Rangers take 2-1 lead after first World Series game in Arizona
Corey Seager's two-run home run gave the Texas Rangers the lead they needed to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-1, in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night.
Seager, the man who gave his Rangers the opportunity to walk it off in Game 1 with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth down two, continues to swing a hot bat.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt hung an 87-mph changeup that was supposed to be on the outside corner, but ended up right in Seager’s wheelhouse inside. The sweet-swinging lefty turned his hands in quickly and launched the ball 114-mph off his bat and 421 feet down the right field line for a two-run homer.
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Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers hits a home run in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game Three of the World Series at Chase Field on October 30, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Harry How/Getty Images)
The Rangers already got on the scoreboard first in the inning thanks to Marcus Semien’s RBI single that scored Nathaniel Lowe. But Seager’s bomb was all the insurance the Rangers needed to take down the team that scored nine runs two nights ago.
The Rangers saw 39-year-old Max Scherzer get the start on Monday night, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to go as long as he wanted to due to injury.
In the bottom of the second inning, Scherzer took a comebacker off his lower bat when Alek Thomas hit a grounder right back up the middle. Josh Jung would pick it up bare-handed and throw out Thomas to end the inning, but Scherzer appeared to have some back issues when he went out to pitch in the fourth inning.
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While the third inning ended with Scherzer being just fine, he was noticeably grimacing when he tried to throw warmup pitches before that fourth frame. He ended his night allowing no runs, two hits, two walks and striking out one over three innings.
Brandon Pfaadt #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches in the third inning against the Texas Rangers during Game Three of the World Series at Chase Field on October 30, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Texas needed the bullpen to pick up their starter, and Jon Gray was just the man for the job. Gray was rock solid coming out of the ‘pen after Scherzer had to end his night, delivering three innings of no-run ball, allowing just one hit and striking out three.
Josh Sborz pitched a scoreless seventh inning, but the D-Backs finally got on the board against Aroldis Chapman in the eighth.
Geraldo Perdomo was able to smack a ball to left field, which scored Emmanuel Rivera from second base to make it a 3-1 game. However, that was all they could muster in this one.
Jose Leclerc finished things in the bottom of the ninth, getting Gabriel Moreno to ground out to Jung and striking out Christian Walker as well as Tommy Pham for a perfect 1-2-3 frame.
Evan Carter #32 and Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers celebrate after Seager hit a home run in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game Three of the World Series at Chase Field on October 30, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Rangers and Diamondbacks will get back out on the field on Halloween night for Game 4, with pitching matchups still to be determined.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
