Texas Rangers Ready For 'Scrappy' Arizona Diamondbacks, Who Stole Way To World Series
ARLINGTON, Texas — Don't feel too out of the loop, Texas Rangers fans.
Rangers players don't know a lot about the Arizona Diamondbacks either.
But they remember losing three of four regular-season games to the D-backs and respect the path they took through the National League playoffs to reach the World Series, which begins with Game 1 at 7:03 p.m. Friday at Globe Life Field.
The word "scrappy" was used more than once by players who met the media for the first time since winning the American League pennant on Monday.
"They look like a young, hungry team," Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien said. "We’ve probably got a little bit more age and experience but none of that matters. All that matters is playing good baseball."
If "scrappy" was the top adjective used, speed and baserunning was the top skill most mentioned by the Rangers, who worked out at Globe Life Field Wednesday afternoon.
"[It's] a really good, balanced ball club, a gritty club," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "They play the game right. They like action. They run the bases well. They're a team that has really come on strong, the starting pitching, the bullpen. That's why they're here. They beat some really good ball clubs to get here. We saw them and they took three of four, so we know we're playing a really good ball club."
The Diamondbacks have stolen a postseason-leading 16 bases, including nine in their seven-game NLCS win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
"You have to watch the running game, that's a big part of the game," Bochy said. "[Our] pitchers have to be focused, mix it up with the throw overs and things like that. Mix in their different moves, and [that] helps mitigate the running game. You just have to be aware of it, that's all. They'll push running the bases and doing the little things that need to be done to win a ballgame."
Arizona was second in the majors with 166 stolen bases and caught only 26 times. The Rangers were near the bottom of the league with 79 stolen bases, but have nine in the postseason.
Catcher Jonah Heim is aware of the running Snakes.
"Speed and the ability to put the ball in play and make things happen," he said. "For us, if we just limit them on the basepaths, hit our cutoff, and throw to the right bases when we need to and not give them that extra 90 feet, we’re going to be in good shape."
Both teams led the majors with a .990 fielding percentage and had the fewest errors in the league — 56 for Arizona and 57 for Texas. No other team had fewer than 66 errors.
"When you don’t give free outs, and only play with 27 outs, that gives you a really good chance of winning," Heim said.
Defense is likely to play a starring role in the Fall Classic.
"Defense can impact the team as much as any facet of the game. Same with their club. They play great defense over there. You’re seeing two teams that do a great job of catching the ball," Bochy said. "It’s going to make a difference. You give yourself the best chance to win the game."
The D-backs, who won 84 games, have been doing something right in the postseason. They swept the Brewers in the Wild Card in Milwaukee and then swept the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers in the ALDS. Texas did the same thing in the AL playoffs, but the Rangers won 90 games and had an AL-high 191 run differential. Arizona had a minus-5 run differential, 15th in the league. The only playoff team with a lower run differential was Miami.
"They look like a scrappy team, who run the bases well, they play the game hard," Semien said. "Obviously, when you look at the run differential they had to do the little things right to win so many close games. We definitely got our hands full but it’s a challenge we’re ready for."
You can follow Stefan Stevenson on Twitter @StefanVersusTex.
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