The Texas Rangers win the 2023 World Series
The Texas Rangers finally did it. Mackenzie Salmon explains how the team’s playoff performance led to the win.
PHOENIX – The Texas Rangers looked at each other in disbelief, hugged each other, pressured each other, and on Wednesday night it finally happened.
The Rangers are finally World Series champions 63 years after the franchise was founded.
The Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 to continue their glorious road show and win the World Series in Game 5 at Chase Field. Texas finished the postseason 11-0 on the road at Globe Life Field.
Thirteen years ago to the day, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy defeated the Rangers to win the World Series title.
Now he returned the favor for the Rangers by winning his fourth World Series ring, becoming only the third manager in history to win World Series titles in every league.
The torture is over, the Rangers are champions.
While Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen spent the first six innings Friday night leaving visions of Don Larsen on everyone’s mind, Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi showed why he is one of the best clutch pitchers in the game today.
Eovaldi, who was in and out of danger all night, ended up throwing six shutout innings and set the postseason record by winning five starts, going 5-0 with a 2.98 ERA in six starts.
It wasn’t until the Diamondbacks’ nemesis, Corey Seager, hit a dribbler at third base that Gallen gave up his first hit. Rookie Evan Carter followed with a double to right-center, his ninth of the postseason, the most in history.
Mitch Garver made Gallen pay with a sharp single up the middle for a 1-0 lead. Gallen stayed in for one more batter, struck out Josh Jung and strolled off the mound as the sellout crowd gave him a standing ovation.
D-backs reliever Kevin Ginkel came in and prevented further damage, but it was too late as the Rangers opened the game with a four-run outburst in the ninth inning off closer Paul Sewald.
The Diamondbacks will spend all winter beating themselves up, knowing they should have at least sent this series to a sixth game in Texas.
They spent the first half of the game putting pressure on the Rangers by landing punch after punch, but failed to land a knockout blow. They put the leadoff hitter on base in each of the first three innings and had two runners on base in two of the first three innings.
And every time we walked away empty-handed.
They had runners in scoring position 11 times in the first five innings.
They managed an out nine times. They walked twice.
And once they got better. That from their No. 3 hitter, Gabriel Moreno, the first of his career.
It was the first time a No. 3 batter hit a sacrifice error in a World Series game since Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett in Game 5 of the 1991 World Series.
Meanwhile, Gallen, the former University of North Carolina pitcher wearing custom Jordan 9 cleats, continued to flirt with perfection. Gallen, who has already thrown 59 ⅔ more innings than his career high, pitched the game of his life.
He needed just 35 pitches to retire the first 12 batters of the game, with only two balls even reaching the outfield.
He edged out Mitch Garver and Josh Jung with long balls to left field in Firth until Nate Lowe drew a five-pitch walk, spoiling the perfect game. No sweat. He struck out Jonah Heim and still had a no-hitter intact in the seventh inning when Seager came back to haunt them again.
The D-backs thought they had gotten rid of Seager once and for all when he left Los Angeles as a $325 million free agent two years ago, hoping he couldn’t hurt them again.
“I actually sent Seager a limo to take him to the airport and to Texas when I heard he was leaving,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “I really wanted to get him out of the NL West.”
– Bob Nightengale
This is how game 5 unfolded:
PHOENIX – For a moment, the Texas Rangers were on the wrong end of a no-hit motion. Three batters later, they were nine outs from their first World Series championship in franchise history.
The Rangers finally solved Zac Gallen – or perhaps Gallen hit the wall – in the bottom of the seventh, when Corey Seager, Evan Carter and Mitch Garver all peppered him with basehits and Garver led in the first inning of Game 5 with a single to center. Still, the Diamondbacks did well to avoid further damage and stay within reach.
Gallen hit Josh Jung with runners on the corners and then left to reliever Kevin Ginkel. With one out and one infield in, reliever Kevin Ginkel induced a grounder from Nathaniel Lowe to first, and Evan Carter, running on contact, was out on a rundown. Ginkel then caught Jonah Heim on a foul pop-up, keeping the game 1-0.
Nathan Eovaldi, meanwhile, pitched six scoreless innings, surviving four walks and five hits thanks to a Diamondbacks offense that went hitless in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranded nine times while he was in the game.
Aroldis Chapman and Josh Sborz combined for scoreless relief in the seventh inning.
Six outs away.
– Gabe Lacques
PHOENIX – Zac Gallen isn’t just keeping the Arizona Diamondbacks alive in this World Series. He also enters the margins of history.
Gallen pitched six hitless innings in Game 5 of the World Series, a must-win for Arizona, which trails 3-1 in the series. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, Gallen has received no support from his hitters, who are 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and nine stranded, and the game remains a scoreless tie.
Nathan Eovaldi, the Rangers’ starter, struggled four to five innings but managed enough good throws when needed. Two walks and a single by Christian Walker loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth pitch, but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. struck out on the first pitch and grounded out to short, ending the threat. Eovaldi threw 85 pitches in the sixth inning.
Meanwhile, the Rangers had no answer to Gallen’s big ankle curve as he bounced around the field five times in 13 at-bats.
– Gabe Lacques
PHOENIX – Zac Gallen was efficient and perfect. Nathan Eovaldi was unpredictable and subpar.
And the Arizona Diamondbacks may regret failing to take advantage of the Texas Rangers pitcher’s early struggles.
World Series Game 5 remained a scoreless tie through three innings at Chase Field on Wednesday night, although Eovaldi struck out three and gave up two hits.
Tommy Pham, who had eight hits in 16 at-bats to start the fifth game, grounded out twice with two runners on and shorted out rallies in the first and third innings. Meanwhile, Gallen didn’t let a baserunner through for three innings and threw just 27 pitches, a crucial development for a Diamondbacks club that trails 3-1 in the series and has a beleaguered bullpen.
– Gabe Lacques
Texas Rangers
RHP Nathan Eovaldi
Arizona Diamondbacks
RHP Zac Gallen
Simulated World Series Game 5: The Rangers strike early and close out the series against the D-Backs
Here’s how tonight’s game will play out, according to USA TODAY Sports’ annual Sim Series played with Dynasty League Baseball:
The Texas Rangers’ big hitters pounded Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen for five runs in the first inning en route to a decisive 7-4 win in the annual USA TODAY Sports Simulated World Series.
Surprise star Travis Jankowski (6-for-10, 1.492 OPS in the series) drove in a run with an RBI single and Mitch Garver followed with a two-run double as the Rangers knocked Gallen out of the game after getting just two outs had recorded.
However, the fierce D-Backs refused to give up. Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth inning by getting Ketel Marte to launch a force play to preserve a three-run lead.
The biggest moment of the game came in the bottom of the eighth when Arizona cut the lead to 7-4 with the bases loaded with no outs. However, Rangers reliever Dane Dunning struck out Evan Longoria and Geraldo Perdomo to bring rookie sensation Corbin Carroll to the plate with the tying runs on base.
Texas turned to southpaw Aroldis Chapman to face Carroll, and the decision paid off as the inning ended on first. Jose Leclerc finished the race with a scoreless ninth place, securing the save and the Sim Series title. Corey Seager (.300, 3 HR, 7 RS, 1.212 OPS) was named series MVP.
What you should see in (real) Game 5:
– Eovaldi is at the door: Eovaldi won his second game of the Sim Series, allowing three earned runs over 5 ⅔ innings. However, his success this season against left-handed batters allowed him to slip out of the fourth inning against Arizona’s two most dangerous hitters, switch-hitter Marte and lefty-swing Carroll. During the regular season, Eovaldi allowed just a .201/.255/.324 slash line to left-handed hitters – 183 OPS points better than his numbers against right-handed hitters.
– Let the dice roll with Aroldis: Chapman also had reverse splits during the regular season, but he was the best available matchup for Carroll when the game was on the line. The problem the Rangers might have if they rely on Chapman at this critical spot is his .408 on-base percentage against lefties this season. If he doesn’t make the final, he’ll have to stay in the game and face right-handers Gabriel Moreno, Christian Walker and Tommy Pham.
– Steve Gardner
Did the Rangers win a World Series? MLB teams without a World Series title
The Texas Rangers are one of six MLB franchises to have never won a World Series championship.
Here are all the teams that have never won a World Series:
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Colorado Rockies
- Seattle Mariners
- Texas Rangers
- Milwaukee Brewers
- San Diego Padres
The TV ratings for the World Series are in the basement
As ratings for the 2023 World Series are announced, the news continues to get worse for the MLB.
Game 2 of this year’s Fall Classic between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers was the least-watched World Series game ever with 8.15 million viewers, according to data collected by Nielsen Sports TV ratings. Two nights later, Game 3 set a new record with under 8.13 million viewers.
The three-game 2023 MLB Championship Tournament’s low ratings make it likely to be the least-watched World Series ever.
– Jack McKessy