ARLINGTON, Texas – He screamed on impact, his voice lost in the tornado of Globe Life Field, his body inadvertently mimicking his first World Series home run six years ago. Corey Seager roared as he hit a home run against the Houston Astros that night at Dodger Stadium, unable to maintain the veneer of stoicism that defines him. He’s older now, maybe even calmer, the weight of a franchise on his shoulders. And yet, when he hit a home run Friday night in Game 1 of the World Series, a 6-5 win for the Texas Rangers, he responded the same way: He roared.
Seager had reason to celebrate after he made a game-winning blast with one out in the ninth inning against Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald. His home run roused the crowd and set the stage for Adolis García to hit a walk-off home run in the 11th. For García, who was the most valuable player in the American League Championship Series, October continued like a picture book. Seager could give his teammate some competition for the hardware at the Fall Classic.
For most of the evening, the Rangers appeared poised to suffer the fate of the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, a collection of talented teams unable to disarm the surging Diamondbacks. However, all of these teams were missing a key ingredient. They don’t employ Corey Seager.
On Friday, Seager demonstrated why Texas lured him from Los Angeles with a $325 million contract after the 2021 season. His body could collapse. He may lack grace on the field. But few people can hit a baseball with greater force. He led the AL in doubles that season despite playing in just 119 games. He posted a career-best 1.013 OPS. He maintained that clip this postseason. His first-inning home run in Game 7 of the ALCS in Houston shocked his teammates. His home run in the ninth inning on Friday saved them.
Even before going deep, Seager scored two runs in the first innings as these two teams battled. The duel seemed unlikely a year ago. The Diamondbacks won 74 games in 2022. The Rangers won 68. The loss at Texas sparked a series of layoffs. The team fired manager Chris Woodward last August. A few days later, owner Ray Davis fired president of baseball operations Jon Daniels, the architect of the 2010 and 2011 pennant victories. Davis appointed general manager Chris Young. Shortly after the season ended, Young flew to Nashville to visit Bruce Bochy.
Bochy had managed Young, a standout pitcher, in San Diego. He gained further recognition when he won three World Series rings with San Francisco in the 2010s. After the 2019 season, Bochy retired to a life of fishing and golf. Young wanted to lure Bochy back into the dugout. “What don’t you like about your life?” Bochy’s wife, Kim, asked about Young’s visit. Bochy felt a connection to his former player. And he felt the pull of the game’s biggest stage. “Sure, that’s what goes through your mind: ‘Hey, I want at least one more chance to get back to the World Series,'” he said.
Bochy reached this peak in his first season in Texas. This is Lovullo’s seventh season at the helm of Arizona. He lost more games than he won. He still led the franchise out of the 110-game losing streak of the 2021 season. He formed a lasting bond with general manager Mike Hazen. Lovullo was the rare coach to survive such an unsuccessful season. “When you lose 110 games, it’s pretty difficult for a manager to have that much influence,” Hazen said. “This is a squad question. It’s me.”
Hazen built an enviable farm system. The prize was Corbin Carroll, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound outfielder selected in the first round of the 2019 draft. A speedster capable of destroying the base paths, Carroll embodied the type of player Major League Baseball wanted to reward with the rule changes implemented in 2023. So it was fitting that he took the first at-bat of the World Series: Carroll hit a grounder along the first base line, where Rangers infielder Nathaniel Lowe gobbled it up for an out.
Texas had a talented freshman. Evan Carter, a 21-year-old outfielder, spent just 23 games with the club during the regular season. In September, he showed enough skill to earn a spot on the postseason roster — earning a third-place finish against Arizona. Carter delivered the first run of the series. After Seager walked, Carter hit a 95.8 mph fastball from Zac Gallen into the gap in right-center. Seager strolled home and Carter got to second base. He scored five pitches later when García hit a curveball to left for a single. It was his seventh straight game with an RBI.
After two runs, Carroll answered in the third. The Diamondbacks defended against Nathan Eovaldi. Alek Thomas hit an infield single. Evan Longoria followed with another hit. Geraldo Perdomo put both runners in scoring position. Carroll fired an 0-2 splitter to center field, where Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras misjudged his flight. The ball flew past Taveras to the wall. Carroll raced to third with a game-winning two-run triple.
Carroll’s speed made the difference in Arizona’s third run. He broke out toward the plate when Ketel Marte hit a grounder to first base. Lowe shot at catcher Jonah Heim. Carroll missed the lead by inches and skidded through the dirt, giving the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead.
The lead didn’t last. The top of the Texas lineup tormented Gallen in the bottom of the inning. The Rangers benefited from Gallen’s inability to find his fastball and cutter. Seager left. Carter hit a double. Seager held onto third place, but Gallen struggled to escape. He walked García to load the bases. Mitch Garver, the designated hitter, fouled off two full-count fastballs before passing on a low changeup. His walk decided the game.
Arizona showed its skills against Philadelphia. They refused to fold after losing the first two games to the Phillies. The group did the same as Gallen wobbled. In the top of the fourth, Eovaldi placed a splitter. Pham blasted the pitch over the left field fence for a solo shot and a 4-3 lead.
The Diamondbacks put on a clinic for their mark in the fifth period. The frame began with a single by Perdomo, the No. 9 hitter. Perdomo stole second base. Eovaldi threw a curveball to Marte that made the pitch over Taveras’ head for an RBI double. Arizona didn’t score again during the inning, but Eovaldi struck out after walking first baseman Christian Walker.
The Arizonan bullpen tried to protect the lead. The group was put together in the final weeks of the season, a mix of newbies and retreads who built a bridge to Sewald. Hazen Sewald was acquired from the Mariners at the deadline. His presence stabilized the group and gave the others roles. Lovullo pitched his relief pitches in the final four innings. Ryan Thompson took care of the sixth. Joe Mantiply struck out Seager and Carter in the seventh. Kevin Ginkel worked a single and a walk in the eighth.
The ninth inning belonged to Sewald. It started with a stumble. He issued a leadoff walk to Taveras, the No. 9 hitter. After Marcus Semien struck out, Seager went to the plate. Sewald prefers fastballs. He tried to sneak one past Seager. The move failed. Seager destroyed the high-altitude, 93.6 mph heater. He let out a scream as he ran down the first-base line, the lumber still in his hands. He did the same pose, the same scream, the same trot against Astros ace Justin Verlander all those years ago in Los Angeles. This series ended in heartbreak. Thanks to Seager, the Rangers have a chance at a different ending.
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(Photo: Kevin Jairaj / USA Today)