The World Series is tied 1-1! Takeaways from D-backs' dominant win over Rangers
And just like that, the World Series is tied 1-1.
After Adolis Garcia hit a walk-off home run in extra innings to secure the Game 1 win for the Texas Rangers on Friday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks answered back Saturday with a dominant 7-1 win to even the series.
Tommy Pham showed up in a huge way for the D-backs, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, while Gabriel Moreno started the scoring early with a solo home run. The Rangers, on the other hand, were held to just four hits on the game.
We have you covered with all the action from the win, from live updates and analysis during the game to postgame takeaways and analysis.
Key links: Full playoffs schedule and results
Takeaways
Arizona: This was the Merrill Kelly show — and it needed to be. The D-backs’ starting rotation has been led by their rookie, Brandon Pfaadt, of late, and who knows how long that will last. Zac Gallen, meanwhile, has just been OK. The blowout win in Game 2, thanks in part to Kelly, allowed manager Torey Lovullo to rest his bullpen — and even with the day off before Game 3, those relievers needed the breather. Also of note is how Arizona was led by its veterans. Tommy Pham had four hits, and Evan Longoria sacrifice bunted for the first time since 2014. You know it’s serious business if he’s laying one down. It’s a reminder to the younger players that it’s team before anything at this time of year. The D-backs now have home-field advantage the rest of the series — something they didn’t have in the last round but still won.
Texas: Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia came up big late for the Rangers in Game 1. The following night, there was nobody to bail out their offense. The Rangers’ lineup was a nonfactor for nine innings against the Diamondbacks in Game 2, a theme through the first two games of this series. Seager, Garcia and Marcus Semien very much make the Rangers go at the top, but the hallmark of their offense is their depth. And the bottom half of the order has been virtually nonexistent thus far. Jonah Heim, Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Jung and Leody Taveras — the Nos. 6 to 9 hitters in the Rangers’ lineup, respectively — have combined to go 3-for-26 in this series. The Rangers at least did a nice job working counts in Game 1, drawing 10 walks. They followed with just one in Game 2 — while recording only four hits, three of them singles. — Alden Gonzalez
One big question: What are the Rangers going to get out of Max Scherzer in Game 3? Texas has relied on Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery all postseason, and the Diamondbacks touched them up for a combined nine runs in Games 1 and 2. That puts even more of an onus on Scherzer, who, in his two starts since coming off the injured list in the ALCS, allowed seven runs over 6⅔ innings and threw a combined 107 pitches. Getting five innings from Scherzer would be a win, especially with games on three consecutive days in Arizona and the wear and tear of October starting to tax the Rangers’ bullpen arms. — Jeff Passan
