ARLINGTON — It’s a familiar sound, the crack of the bat and fireworks at Globe Life Field as a Rangers batter touches second base on his trip around the bases.
But in Game 2 of the World Series Saturday night, the sold-out crowd in Arlington was craving more fireworks and home run music.
The Rangers undoubtedly have a powerful lineup. They led the American League in OPS (.789) and tied for the lead in home runs (233) in the regular season as they worked their way to the playoffs. But despite the clear theme, they tried not to make it the identity of the team. Pass the baton, give it to the next guy, don’t try to be the hero – all of these phrases have been echoed around the Rangers clubhouse all season long.
But after a day when Corey Seager And Adolis Garcia After delivering two of the biggest home runs in Rangers history, the offense could hardly muster a baserunner against Merrill Kelly. The D-backs starter manhandled the Rangers all night, starting with three perfect frames and finishing with seven one-run, three-hit innings as Texas fell, 9-1in Game 2 of the World Series.
“He stayed out of the middle,” said Marcus Semien, who went 1 for 4 in defeat. “He’s a guy who can do a lot of things with the baseball: cut it, flow it, change it. His fastball is good. We must respect it. We tried to do our best, make good shots, but he didn’t give us any. They had a good night tonight. So you learn from it. I’m sure we’ll see it again and come back better next time.
Kelly retired the first 11 batters he faced before a fourth-inning single by Evan Carter. He finished his night by retiring the last seven batters he faced after an infield single. Josh Jung in the fifth inning.
In all, the Rangers recorded just four hits, including a solo home run of Mitch Garver, while the other three were single. They drew only one walk in the ninth inning against García. The base paths were virtually empty for the first time in weeks.
Rangers hitters pointed out that Kelly was making his living on the edges all night, leaving the high-powered offense unable to get much to hit.
“Yeah, I mean, hitting is the hardest thing to do in the world,” Carter said. “I mean, if a pitcher does his job, he should get you out most of the time. It’s his job – he achieved his goals and I congratulate him.
Meanwhile, the D-backs pitched all over Texas, throwing out 16 hits and laying down three sacrifice bunts, illustrating the biggest difference in the two clubs’ playing styles.
The D-backs are the first team to throw three sacrifices in a World Series game since the Cardinals in Game 5 of the 2011 Fall Classic in Arlington. The Rangers haven’t scored one since September 14, their 10th of the year.
Arizona’s 16 hits are the most in a World Series game since the Giants did it in 2014. Of the 16 hits, only four went for extra bases: a homer by Gabriel Moreno, two doubles from Tommy Pham and another double from Alek Thomas.
“That’s why they’re here,” the Rangers catcher said. Jonas Heim. “They take what we give them. They extend innings and do damage when they can. Ultimately, they’ll just take their singles and move on. It’s up to us to make an adjustment.
Rangers starter Jordan Montgomeryarguably the club’s most consistent pitcher down the stretch, worked over six innings of work and allowed four runs.
His velocity was down across the board, and he only caused two swings and misses with no strikeouts. His two whiffs were the fewest he had in a start of at least three innings in his career, as he became the 13th pitcher to finish a World Series start in six or more innings without a punchout.
“I thought he threw really well,” Heim said. “Just about one or two mistakes that hurt us, but other than that I thought he pitched pretty well.”
The Rangers now head west to Arizona, looking to regain their footing with the World Series tied at one game apiece. A road trip might be just what Texas needs.
The Rangers are 8-0 on the road this postseason, winning both the AL Wild Card Series and the ALCS on the road.
“So what? It’s 1-1”, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said. “We’re going to take our day off, have a good practice tomorrow and get ready for Game 3. I don’t want to say anything, but we’ve got a good thing going (on the road).
“It’s a seven-game set. We’d be naive to think we’re going to come away with a four-in-a-row against a team that’s really fighting, like we did. They had to go through the Wild Card round and then all the way to the end and here they are. It’s a resilient group there, but we’re also pretty confident in our group.
