The Texas Rangers are returning to the World Series for the first time since 2011 after an 11-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) on Monday night.
Both starting pitchers were knocked out of the game early, and a fourth-inning outburst from the Rangers’ offense helped Texas pull away and win.
Shortstop Corey Seager led a three-run first inning with a solo home run into the right-field upper deck. Evan Carter followed with a walk, stole second base, and scored on a single off the left-field wall from Adolis Garcia. Garcia also stole a base and scored on a base hit from Mitch Garver that chased Houston starter Cristian Javier from the game after just a third of an inning.
Garcia collected four hits, including two home runs, and five RBIs in the game.
Texas starter Max Scherzer was greeted by a line-drive double off the wall from Jose Altuve on his very first pitch, and Altuve came around to score on a one-out single by Jose Abreu. The Astros were threatening to add more with two runners on base and just one out, but Scherzer induced a double-play ball to end the inning.
Garcia launched a solo shot to lead off the top of the third, and Astros third baseman Alex Bregman answered with one of his own in the bottom of the inning.
Both pitching staffs continued to struggle, but Texas found ways to pad its lead while holding Houston scoreless for the next three innings. Carter came up with a two-RBI double in the fourth, and Garcia followed with a two-run single to open up an 8-2 lead.
First baseman Nathaniel Lowe helped the team reach double-digits with a two-run homer in the sixth. The Astros added a run in the seventh, and Garcia launched his second home run of the day to make it an 11-3 ballgame in the eighth.
Houston tried to mount a late rally against the Texas bullpen, forcing Aroldis Chapman to work out of a jam in the eighth and scoring once on an Altuve home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth.
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WHAT TO KNOW
— The Texas Rangers win Game 7 of the American League Championship Series and advance to the 2023 World Series. The club has not played in the World Series since 2011 and has never won the championship.
–Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is now 3-0 in Game 7s. He also became the first manager to win a League Championship Series with three teams (San Diego, San Francisco, and Texas).
— The road team won every game of the ALCS.
— The Astros will not advance to the World Series for the first time since 2020, and the 1998-2000 New York Yankees remain the last MLB team to win consecutive championships.
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BY THE NUMBERS
— The Rangers are now 8-0 on the road this postseason, joining the 1996 New York Yankees as the only teams to win eight straight road games in the playoffs.
— Rangers reliever Josh Sborz pitched a perfect sixth inning and has allowed just one hit in seven postseason appearances.
— Garcia has homered in four consecutive games and set the MLB record for RBIs in a single postseason series with 15.
— Houston finishes the postseason with a 1-5 record at home.
— Yordan Alvarez went 3-for-4 on Monday and collected his sixth consecutive multi-hit game. The designated hitter finishes with a .465 batting average, six home runs, and 15 RBIs in 11 games.
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NEXT UP
— The Rangers advance to the World Series and will face the winner of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who will play a Game 7 on Tuesday night. The Astros’ season is over.
— The 2023 World Series starts Friday in Arlington.