Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien erupted Tuesday night to put the Rangers a win away from their first World Series title. (John G Mabanglo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)PHOENIX — About 45 minutes before Game 4 of his franchise’s first World Series appearance in a dozen years, Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young held a sudden news conference in the depths of Chase Field on Tuesday night.
, and the tension was clear on his face as he explained that their injuries, suffered in Monday’s Game 3 win, left him no choice. But, he insisted, the Rangers are here because they are resilient. General managers have to say things like that.
But within 90 minutes of that news conference, the Arizona Diamondbacks were collapsing at the feet of his Rangers, not the other way around. Two innings in, the Rangers led by five. Three innings in, they led by 10, García’s little-used replacement had two hits, Marcus Semien was halfway to the cycle, Corey Seager had his third home run in four games, and the World Series was firmly in Texas’s control. The Rangers went on to win, 11-7, to take a 3-1 series lead. headtopics.com
“It’s been a theme of our team. It has. It’s kind of the next-man-up mentality,” Young said. “Our guys don’t feel sorry for themselves, and I love that. That’s a true characteristic of the Texas Rangers, and I’m proud of that.”
Scherzer, sidelined with back spasms, probably would have started one more game at most, maybe provided four or five more innings if all went well. But García, out with a moderate oblique strain, has been instrumental to the Rangers’ rise, hitting .323 in the postseason with eight homers, almost all of them crucial.Without him, the Rangers seemed likely to need more from rookies Evan Carter and Jung, both of whom have handled the pressure of their first October with grace. headtopics.com
Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy said before the game that, when he was deciding who should replace García in the lineup, he did not worry much about optimizing matchups. Arizona was going to use so many pitchers that it wasn’t worth it. Instead, he chose his best defensive option, speedy outfielder Travis Jankowski.