The Texas Rangers have taken a 3-1 lead in the World Series with an 11-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Rangers took advantage of a shorthanded Arizona pitching staff, knocking around a string of bullpen arms for 11 runs.
Texas exploded for five runs in the second inning as Josh Jung led off with a double and came around to score on a wild pitch. Leody Taveras and Travis Jankowski also got on base and scored on a triple from Marcus Semien, and Corey Seager blasted another home run — adding to his World Series record for MLB shortstops.
The Rangers followed with five more runs in the third to open up a 10-0 lead after Jankowksi knocked in two with a bases-loaded double, and Semien blasted a three-run shot to left field.
Ryan Nelson settled things down for Arizona by throwing five-and-one-third innings and giving up just one run on a Jonah Heim home run in the eighth. The Diamondbacks scored their first run in the fourth inning on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. sacrifice fly and mounted a small rally in the eighth to make it an 11-5 game on a Gurriel home run.
Arizona scored two more in the bottom of the ninth, but Jose Leclerc got Christian Walker to pop out in foul territory to escape with a win.
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WHAT TO KNOW
— The Rangers have beaten the Diamondbacks two games in a row to take a 3-1 lead in the 2023 World Series. Texas is now one win away from its first World Series title.
— Before Tuesday’s game, the Rangers removed pitcher Max Scherzer and outfielder Adolis Garcia from their World Series roster after both suffered injuries in Monday’s Game 3 win. Jankowski took Garcia’s place in right field, went 2/4 with two runs scored and 2 RBIs, and made an impressive sliding catch.
— Ezequiel Duran and Brock Burke have been added to Texas’ roster.
— Texas manager Bruce Bochy is seeking his fourth World Series title in five appearances. All three of his previous titles came with the San Francisco Giants, and he lost the 1998 World Series to the New York Yankees as the manager of the San Diego Padres.
— The only other time the Rangers played on Halloween was Game 4 of the 2010 World Series against Bochy’s San Francisco Giants.
— Texas has won an MLB record 10 consecutive road playoff games.
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BY THE NUMBERS
— The Rangers have hit at least one home run in 15 consecutive playoff games, the longest streak in a single postseason in MLB history.
— The Rangers are now 5-5 all-time in Game 4’s and 4-0 in Game 4’s on the road.
— Texas has won a franchise-record 12 games this postseason.
— The Rangers scored at least 10 runs for the first time since their ALCS Game 7 win over the Houston Astros on October 23.
— Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the World Series win the title 86% of the time.
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NEXT UP
— The Rangers and the Diamondbacks play Game 5 of the 2023 World Series in Phoenix at 7:03 p.m. CT on Wednesday.
