The 119th World Series
Friday marked the 119th renewal of the World Series featuring the American League Champion Texas Rangers and the National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. The Texas Rangers won Game 4 of the Fall Classic to take a 3-1 Series lead. Josh Jung came around to score the first run of the game on a wild pitch in the second inning. Marcus Semien extended the Rangers lead to 3-0 lead with an RBI triple in the second inning. Corey Seager brought Semien home in the next at-bat with a homer to right field to make it 5-0. In the third inning, Travis Jankowski came up with the bases loaded and drove home two runs with an RBI double to make it 7-0. Semien launched a three-run homer in the next at-bat to break open a 10-0 Texas lead. The Diamondbacks scratched a run across in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Jonah Heim added to the Rangers’ lead with a solo home run in the eighth inning. Tommy Pham drove home a run with the bases loaded in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly to make it 11-2. Gurriel Jr. made it 11-5 in the eighth inning with a three-run home run out to left field. Gabriel Moreno closed the scoring with a two-out two-run single in the ninth inning to make it 11-7.
Rangers Take Game 4
The Texas Rangers won Game 4 by a final score of 11-7. With the win, it is the first time a team took a 3-1 Series lead since the Atlanta Braves in 2021. Of the 49 times that a team has taken a 3-1 lead in the World Series, 42 teams have gone on to win the World Series, with 27 of them clinching a World Championship in Game 5.
- Texas plated 11 runs tonight, marking the most in a World Series game since the Washington Nationals scored 12 runs in Game 2 of the World Series on 10/23/2019 against the Houston Astros.
- The Rangers are 5-5 all-time in Game 4 of a Postseason series, 3-2 in Game 4 of a best-of-seven series and 2-1 in Game 4 of the World Series.
- Teams who win Game 4 of the World Series have gone on to win the World Series 85 times (72.0%), including 15 of the last 20 years.
- It is the 11th consecutive World Series that will not end in a sweep, with the last sweep coming by the San Francisco Giants in the 2012 World Series over the Detroit Tigers.
- 11 consecutive World Series without a sweep is the second-longest stretch in World Series history, behind a 12-year streak from 1977-1988 which saw no teams record a World Series sweep.
On the Road Again
The Rangers won their 10th consecutive road game this Postseason, marking the longest-ever road winning streak in a single Postseason. It is also the longest-ever road winning streak which spans multiple Postseasons. Previously, the New York Yankees won nine straight away games across the 1996-1997 and 1937-1942 Postseasons. Texas is now 22-15 all-time in road Postseason games and 3-5 in World Series games on the road. The Rangers’ .595 winning percentage in road Postseason games is the highest in MLB history among teams with 25 such games. Including the 2023 Postseason and regular season, the Rangers are 50-41 away from Globe Life Field.
Big Innings
The Rangers exploded for five runs in the second and third innings, marking the first time in World Series history that a team scored five-or-more runs in back-to-back innings. Per Elias, it is the third time in World Series history that a team scored five-or-more runs in two innings of a Fall Classic game. The New York Yankees scored five runs in the first inning and five runs in the fourth inning on 10/9/1961 against the Reds. The Yankees also scored seven runs in the third inning and six runs in the ninth inning on 10/2/1936 against the New York Giants. As a team, the Rangers hit for the cycle in the third inning becoming the ninth team (10th occurrence) in World Series history to hit for the cycle in an inning. The previous teams to accomplish the feat include: the Atlanta Braves in the fourth and eighth inning on 10/24/1991 against the Minnesota Twins; the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning on 10/19/1990 against the Oakland Athletics; and the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning on 10/28/1989 against the Athletics.
Three Hit Wonder
Third baseman Josh Jung (3-for-5, 1 2B, 2 R) became the fourth player in Rangers’ history with a three-hit game in the World Series. He joins Adolis GarcÃa (Game 1, 2023 WS); Josh Hamilton (Game 6, 2011 WS); and Adrián Beltré (Game 3, 2011 WS).
Back-to-Back
Shortstop Corey Seager (2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R) launched his sixth home run of the Postseason, going deep in the second inning to make it 5-0. Overall, it was his 19th career Postseason home run. His 19 career Postseason home runs as a shortstop are second-most all-time, surpassing Carlos Correa. Derek Jeter holds the record with 20 career Postseason home runs as a shortstop. Seager has now homered in back-to-back World Series games, joining Derek Jeter as the only shortstops with home runs in back-to-back games during the Fall Classic. Jeter went deep in Game 4 and 5 of the 2000 World Series for the New York Yankees. Overall, there has a been a player that hit a home run in back-to-back World Series games in each of the last eight Fall Classics. The players include: Corey Seager (2023, G3 and G4); Kyle Schwarber (2022, G5 and G6); Freddie Freeman (2021, G5 and G6); Travis d’Arnaud (2021, G2 and G3); Randy Arozarena (2020, G3 and G4); Justin Turner (2020, G3 and G4); Anthony Rendon (2019, G6 and G7); Juan Soto (2019, G5 and G6); Robinson Chirinos (2019, G3 and G4); Steve Pearce (2018, G4 and G5); George Springer (2017, G4, G5, G6 and G7); and Kris Bryant (2016, G5 and G6).
Rack Up the RBI
Second baseman Marcus Semien (2-for-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R) collected five RBI in the Rangers’ victory, driving home two runs with an RBI triple in the second inning and then launching a three-run home run in the third inning. His five RBI are the most ever by a Rangers’ player and tied for second-most in a World Series game by any player. Semien is just the eighth player since 2000 with at least five RBI in a Fall Classic game, joining: Anthony Rendon (5 RBI, 2019 Game 6); Alex Bregman (5 RBI, 2019 Game 4); Addison Russell (6 RBI, 2016 Game 6); Albert Pujols (6 RBI, 2011 Game 3); Hideki Matsui (6 RBI, 2009 Game 6); Ryan Howard (5 RBI, 2008 Game 4); and Danny Bautista (5 RBI, 2001 Game 6).
Thanks for Joining Us
The Diamondbacks drew an attendance of 48,388 to Chase Field for tonight’s game
Long Relief Ryne
Right-hander Ryne Nelson tossed 5.1 innings of relief tonight for Arizona. It was the longest relief outing in the World Series since Nathan Eovaldi of the Boston Red Sox tossed 6.0 innings of relief in Game 3 of the World Series on October 26, 2018. Since 1984, Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series is the only one other pitcher to throw at least 5.0 innings of relief in a World Series game. Nelson became the 15th reliever in World Series history with at least six strikeouts. His six punchouts are the most by a reliever in the World Series since Sterling Hitchcock of the New York Yankees struck out six in Game 1 of the World Series on 10/27/2001.
Errorless No More
The first error of this year’s World Series was committed in the third inning. There was not an error committed through the first three games of this year’s World Series, marking the first time in World Series history that neither team committed an error in any of the first three games. There has never been a World Series played with zero errors at the end of the Series.
Battle of the Southpaws
Tonight’s starting pitching matchup features two left-handed hurlers; Joe Mantiply of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Andrew Heaney of the Texas Rangers. It is the 88th time in World Series history that both starting pitchers are left-handed. Including tonight, 12.7% of all World Series matchups have featured two left-handed starters. In addition, this is the ninth lefty-lefty matchup since the start of the 2017 World Series (22.0%). The last time two southpaws opposed each other to begin a World Series game was Tucker Davidson of the Atlanta Braves and Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the 2021 World Series. The first time it happened was on 10/16/1911 in Game 2 of the 1911 World Series, when Rube Marquard of the New York Giants faced off against Eddie Plank of the Philadelphia Athletics.
Marte Keeps Marching
Second baseman Ketel Marte (2-for-5,1 2B) hit a single in the first inning to exted his Postseason hitting streak to 20 games. His 20-game hitting streak which dates back to 2017 is the longest in Postseason history, surpassing 17-game streaks by Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter and Hank Bauer. Marte’s streak is also the longest by a player to begin his Postseason career. Marte has reached in each of his first 20 career Postseason games, marking the third longest on-base streak to begin a Postseason career.
- Daniel Murphy of the New York Mets and Washington Nationals reached in each of his first 21 career Postseason games from 10/9/2015 through 10/7/2017.
- Boog Powell of the Baltimore Orioles each of his first 25 career Postseason games from 10/5/1966 through 10/11/1971. Marte has hit safely in each of his first 16 games this Postseason, which is now tied for the longest hitting streak of his career with a 16-game regular season streak from May 16-June 4, 2022.
Agent Carter
Left fielder Evan Carter (0-for-4, 1 HBP) has reached safely in each of his 17 Postseason games this year, marking the longest on-base streak in Rangers’ Postseason history. It passed the previous 15-game record held by Elvis Andrus during the 2010 Postseason. Carter’s 17-game on-base streak to begin his Postseason career is the longest on-base streak within a player’s first Postseason surpassing a 16-game streak by Gary Sheffield of the 1997 Florida Marlins.
Steal a Base, Steal a Record?
Teams have combined for 55 stolen bases in this year’s Postseason, the third-most for a single Postseason in MLB history. MLB set the record with 59 steals during the 1995 Postseason, followed by 56 steals during the 1999 Postseason. The Arizona Diamondbacks have swiped 21 bases this Postseason, the second-most of any team in a single Postseason. The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays stole an MLB-record 24 stolen bases throughout the 2008 Postseason.
