Texas Rangers Bullpen Keeps Comeback Hopes Alive in World Series Game 1
Take nothing away from the hit heard around the baseball world from Texas Rangers' All-Star outfielder Adolis García.
Give all the credit to Corey Seager, the $325 million man who lived up to his contract with one swing in the ninth that made Game 1 of the World Series a brand new battle.
But the Rangers wouldn't be here, riding high off the momentum and endorphins with a 6-5 extra-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks without their bullpen. A weakness entering the Fall Classic became a strength Friday night.
Call them the unsung heroes of Arlington in Game 1. When needed most, everyone rose to the occasion.
Nathan Eovaldi's postseason magic wore off at the wrong time. The right-hander had delivered Houdini-esque outings in victories over Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Houston to help the Rangers secure their first pennant in 12 seasons, but was snake-bitten early in the World Series opener.
The D-backs struck in the third, taking a 3-2 lead off RBI blasts from NL Rookie of the Year favorite Corbin Carrol and Ketel Marte. Even after the Rangers tied the game thanks to a bases-loaded walk, the poison had done its damage on Eovaldi's consistency.
Dane Dunning took the ball from starter Nathan Eovaldi and started a string of shutout innings from Texas relievers in Game 1 of the World Series.
In the fourth, Tommy Pham silenced Globe Life Field with a solo shot to left. In the fifth, Marte delivered a second strike, this time on an RBI double to center to extend the lead to two.
Starting pitching set the tone in the ALCS against the defending champs and in-state rival Houston Astros. The bullpen caused a stir that eventually led to winner-take-all Game 7 at Minute Maid Park.
Playing in front of the hometown crowd does wonders for a team's confidence. It struck a nerve in those getting the call from the pen on Friday. Five pitchers combined for 6 1/3 innings of no-run baseball. Combined, the five-man staff allowed just two hits and struck out six.
Dane Dunning worked around a two-out walk to Christian Walker to record the final out in the fifth. His lone mistake, a one-out infield single to the speedy Alek Thomas, became an afterthought after Cody Bradford got Geraldo Perdomo to line out and leave the runner stranded at second.
Jon Gray saved his best performance of the season for the biggest stage. Consider his two-out flyout on Gabriel Moreno in the seventh the opening act for what would follow.
Gray, the "other" high-profile addition in the 2021 free-agency spending spree, delivered a $56 million inning in the eighth, striking out Walker, Pham and Thomas to keep the score 5-3.
And while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. might have delivered a bloop two-out single, it was the right-hander providing the last laugh to keep Texas' comeback hopes alive.
"That's what I've been waiting on," Gray said. "Just getting a chance to show off and really executing and doing the job. That meant everything to me, being able to help this team out after missing so much [time]."
Gray, who struck out four in 1 2/3 innings, gave Bruce Bochy options. He turned the ball over to Will Smith to record the final out in the ninth before calling José Leclerc for extras.
The longest-tenured Rangers delivered again, notching six quick outs with two coming via the swing-and-miss. Of his 26 pitches, 19 were strikes.
Bochy likely would have turned to the 'pen again in the 12th, but García decided to call game and add another highlight to his postseason legacy.
"Adolis has just been super-human," said Gray. "He's been awesome in the big moments, just capitalizing. He's been an amazing player."
Gray said if Bochy called on him for Game 2 Saturday, he'd be ready to dish another inning. Then again, perhaps a promising performance from left-hander Jordan Montgomery would give the bullpen a day of rest.
If not, they'll be ready to duplicate similar results in front of the home crowd before a stay in Phoenix.
And Gray's preparing for anything to happen, especially against a club with the mentality of Arizona.
"They're a really good club," he said. "They find ways to score and they can pitch really well. They're dangerous. We have to stay on the gas pedal if we want to do this thing."
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