Seager, Garcia slug Rangers to World Series in 11-4 Game 7 win over Astros in ALCS
[ad_1]
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Adolis Garcia and Corey Seager were the Texas version of the Bash Brothers in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday.
The duo combined for seven hits and six RBIs in an 11-4 rout of defending champion Houston to win the series 4-3 and send the Rangers to their third World Series in team history.
-
A Houston Astros fan watches during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers’ Nathaniel Lowe hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) -
Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena makes a play on a ball hit by Texas Rangers’ Josh Jung during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jordan Montgomery throws during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena hits a single during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) -
Texas Rangers’ Mitch Garver is hit by a pitch during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve reacts during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers’ Jonah Heim hits a single during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Houston Astros relief pitcher Hector Neris throws during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Texas Rangers’ Nathaniel Lowe is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Josh Sborz throws during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker can’t catch a two-run home run hit by Texas Rangers’ Nathaniel Lowe during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Houston Astros fans react during the eighth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman hits a double during the seventh inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) -
Houston Astros relief pitcher Jose Urquidy throws during the seventh inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
A Houston Astros fan watches during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers’ Nathaniel Lowe reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers’ Nathaniel Lowe reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia hits a two-run scoring single during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) -
Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman is congratulated by Yordan Alvarez afger hitting a home run during the third inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez hits a triple during the third inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) -
Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia hits a two-run scoring single during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Houston Astros’ Michael Brantley waits in the outfield during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers’ Evan Carter hits a two-run scoring double during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) -
Texas Rangers’ Evan Carter hits a two-run scoring double during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers’ Evan Carter, Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia in the outfield during a break in the seventh inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia hits a home run during the eighth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman throws during the seventh inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick reacts after being hit by a pitch during the eighth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) -
Houston Astros fans watch during the eighth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) -
Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia hits a home run during the eighth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick is hit by a pitch during the eighth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Seager was hitting .192 in the ALCS coming into the deciding game before he belted a 440-foot home run in his first at-bat to start the Rangers’ hit parade. Seager finished 3-for-4, adding a double, single and a walk to his tally while Garcia continued his postseason tear.
Garcia set a postseason record with 15 RBIs in a series, finishing off his historic ALCS with four hits including two solo home runs and five RBIs. The previous mark was held by Nelson Cruz who drove in 13 runs while a Ranger in the 2011 ALCS. Garcia has hit five home runs over the past four postseason games and was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player.
“We’re not surprised about what (Garcia) did. We’ve seen him do it all year,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “I’ve seen him do it during the year, and he’s an incredible talent.”
Texas scored three runs in the first inning off Houston starting pitcher Cristian Javier who lasted just 1/3 of an inning before manager Dusty Baker went to his bullpen. Seager’s solo blast was the first marker, followed by RBI singles by Garcia and Mitch Garver.
Texas blew it open in the fourth inning with four runs, buoyed by a 2-run double by Evan Carter and a 2-run single from Garcia to make it 8-2. Nathaniel Lowe added a 2-run homer in the sixth inning as the Rangers pounded the Astros pitching staff for 15 hits. Garcia’s solo shots came in the third and eighth innings.
“We just got beat,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “Sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason. Sometimes you lose, and sometimes you get beat. There’s a difference.”
The Rangers are 8-0 on the road this postseason and beat the Rays in the Wild Card Series and the top-seeded Orioles in the Division Series. Texas last won the AL pennant in 2011.
MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters
Bochy, who came out of retirement to manage the Rangers, will go to his fifth World Series and said this team, “has played with as much heart and determination as anybody.”
“It’s unreal that I’m here, to be honest,” Bochy said. “I was sitting at my house for three years and now I’m going back to the World Series, I just want to get a ring for the guys.”
Houston outfielder Yordan Alvarez did everything he could to keep his club in the game. Hitting .435 for the series, Alvarez continued his dominance at the plate with three hits to raise his on-base plus slugging to 1.521 in the ALCS. Had the Astros won, Alvarez surely would have been named the series MVP.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve hit the ninth inning’s first pitch off the brick wall behind the Crawford Boxes in left field off Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc. Altuve now has 27 career postseason home runs, two shy of the all-time record of 29 by Manny Ramirez.
Every game in the series was won by the road team, the second time that’s happened in a best-of-seven series in MLB history. The first time was the 2019 World Series when the Nationals beat the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Texas starting pitcher Max Scherzer lasted 2 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits including an Alex Bregman solo home run in the third. This start went much better than his last one in the series Oct. 18 when the Astros tagged him for five runs in four innings.
Houston used eight pitchers in the game while the Rangers used five. Bochy became the first manager in MLB history to win three league championship series with three different teams. He previously won LCS titles with San Diego and San Francisco.
The Rangers will host either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. The Phils and Snakes play Game 7 of the NLCS on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia.
[ad_2]
