PHOENIX — On the first day of December 2021, just before the players of Major League Baseball went into lockdown, the Texas Rangers orchestrated a series of press conferences to unveil their new $500 million middle infield. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, both sought-after talents, chose to sign with a franchise that had experienced five consecutive losing seasons. The decision was influenced by the generous monetary offer as well as the vision presented by Rangers officials.
“We’ve been completely transparent and authentic in laying out our plans,” said Texas general manager Chris Young at the time. “We acknowledge that we were a 102-loss team. We haven’t shied away from that. But we have a vision, a plan, and this is how we intend to achieve it. Does this intimidate you? Are you afraid? Do you want to be part of something extraordinary that has never been accomplished in Texas Ranger history?”
Now, that historic moment is within reach after a resounding 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday. The Rangers stand just one win away from clinching their first-ever championship. The path to this point has not been a straightforward one. Texas experienced more losses than wins in 2022, resulting in the firing of manager Chris Woodward and long-time head of baseball operations Jon Daniels by owner Ray Davis. However, Young, Semien, and Seager remained. They provided stability to the team throughout the summer and powered the Texas offense in Tuesday’s one-sided game.
In the game, Semien delivered a two-run triple in the second inning and a three-run homer in the third inning, while Seager blasted a two-run home run in between. The Rangers dismantled Arizona’s bullpen strategy, scoring five runs in both the second and third innings. The lineup displayed remarkable resilience despite the absence of emerging star outfielder Adolis García. His replacement, Travis Jankowski, contributed with a single in the second inning and a two-run double in the third.
Starting pitcher Andrew Heaney pitched five solid innings, allowing only one run. This performance ensured that the Rangers’ bullpen would be well-rested for Game 5. The upcoming game will feature a rematch between Arizona starter Zac Gallen and Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi. With three opportunities to capture the elusive victory that slipped away from the team in their previous World Series appearance against St. Louis in 2011 — where they were just one strike away on two separate occasions — this current group of Rangers has the chance to heal past wounds, as former Rangers third baseman Adrián Beltré mentioned earlier in the series.
“If they win, it will feel like a weight off of us because we couldn’t get it done, and they did it for us,” commented Beltré. “I’ll be extremely happy about it.”
Meanwhile, the Rangers spent their afternoon actively reshaping their roster. Despite winning Game 3, the team suffered losses with the injuries to two key players. Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young award winner, experienced back spasms, and Adolis García, the outfielder who was recently named MVP of the American League Championship Series, strained an oblique muscle. Scherzer’s condition did not improve by Tuesday’s game, while García’s attempt to swing resulted in pain, as explained by Young.
Scherzer’s absence will only have a significant impact if the series reaches a seventh game. García’s absence, however, leaves Texas manager Bruce Bochy without a powerful hitter and a defensive ace in right field. García produced a walk-off home run in Game 1 and made a game-changing throw to home plate to thwart a rally by Arizona in Game 3. Bochy expressed his disappointment at losing his cleanup hitter but acknowledged that these things happen.
The Diamondbacks faced their own set of challenges. Manager Torey Lovullo’s roster lacked a reliable fourth starting pitcher, forcing him to rely on his bullpen. While this strategy had worked in the previous round against the more undisciplined hitters of the Philadelphia team, it proved less effective against the Rangers. When asked if he preferred using a starting pitcher over depending on his relievers, Lovullo mentioned legendary names such as Drysdale, Gibson, Koufax, and Gooden.
However, Lovullo had to make do with Joe Mantiply. The left-handed reliever managed to get through the first inning unscathed but gave up a leadoff double to Texas rookie Josh Jung in the second inning, prompting the appearance of right-hander Miguel Castro. Jung advanced to third on a groundout and then scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch from Castro.
The Rangers did not stop there. Struggling to find his rhythm with his fastball and changeup, Castro ended up walking outfielder Leody Taveras. The replacement for García in right field, Travis Jankowski, then delivered a two-out single up the middle. Up stepped Semien, who hit a sharp line drive down the left-field line. Arizona outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stumbled while attempting to retrieve the ball, allowing Semien to round the bases for a two-run triple and forcing Lovullo to make a pitching change.
Despite being down by three runs, Lovullo opted not to intentionally walk Seager, who had already proven his power with massive home runs in Game 1 and Game 3. Instead, Lovullo called upon lefty Kyle Nelson. Unfortunately for Lovullo, this decision backfired on Nelson’s second pitch. He left a slider hanging, and Seager crushed it over the center field fence, extending the Rangers’ lead by five runs.
Arizona’s troubles continued in the third inning. Nelson gave up back-to-back singles to Jung and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, followed by a fielding error by Arizona first baseman Christian Walker, loading the bases for the Rangers. Jankowski capitalized on the opportunity by hitting a double off the newest Arizona reliever, right-hander Luis Frías. Semien, in the subsequent at-bat, delivered the knockout blow with a blistering home run off a high fastball, bringing the advantage to double digits.
With the game well in hand, the Rangers could enjoy the final innings of Game 4, aware of the significance of Game 5 that lay ahead. The vision presented by Texas officials to Semien and Seager, which may have seemed far-fetched prior to the lockout, now stands on the brink of fulfillment in just one more day.
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(Photo: Rob Tringali / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
