“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened” -Vin Scully

By Anthony Collazo

The stage is set for a World Series no one could have predicted at the start of the 2023 season. The Texas Rangers (90-72) square off against the Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78), in a best of seven series, to crown a new World Series champ.

The Rangers put Nathan Eovaldi on the bump in game one, while the Diamondbacks looked to their ace, Zac Gallen. They’re two pitchers who have had very good 2023 seasons, seeking to give their team a big game one performance. After a shutout top of the first for Eovaldi, the Rangers scored two in the bottom half, credited to an Evan Carter, RBI, run batted in, double, followed by an Adolis Garcia RBI single.

Things were quiet in the second, but in the top of the third, presumptive Rookie of the Year, Corbin Caroll, stepped up to the plate with a runner on second and third and nobody out. Carroll drove them in with a two RBI triple to tie the game.

The next batter, Ketel Marte, hit a ground ball to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. The speedy Carroll made his decision to run on contact, and with a nice slide, avoided the tag of catcher Jonah Heim to make the game 3-2 with the Diamondbacks in the lead.

In the bottom half of the third, Zac Gallen walked Mitch Garver with the bases loaded to knot the game at three a piece. In the top of the fourth, Tommy Pham erased that run by hammering a solo shot. Then in the top of the fifth, the Diamondbacks made it 5-3 after Ketel Marte doubled for his second RBI of the game.

Both bullpens silenced both offenses up until the top of the ninth inning. All Star closer Paul Sewald walked the nine hitter Leody Taveras to leadoff the inning. Sewald proceeded to strike out the next hitter Marcus Semien, before Corey Seager delivered a clutch two run home run to tie the game at five each.

Photograph by Kevin Jairaj via USA Today

The game would go on to the bottom of the eleventh, where Adolis Garcia would hit the biggest home run of his career, sending the ball into the right field bleachers, and sending the Rangers home victorious in game one

Thriller Game One Ends In Rangers Victory