MLB: Adolis Garcia helps Rangers defeat Arizona Diamondbacks in World Series opener

AdolisGarciasmashed a solo home run in the 11th inning to give the TexasRangersa dramatic 6-5 victoryoverArizona on Friday in the 119thWorldSeriesopener. After Corey Seager crushed a game-tying two-runhomerfor Texas in the ninth inning,Rangers outfielderGarciablasted the winninghomerto left field off Arizona relief pitcher Miguel Castro. "I was thinking hit a good pitch, make a good at-bat and just give me the victory to my team,"Garciasaid.

"It was an exciting moment. I was just looking into the dugout, looking at my teammates. Happy. Happy." Thehomergave the 30-year-old Cuban outfielder 22 runs batted in during the 2023 playoffs, breaking to old one-season record of 21 set by David Freese in 2013.

TheRangers, rallying two outs from defeat, grabbed a 1-0 lead in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final with game two also at Texas on Saturday. "There's no quit in us, even if we're down early," Texas slugger Evan Carter said. "You can never count us out. We're going to come out on fire tomorrow."

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Garciawas inspired by the Seagerhomer, which pulled theRangersfrom the brink of defeat. "He fired me up,"Garciasaid. "I got so excited. I knew we could get the win."

Garciawas hit on the left hand by a pitch later in the ninth but stayed in the game. "I got lucky that it was nothing worse," he said.

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TheRangers, in their firstWorldSeriessince 2011, seek the first MLB crown since the club began play in 1961 while the Diamondbacks won their only title in 2001 in their only priorWorldSeriesappearance. Both clubs have matched the greatest MLB reversal of fortune in history, Arizona dropping 110 games in 2021 and Texas losing 102 two years ago, with one upstart assured of a title.

Arizona led 5-3 asD-backsclosing relief pitcher Paul Sewald took the mound in the ninth seeking the last three outs. After walking Leody Taveras and striking out Marcus Semien, Sewald surrendered the tyinghomerto Seager, who belted the balloverthe right-field wall. Texas had also equalized at 3-3 in the third inning after Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen issued his third walk in four batters to Mitch Garver with the bases loaded to force in a run.

Marte matches hit mark

But Tommy Pham crushed a solohomerin the fourth to give Arizona a 4-3 lead and Ketel Marte doubled in the fifth to score Geraldo Perdomo from second base for a 5-3D-backsedge. Marte's double boosted his playoff hit streak, which dates to 2017, to 17 games -- matching the post-season hit streak record shared by Hank Bauer, Derek Jeter and Manny Ramirez.

Texas took the lead in the first as Seager walked and scored on Carter's double. "He beat me on a couple fastballs so I didn't want to be late on anything else. I was trying to be a little early right there," Carter said of his run-scoring hit.

Garciafollowed with a single to left to score Carter for a 2-0Rangerslead, stretchingGarcia's streak of consecutive playoff games with an RBI to seven, matching the second-longest such stretch. Arizona equalized in the third when Alek Thomas and Evan Longoria singled, advanced on a Perdomo bunt sacrifice and scored on Corbin Carroll's triple to the centerfield wall.

Carroll raced home on a fielder's choice to first base by Marte, beating the tag at home plate for a 3-2 Arizona lead. Carroll, a 23-year-old outfielder, grounded out to first to start the game, becoming the second-youngest rookie batter to leadoff aWorldSeriesopenerafter 19-year-old Freddie Lindstrom in 1924.

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