,” Judge said. “I think it’s trying to make things happen instead of letting the game come to you. Plain and simple, I’ve got to start swinging at strikes.”

Judge is struggling while hitting between Soto and Giancarlo Stanton, who are hitting a combined .313 (26-for-83) with 10 homers and 23 RBIs in the postseason.

“We’ve been through a lot of tough moments throughout the year. So I think we’ve been there,” Soto said. “We know how (to take) a couple punches in the face and just keep battling and keep going. We can go home and do our thing.”

The Yankees are facing a 2-0 deficit for the first time since dropping the first two against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 in a series that reached Game 7. New York is facing a two games to none World Series deficit for the ninth time and rallied to win a title in 1996 against the Atlanta Braves, 1978 against the Dodgers, 1958 against the Milwaukee Braves and 1956 against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Under the World Series’ current 2-3-2 format, the team winning the opening two games has won 45 out of 56 times. The last team to overcome a two games to none deficit was the Yankees, who are the only team to do so since the 1986 New York Mets.

Schmidt, who has a pair of no-decisions in the postseason, will pitch in Game 3 for the third straight time. Schmidt is pitching for the first time since allowing two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings in Cleveland in Game 3 of the ALCS on Oct. 17.

“I’m obviously very excited to get out there, but I know I have a job to do. We’re trying to win this World Series,” Schmidt said before Game 2. “I think for me I’m just trying to go out there and execute and do my job.”

Buehler is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in a pair of postseason starts. He was tagged for six runs in five innings in Game 3 of the Division Series at San Diego and allowed three hits in four innings during an 8-0 win over the Mets in Game 3 of the NLCS on Oct. 16.

Buehler is 1-0 with an 0.69 ERA in a pair of World Series Starts which occurred in Games 3 in 2018 against the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay two years later.

“We love Walker in big games,” Roberts said. “The road isn’t going to faze him. It also allows him potentially to be available for a Game 7 too.”

–Field Level Media

 

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World Series: LA Dodgers Thwart NY Yankees, Lead 2-Games-to-None https://digitalsportsdesk.com/world-series-la-dodgers-thwart-ny-yankees/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=world-series-la-dodgers-thwart-ny-yankees Sun, 27 Oct 2024 15:00:57 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6787 Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up one hit into the seventh inning, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back home runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers delivered a 4-2 victory over the visiting New York Yankees on Saturday to take a 2-0 World Series lead.

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up one hit into the seventh inning, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back home runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers delivered a 4-2 victory over the visiting New York Yankees on Saturday to take a 2-0 World Series lead.

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Tommy Edman also hit a home run, while Yamamoto (2-0) allowed one run and two walks with four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, helping the Dodgers move two wins away from their first World Series title since 2020 and their first after a full regular season since 1988.

Dodgers right-hander Blake Treinen gave up an RBI single in the ninth to Giancarlo Stanton and departed with two outs and the bases loaded. Left-hander Alex Vesia entered and got pinch hitter Jose Trevino to fly out to center field for his first save of the postseason.

The lone area of concern for the Dodgers came when designated hitter Shohei Ohtani left the field with a trainer at the end of the seventh inning with an apparent left arm injury after an unsuccessful stolen-base attempt at second base.

Juan Soto hit a home run for the Yankees, while left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-2) gave up four runs on six hits, including three home runs, over 3 1/3 innings.

The series shifts to New York for the next three contests, starting with Game 3 on Monday. Game 4 is Tuesday and Game 5, if necessary, is Wednesday.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when the switch-hitting Edman hit a home run into the left field corner against Rodon while batting from the left side. It was his second home run of the postseason to go along with 13 RBIs for the National League Championship Series MVP.

Soto tied it 1-1 in the third with a blast into the right field corner against Yamamoto, his fourth of the postseason.

The Dodgers moved in front 3-1 in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run from Hernandez, his third of these playoffs, while Freeman followed with a drive to right field in nearly the same spot he hit his grand slam that ended Game 1.

It was just the 19th time a team has hit back-to-back home runs in the World Series with the only other occurrence by the Dodgers coming in Game 5 in 1981 against the Yankees by Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager.

The Yankees had just one hit heading into the ninth when Soto singled off the right field wall and scored on a single off the third base bag by Stanton. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Treinen struck out Anthony Volpe before Vesia got the last out on his first pitch.

–Field Level Media

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Dodgers Win, Head to World Series https://digitalsportsdesk.com/dodgers-win-head-to-world-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dodgers-win-head-to-world-series Mon, 21 Oct 2024 10:00:25 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6768 The Mets got within 6-3 in the fourth inning when Vientos greeted right-hander Ryan Brasier with a two-run home run for his fifth long ball of the postseason.

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LA’s Tommy Edman hit a two-run home run and drove in four runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series with a 10-5 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday night in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.

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Will Smith added a two-run home run as the Dodgers earned a Friday night date with the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic, which begins in Los Angeles. It will be the Dodgers’ fourth World Series appearance in the past eight seasons.

In a bullpen game, seven Dodgers pitchers gave up 11 hits and struck out nine. Ben Casparius (1-0) went 1 1/3 innings to earn the win, and Blake Treinen pitched the final two innings for his third save of the playoffs.

Edman had 11 RBIs in six games against the Mets to tie Corey Seager’s franchise record for RBIs in a single NLCS, a mark set in 2020.

Mark Vientos hit a two-run home run for the Mets, while Sean Manaea (2-1) gave up five runs on six hits over two-plus innings. The Mets fell two victories short of a Subway Series after securing a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season and getting past the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies in the playoffs.

The Mets had an early 1-0 lead after Pete Alonso hit a blooper over the mound for a run-scoring infield single in the first inning.

The Dodgers responded in their half of the first when Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez singled before Edman doubled them home for a 2-1 lead.

Los Angeles made it 6-1 in the third inning when Edman hit a two-run home run off Manaea and Smith hit a two-run shot off Phil Maton.

The Mets got within 6-3 in the fourth inning when Vientos greeted right-hander Ryan Brasier with a two-run home run for his fifth long ball of the postseason.

Los Angeles added a run in the sixth inning on Ohtani’s RBI bloop single to center field. The Mets got the run back on a sacrifice fly from Francisco Alvarez. The Dodgers poured it on in the eighth inning with an RBI double from Mookie Betts, a sacrifice fly from Hernandez and an RBI single from Enrique Hernandez.

New York had its chances but left the bases loaded in the third inning, when McNeil struck out, and in the sixth, when Jesse Winker hit a lazy flyout to left. The visitors left 13 runners on base in the game and went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

–Field Level Media

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Yankees Advance to World Series https://digitalsportsdesk.com/yankees-advance-to-world-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yankees-advance-to-world-series Sun, 20 Oct 2024 11:00:05 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6750 After Weaver pitched a perfect ninth inning, he worked around Kyle Manzardo’s one-out single in the 10th, getting Jose Ramirez to line out to center and getting Lane Thomas to fly out to Soto in right field to end the game.

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New York’s Juan Soto hit a three-run home run with two outs in the 10th inning and the visiting Yankees advanced to their first World Series since 2009 with a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night.

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Giancarlo Stanton of New York hit a game-tying two-run home run in the sixth inning for the Yankees, who won Game 5 of the American League Championship Series after trailing through the first five innings and never taking the lead until Soto’s heroics. Soto had three hits while teammate Gleyber Torres had two.

In the 10th, Soto hit four consecutive foul balls against Guardians right-hander Hunter Gaddis (1-1) before smashing a 1-2 fastball over the wall in right-center field. It was his second home run in two games and third of the series.

Stanton hit home runs in three consecutive games and had four in the series. Four New York relievers held Cleveland scoreless over the final 5 1/3 innings with Luke Weaver (1-0) pitching the last two innings to earn the win.

Bo Naylor doubled home brother Josh Naylor to give the Guardians a lead in the second inning, and Steven Kwan added an RBI single in the fifth. Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee held New York scoreless until Stanton hit his two-run homer with two outs in the sixth.

Torres led off the game with a single but was thrown out at home trying to score from first on a Soto double.

Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Josh Naylor singled with one out and scored on Bo Naylor’s two-out double that came on the 10th pitch of the at-bat against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon.

It was the first time a brother drove in a brother in a postseason game since the 2001 AL Division Series when the Oakland Athletics’ Jeremy Giambi brought home Jason Giambi.

The Guardians got to Rodon again in the fifth inning for a 2-0 lead when Kwan’s two-out single knocked in Andres Gimenez, who had doubled.

The Yankees opened the sixth with singles from Torres and Soto before Aaron Judge grounded into a double play. Stanton followed by working the count full before crushing a game-tying home run to left center with a 117.5 mph exit velocity.

After Weaver pitched a perfect ninth inning, he worked around Kyle Manzardo’s one-out single in the 10th, getting Jose Ramirez to line out to center and getting Lane Thomas to fly out to Soto in right field to end the game.

–Field Level Media

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Texas Rangers Take Series https://digitalsportsdesk.com/texas-rangers-take-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=texas-rangers-take-series Thu, 02 Nov 2023 03:00:32 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=4953 PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers, after 62 years as a Major League Baseball franchise and 51 in the State of Texas, can finally call themselves World Series champions. A 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on Wednesday clinched the Rangers’ first title in three trips to the Fall Classic. Texas took all […]

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PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers, after 62 years as a Major League Baseball franchise and 51 in the State of Texas, can finally call themselves World Series champions.

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A 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on Wednesday clinched the Rangers’ first title in three trips to the Fall Classic. Texas took all three games at Chase Field to end the postseason with an all-time-record 11-0 road mark.

Mitch Garver snapped a scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the seventh inning, Nathan Eovaldi pitched six scoreless innings and the Rangers’ offense broke open a close game with four runs in the ninth inning off Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald.

Game 5 was a case of wasted chance after chance for the Diamondbacks, who hoped to send the series back to Texas for at least Game 6. Starter Zac Gallen no-hit the Rangers through six innings, allowing only one baserunner over that span.

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Can Eovaldi Bring It Home? https://digitalsportsdesk.com/can-eovaldi-bring-it-home/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-eovaldi-bring-it-home Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:00:31 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=4902 PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers are one win away from their first World Series title, and they will ask Nathan Eovaldi to finish off the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on Wednesday. Texas grabbed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with an 11-7 win in Game 4 on Tuesday, as leadoff hitter Marcus Semien […]

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  1. PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers are one win away from their first World Series title, and they will ask Nathan Eovaldi to finish off the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on Wednesday. Texas grabbed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with an 11-7 win in Game 4 on Tuesday, as leadoff hitter Marcus Semien contributed a three-run homer and a two-run triple.
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The Rangers took the 48,388 fans out of the game early with five-run innings in the second and third. The Diamondbacks scored six runs in the last two innings but still fell far short.

Texas, which is a record 10-0 on the road in the postseason, will look to complete a perfect away run behind Eovaldi. The veteran right-hander is 4-0 with a 3.52 ERA over five postseason starts, with 36 strikeouts and five walks in 30 2/3 innings.

Eovaldi allowed five runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings in Game 1, which Texas won 6-5 in 11 innings. He fanned eight and walked one.

“I try to play to my strengths. At the same time, I try to learn from my mistakes I had,” Eovaldi said. “So coming in this next start against these guys, I’ll be pitching a little differently. But at the same time, just continue to use my strengths and attack their weaknesses.”

In eight career regular-season appearances (five starts) against the Diamondbacks, Eovaldi is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA.

To fight off elimination and try to send the series back to Texas for at least a Game 6, the Diamondbacks will turn to their ace, Zac Gallen. The right-hander has not been as sharp in the postseason as he was in the regular season, going 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA in five October starts. He has given up six home runs and walked 13 batters while striking out 18 in 27 1/3 innings.

Gallen was in line for a Game 1 win after throwing five innings of three-run ball, but the Arizona bullpen couldn’t finish off the Rangers.

“For me, I’m treating it just like it’s May, honestly,” Gallen said of the Game 5 assignment. “And I don’t know … hopefully this isn’t the last time I’m experiencing this and this heavy of a workload, this late of a workload.

“I’m still trying to get better each day, really. I just threw like a 35-pitch bullpen (session) Monday, where I think some people might try and taper it off, keep that in the 20s or whatever it is. But I’m still trying to work on things, still trying to get better.

“Until the final bell rings, I’m going to keep plugging away and keep seeing what the deal is with my delivery and all types of different things, feels and whatnot. I mean, it’s maybe not the greatest thing to be throwing as much as I am, but it’s what makes me feel prepared and what eases me mentally.”

The Rangers will have to go the rest of the World Series without injured slugger Adolis Garcia, who racked up eight home runs and 22 RBIs in the postseason. Travis Jankowski took Garcia’s place in right field on Tuesday and delivered a two-run double and a single. Ezequiel Duran replaced Garcia on the World Series roster.

Garcia is sidelined due to an oblique strain he sustained in Game 3.

Texas right-hander Max Scherzer also won’t be available. His back spasms in Game 3 forced his removal from the roster, with left-handed reliever Brock Burke taking his place.

Burke yielded three runs and got just one out in Game 4, his first appearance since he gave up two runs in one-third of an inning in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Injuries aside, the Rangers are in a good place entering Game 5.

“Going out there and doing all you can to win a ballgame, and that’s where we have to be thinking,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s where our minds have to be.”

–Jose M. Romero, Field Level Media

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TEXAS COAST https://digitalsportsdesk.com/texas-coast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=texas-coast Wed, 01 Nov 2023 06:00:33 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=4900 PHOENIX — Texas SP Andrew Heaney, on his fourth team in three seasons, helped his latest club move to the brink of a World Series championship. The left-hander gave the Rangers a solid start in Game 4 on Tuesday, and Texas rolled to an 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rangers dominated, even though […]

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PHOENIX — Texas SP Andrew Heaney, on his fourth team in three seasons, helped his latest club move to the brink of a World Series championship. The left-hander gave the Rangers a solid start in Game 4 on Tuesday, and Texas rolled to an 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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The Rangers dominated, even though they let the Diamondbacks make it interesting in the late innings, to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Texas is one victory away from its first World Series crown.

“It’s awesome,” Heaney said after earning a win with five innings of one-run ball. “You know, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career, been on a bunch of different teams and never had this opportunity, obviously. I just want to win the game. I want us to win, and we did that, and we’re in obviously a great position and need to finish it off.”

The Rangers supported Heaney (1-0) by exploding for consecutive five-run innings in the second and third, turning the Halloween contest into a nightmare for the Diamondbacks and their fans.

Marcus Semien, who entered the game batting .197 in the postseason, hit a two-run triple in the second inning and a three-run homer in the third. Corey Seager struck again with his third two-run homer of the World Series, his sixth postseason long ball.

Jonah Heim added a solo home run in the eighth, his third blast of the postseason.

Texas won its 10th consecutive postseason road game, the longest winning streak of its kind in major league playoff history. Another road win in Game 5 on Wednesday would seal the title.

In a bullpen game for Arizona, the Rangers knocked around relievers Miguel Castro, Kyle Nelson and Luis Frias, all of whom allowed three runs without lasting one full inning. Castro yielded Semien’s triple in the second, Nelson served up Seager’s homer in the second and Frias gave up Travis Jankowski’s two-run double and Semien’s home run in the third.

Heaney yielded four hits, walked two and struck out three, leaving with a 10-1 lead. His effort helped the Texas bullpen get extra rest.

The Rangers lost two key players to injuries sustained in Game 3, as right fielder Adolis Garcia (strained oblique muscle) and Game 3 starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back spasms) were removed from the World Series roster. However, Texas didn’t miss the power-hitting Garcia, who had 20 hits, eight home runs and 22 RBIs in the postseason.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys, how they bounce back, how resilient they are, how they dealt with things, whether it’s losing streaks, whether it’s injuries,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “You can’t do anything about it. They’re gonna happen occasionally.”

The Diamondbacks scored their first run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. They added four runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Tommy Pham and Gurriel’s three-run home run, and they didn’t go quietly in the ninth, when Gabriel Moreno hit a two-run single off Texas closer Jose Leclerc.

Ketel Marte, the Diamondbacks’ best hitter in the postseason, had two hits to increase his postseason hitting streak to 20 games, the longest such streak in major league history. But Arizona is on the brink of defeat.

“You commit to the plan and the process for 27 outs,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “And you close the game up to 11-7, got the fans engaged, got a ton of energy, you got their closer in the game.

“There’s a lot of positives to draw upon, and I will, but we gotta tighten up the things we know that went wrong. And we’ll do that. And then we’ll come out tomorrow and we gotta go 1-0 tomorrow. We gotta be ready to play our finest game tomorrow and not worry about anything else.”

Diamondbacks opener Joe Mantiply (2-1) took the loss after allowing one run in 1 1/3 innings.

–Jose M. Romero, Field Level Media

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