12/30/24
October 23, 2023
Texas Rangers Advance to World Series: In an American League Championship Series where no team won a home game, the Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros in game 7 with an 11-4 walloping to advance to the World Series. Bruce Bochy becomes the first manager to lead three teams to the series. Adolis Garcia was chosen MVP with 14 RBIs, the most ever by a player in an LCS.
Bruce Bochy's accomplishment really is remarkable.
But it would be weird if he won a title in an odd numbered year.
The entire complexion of the Series hinges on who the opponent will be. The cold weather Phillies or the warm weather Diamondbacks.
It's jarring to see a Series shift from one climate to another. The 1997 Series was particularly stark as it shifted between Miami and Cleveland.
Interesting to see how much this Phillies group physically resembles the wooly, burly Dykstra - Kruk 1993 team.
posted by beaverboard at 10:03 AM on October 24, 2023
Fun tidbit -- after last night, Bruce is now 3-0 all-time in game sevens. Dusty Baker now sits at 0-4.
I don't want to inadvertently knock the managers that filled in the time between the Ron Washington era and this year (including current Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Bannister), but having someone like Bochy (and I'll add Mike Maddux's return here too) in the dugout is just so tremendous.
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:13 PM on October 24, 2023
I thought the Rangers were goners after game 5 when Altuve's three-run homer in the ninth won that game for Houston. I was blaming Adolis for clearing the benches when he got hit, letting LeClerc get cold before that inning. If he just walks to first there are two runners on and a struggling reliever on the mound with nobody out.
Pretty nice make-good by Adolis in games 6 and 7. Those Houston pitchers will be seeing him in their nightmares forever.
posted by rcade at 04:35 PM on October 24, 2023
Adolis Garcia's series stats: 10-28, 5 HR, 15 RBI, .357 BA, 1.293 OPS
Yordan Alvarez's series stats: 13-27, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .481 BA, 1.309 OPS, and his numbers would have been even gaudier if Leody Taveras hadn't robbed him of a solo HR.
What fun it's been watching them toy with the mortals.
I'll admit that I can name zero active Diamondbacks (with any certainty) and all of two Phillies, so I have zero idea what we've got coming down the pipeline this weekend, but I'm looking forward to finding out.