ARLINGTON, Texas — He screamed at impact, lost his voice in the turmoil at Globe Life Field, his body unwittingly impersonating his first World Series home run, six years earlier. Corey Seager shouted that night at Dodger Stadium as he faced the Houston Astros, unable to maintain the veneer of stoicism sustaining him. He’s older now, perhaps quieter, and the weight of privilege is strapped on his shoulders. However, he reacted the same way when he returned Friday night in Game 1 of the World Series, a 6-5 win for the Texas Rangers: He screamed his heart out.
Seager had reason to celebrate afterward Launched a blast linking game With one out in the ninth inning off Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald. Homer woke up the crowd and set the table for Adulis Garcia to deliver A walk-off homer in the 11th. The October story continued for Garcia, who was the most valuable player in the American League Championship Series. Seager may give his teammate some competition for hardware at the Fall Classic.
For most of the evening, the Rangers appeared poised to face the fate of the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, a group of talented teams unable to disarm the upstart Diamondbacks. But all of these teams lacked one essential element. They’re not hiring Corey Seager.
And on Friday, Seager showed why he was lured to the Texans from Los Angeles with a $325 million contract after the 2021 season. His body could break down. Maybe he lacks grace on the field. But few humans can hit a baseball harder. He led the AL in doubles this season despite playing in only 119 games. He posted a career-best 1.013 OPS. He maintained that clip throughout the postseason. His first homer in Game 7 of the ALCS in Houston rocked his teammates. A homer in the ninth inning saved them on Friday.
Even before he went deep, Seager scored a pair of runs in the early innings as these two teams battled it out. The matchup seemed improbable a year ago. The Diamondbacks won 74 games in 2022. The Rangers won 68. The loss in Texas led to a series of dismissals. The team fired coach Chris Woodward last August. A few days later, owner Ray Davis fired president of baseball operations John Daniels, the architect of the 2010 and 2011 pennant winners. Davis promoted general manager Chris Young. Shortly after the season ended, Young traveled to Nashville to visit Bruce Bochy.
Bochy had managed Young, a towering pitcher, in San Diego. He received further acclaim while winning three World Series rings with San Francisco in the 2000s. After the 2019 season, Bushey retired to a life of fishing and golfing. Young intended to lure Bushy back into the dugout. “What do you not like about your life?” Boushie’s wife, Kim, asked after Young’s visit. Boushie felt a connection to his former player. And feel the pull of the game’s greatest stages. “Definitely, that’s what’s going through your mind: ‘Hey, I want one more chance, at least, to get back to the World Series,'” he said.
Bochy reached this pinnacle in his first season at Texas. This is Lovullo’s seventh season at the helm at Arizona State. He lost more matches than he won. He’s still guiding the franchise out of the wreckage of a 110-loss 2021 season. He formed a lasting bond with general manager Mike Hazen. Lovullo became the rare manager who survived an unsuccessful season. “When you lose 110 games, it’s very difficult for a coach to have that much influence on that,” Hazen said. “That’s the list problem. That’s me.”
Hazen has built an enviable farm system. The award was Corbin Carroll, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound outfielder selected in the first round of the 2019 draft. A speedster capable of tearing up base paths, Carroll embodied the type of player Major League Baseball aims to reward with rule changes that It was implemented in 2023. So it was fitting that he took the first World Series at-bat: Carroll hit a grounder down the first base line, where Rangers outfielder Nathaniel Lowe caught it for an out.
Texas boasted a talented rookie of its own. Evan Carter, a 21-year-old outfielder, spent just 23 games with the club in the regular season. He showed enough ability in September to earn a spot on the postseason roster — and to earn a third-place finish against Arizona. Carter pitched the first round of the series. After Seager walked, Carter hit a 95.8 mph fastball from Zach Gallen into the right-center gap. Seager came home and Carter stepped into second base. He scored five pitches later when Garcia hit a curveball to left for a single. It was his seventh straight game with an RBI.
After two rounds, Carroll answered in the third. The Diamondbacks beat Nathan Eovaldi. Alec Thomas hit a single. Evan Longoria followed with another hit. Geraldo Perdomo struck out both runners in scoring position. Carroll cut a 0-2 run into midfield, where Rangers’ Leody Taveras misread her flight. The ball skipped Taveras into the wall. Carroll raced to third with a tying triple in two runs.
Carroll’s speed made the difference in the third round for Arizona. It broke toward the plate when Ketel Marte hit a groundout to first base. Lowe fired a shot at catcher Jonah Heim. Carroll went over the mark by inches, sliding through the dirt to give the Diamondbacks a 3-2 advantage.
The lead did not last. The top of the Texans lineup tormented Jalen in the bottom of the half. The Rangers took advantage of Gallen’s inability to locate his fastball and cutter. Seager walked. Carter cut a double slice. Seager finished third, but Gallen struggled to escape. Garcia walked to load the bases. Mitch Garver, the designated hitter, fouled out on a pair of full-count fastballs before swiping a changeup down low. His walk tied the game together.
Arizona showed its mettle against Philadelphia. They refused to fold after losing their first two games to the Phillies. The group did the same thing as Gallen wavered. In the top of the fourth, Eovaldi pinned the traitor. Pham blasted a pitch beyond the left field fence for a solo shot and a 4-3 lead.
The Diamondbacks have created a brand clinic at No. 5. The frame began with a single from Perdomo, the No. 9 hitter. Perdomo stole second base. Eovaldi hooked a curveball to Marte, who smoked a pitch over Taveras’ head for an RBI double. Arizona did not score again during the inning, but Eovaldi was grounded after first baseman Christian Walker was walked.
The Arizonan staff tried to keep the lead safe. The group was assembled in the final weeks of the season, a mix of rookies and recruits to build a bridge to Seewald. At the deadline, Hazen acquired Seewald from the Mariners. His presence stabilized the group and provided roles for the rest. Lovullo opened up his relievers in the final four innings. Ryan Thompson handled the sixth. Joe Mantiply subdued Seager and Carter in the seventh. Kevin Jenkel worked around a single and a walk in the eighth.
The ninth inning belongs to Seewald. It started with a flop. He issued a leadoff walk to Taveras, the No. 9 hitter. After Marcus Semien struck out, Seager walked to the plate. Seewald prefers fast balls. He tried to sneak up on Seager. The maneuver failed. Seager destroyed the high heater at 93.6 mph. He let out a scream as he ran down the first base line, Wood still clutched in his hands. He did the same stance, the same scream, the same trot against the Astros’ Justin Verlander all those years ago in Los Angeles. That series ended in heartbreak. Thanks to Seager, the Rangers have a chance to achieve a different kind of ending.
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(Photo: Kevin Gerage/USA Today)
