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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN staff writer
PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers’ incredible postseason road winning streak was fueled by a stunning home run from Corey Seager and a stellar bullpen performance with a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night. John Gray.
The Rangers lead this best-of-seven series 2-1 and are now two wins away from their first championship in franchise history — but their latest win came at a high price.
Max Scherzer left his start after three innings with a back injury, and Adolis Garcia, the heavy lifter for Texas’ offense this month, left the game clutching his left side after a flyout to end the eighth. innings.
The Rangers have now won nine consecutive games this postseason, matching the streak accomplished by the 1996 New York Yankees and the 2019 Washington Nationals in a single season. Their run eliminated the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and defending champion Houston Astros, and they are now halfway to eliminating the upstart D-backs.
Marcus Siemian and Seager, two middle infielders signed for $500 million two offseasons ago, gave the Rangers a three-run lead in the third with rookie right-hander Brandon Piffatt. Siemian lined an RBI single into left field, his third in 17 at-bats with runners on this postseason. On the next pitch, a changeup, Seager moved 421 feet to right, whose 18 postseason home runs tied for second among shortstops with Carlos Correa.
Scherzer gestured to the Rangers’ coaching staff in the middle of the fourth inning, then was ejected with what the team described as back tightness — two innings after he took a 93 mph one-hopper off his back from D-Backs center fielder Alec Thomas. Gray, a lifelong starter who served as a reliever this postseason, handed the game to the Rangers’ high-leverage relievers following three scoreless innings.
The T-Backs finally got a break in the eighth off Aroldis Chapman, a leadoff double by pinch-hitter Emmanuel Rivera and an RBI single by Geraldo Perdomo. But Chapman came back and struck out Corbin Carroll, and Ketel Marte bounced into an inning-ending double play thanks to Seager’s slick sliding stop.