Texas Rangers win Game 3 over Diamondbacks 3-1

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5/AP) — Texas Rangers had a three-run third inning, capped off by a Corey Seager homer, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ bats went cold as they fall to the Texas Rangers 3-1 in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night. Texas now leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 on Tuesday.

In the eighth inning, pinch-hitting Emmanuel Rivera got a lead-off double, and then Geraldo Perdomo drove him in with a single, cutting the Rangers’ lead to 3-1. It was the first time Arizona had a base runner reach third base or home all game. The sellout crowd of 48,517 in Chase Field finally had something to cheer about.

But the excitement was short-lived. Corbin Carroll struck out as he watched a 2-2 slider go down the middle of the plate, and then Ketel Marte hit into a double play to end the inning.

Texas overcame injuries to Max Scherzer and slugger Adolis García in improving to 9-0 on the road this postseason. “We’re just coming ready to play every night, no matter where we are,” Seager said. “That’s what the focus is.”

Twenty-three-year-old Brandon Pfaddt wasn’t as dominant as he had been but had an OK start, giving up only four hits but three earned runs and four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. On the other side, Max Scherzer left the game after 36 pitches because of back tightness. He was hit in the back with a line drive from Alek Thomas in the second inning. He pitched three scoreless innings and gave up only two hits. Jon Gray, Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman and José Leclerc combined to keep Arizona’s offense quiet most of the evening.

Texas scored first in the third inning with two outs when Marcus Semien singled and drove in Nathaniel Lowe, who led the inning off with a double. Texas is 9-0 this postseason when scoring first.

Then the 29-year-old Seager — in the second year of a $325 million contract — once again showed he was worth every penny on the game’s biggest stage. He hit his two-run bomb, his second homer of the World Series. It was also his 18th postseason home run of his career, which is tied for second-most all-time among short stops. The ball left Seager’s bat at 114.5 mph, which was the hardest-hit Fall Classic homer in the Statcast era, dating back to 2015.

There was a big mistake on the base paths early in the game that has D-backs fans wondering, “What if.” Christian Walker hit a double in the second inning, and then Tommy Pham singled. There was a miscommunication between Walker and the third base coach, Tony Perezchica, and Walker was thrown out at home. Perezchica initially was giving the ‘go’ sign but then changed his mind to ‘stop,’ but it appears Walker didn’t see it. So, instead of men on the corners with no outs, it was Pham on second with one out. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. popped out, and then Alek Thomas grounded out.

Ketel extended his record postseason game hit-streak to 19 games with a two-out single in the sixth.

YOUNG AND CLEAN(UP)

Texas’ Evan Carter became the fourth-youngest player to hit cleanup in a World Series game at 21 years, 62 days. The rookie hit third in the first two games, but manager Bruce Bochy said he flipped Carter and García in the lineup on Monday to break up the left-handed bats. The three youngest were Miguel Cabrera (2003), Ty Cobb (1907) and Juan Soto (2019), who were all 20.

BEEN A WHILE

This was the first World Series game played at Chase Field since Nov. 4, 2001, when the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees 3-2 in Game 7 after Luis Gonzalez’s walk-off hit against Mariano Rivera clinched the series. The D-backs lost Monday for the first time in the World Series at Chase Field. They were 4-0 at home during the 2001 series, which is the only other time they’ve been to the sport’s biggest showcase.

BIG SWING

There have been 62 previous instances in World Series history when the series was tied at 1-1 after Game 2. The Game 3 winner went on to win 41 of 62 of those Fall Classics.

UP NEXT

The Diamondbacks will piece together Game 4 on the mound with multiple relievers. Manager Torey Lovullo showed his Southern California roots by mentioning a former Los Angeles Dodgers star when asked about his team’s pitching plans. “Don Drysdale is not going to fall out of the sky,” Lovullo said. “It’s definitely going to be somebody in our bullpen that’s going to start the day tomorrow.”

Drysdale teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in the pitching rotation to help the Dodgers win the World Series in 1959, 1963 and 1965. The Rangers also aren’t sure about their pitching plans for Tuesday. Bochy said before Monday’s game that right-hander Jon Gray was an option, but he threw in relief after Scherzer came out of the game.

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