Rangers return to World Series after 12 years
Game 7 of the American League Championship between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on April 24. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy (68) pulled starter Max Scherzer (39) from the mound with two outs in the bottom of the third inning, trailing the host Astros 4-2, and brought in Jordan Montgomery (31). Scherzer had given up a solo home run and a triple in the first inning and then retired the next batter on an infield grounder. The three-time Cy Young Award winner, the highest honor for a major league pitcher, was sure to have his ego bruised by not lasting three innings, but he walked away with a straight face.
Bochy’s decision to use Montgomery, who pitched five and one-third innings in Game 5 following his Game 1 win, in relief in Game 7 was reminiscent of Game 7 of the 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Bochy, then managing the Giants (the National League’s No. 5 seed), brought in Madison Bumgarner, who had won Games 1 and 5, to pitch the fifth inning of Game 7 with a 3-2 lead. Bumgarner pitched five scoreless innings for the save and was named the World Series Most Valuable Player. The Giants won three championships during Bochy’s tenure (2010-2012-2014).
This year, as manager of the Rangers, Bochy turned to his starters for relief in crucial moments of the postseason, just as he did nine years ago, and it worked again. Montgomery pitched two and a third scoreless innings (three hits and one walk) until the fifth inning, during which time the Rangers went on an 8-2 run, eventually winning 11-4 and taking the series four games to three. Texas took Games 1 and 2 on the road and dropped Games 3 and 5 at home to fall behind 2 games to 1, but rallied to take Games 6 and 7 on the road.
Rangers Cuban slugger Adolis Garcia, 30, went 4-for-5 with five RBIs, including two solo home runs in Game 7. He was named the championship MVP after batting .357 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in seven games of the series.
The Rangers (No. 5 seed) are making their first World Series appearance in 12 years after finishing as World Series runners-up in 2010 and 2011. They have yet to win a championship. They lost to the Giants in 2010, their first trip to the big dance, and their nemesis was current manager Bochy. The Astros (No. 2 seed), World Series champions from 2017-2022 and winners of seven straight league championships, were swept in four games at home.
Earlier in the day, the sixth-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the fourth-seeded Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series to take the best-of-three series. The two teams will play Game 7 at the same location on Friday. 먹튀검증토토사이트 Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly picked up the win, going five innings and allowing one run on three hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Kelly was 48-32 with SK (now SSG) from 2015-2018 and was a key part of the team that won the 2018 Korean Series.