Oct. 28 (UPI) — Adolis Garcia violently twisted his body and swung low through the zone, smacking an 11th-inning, walk-off home run to lead the Texas Rangers over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday in the World Series.
The 373-foot homer capped a 6-5 comeback victory in Game 1 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
“I was thinking of hitting a good pitch and making a good at-bat and giving a victory to my team,” Garcia said on the Fox broadcast.
Garcia, who entered the night with a playoff-leading seven home runs and 20 RBIs, went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. The outfielder is hitting .357 this postseason.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager went 1 for 4 with two RBIs, three runs scored and two walks in the victory. He sent the game to extra innings with a two-run homer in the ninth.
Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen allowed four hits and three runs over five innings. Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi surrendered six hits and five runs over 4 2/3 innings.
The Rangers scored twice in the bottom of the first, courtesy of an RBI double from left fielder Evan Carter and RBI single from Garcia.
Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas and third basemen Evan Longoria singled to lead off the third. They both came around to score two at-bats later when right fielder Corbin Carroll ripped a triple to center field, tying the score.
Second baseman Ketel Marte reached base on a fielder’s choice in the next exchange, scoring Carroll from third for a 3-2 Diamondbacks lead.
Gallen issued a bases-loaded walk to designated hitter Mitch Garver in the bottom of the inning, tying the score once again.
Designated hitter Tommy Pham gave the lead back to the Diamondbacks when he smashed the second pitch of the fourth to left field for a 419-foot solo homer.
Marte pushed the Diamondbacks lead to 5-3 with am RBI double in the fifth. The Rangers threatened with several base runners, but could not rally against the Diamondbacks bullpen over the next four innings.
They finally broke through in their third at-bat of the ninth, when Seager slammed a first-pitch fastball from relief pitcher Paul Sewald high into the stands in right field for his 418-foot homer. That two-run shot led to extra innings.
Neither team scored in the 10th. Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc retired the Diamondbacks in order in the 11th. Diamondbacks relief pitcher Kyle Nelson forced Evan Carter to fly out in the first at-bat in the bottom of the inning. Garcia then settled in to face relief pitcher Miguel Castro.
Castro missed the strike zone with his first two offerings. He then forced a swinging strike before missing the zone for a third ball. Garcia hit his next pitch into the right field seats for his opposite-field, game-winning 373-foot blast.
The Rangers’ bullpen allowed just two hits and no runs over the final 6 1/3 innings. Diamondbacks relievers allowed five hits and three runs in relief of Gallen.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven game series will be at 8:03 p.m. EDT Saturday in Arlington. All World Series games will air on Fox.
