HOUSTON, Oct. 23 \u2014 Adolis Garcia<\/a><\/strong> went 4-for-5 with two singles and two homers, powering the Texas Rangers<\/a> to an 11\u20134 blowout win over the intrastate rival Houston Astros<\/a> in Game Seven of the 2023 ALCS Monday night. Corey Seager<\/a><\/strong> went 3-for-5, finishing a triple shy of the cycle as his Rangers won their third pennant and their first since winning back-to-back in 2010 and 2011.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so excited and happy for our group,\u201d general manager Chris Young<\/a><\/strong> said during the clubhouse celebration. \u201cThese guys have earned it. They deserve it, and we want to go get four more (wins).\u201d<\/p>\n It was not your everyday Game Seven. Neither starting pitcher \u2014 Max Scherzer<\/a><\/strong> for the Rangers nor Cristian Javier<\/a><\/strong> for the Astros \u2014 lasted beyond the third inning. The teams combined to use 13 pitchers, five for the Rangers and eight for the Astros. But in a topsy-turvy series where no home team won, it almost felt like it had to be this way.<\/p>\n Garcia \u2014 who went 10-for-28 in the series with seven runs scored, five home runs, and 15 RBI, the most RBI in any single postseason series \u2014 won series MVP. Teammate Travis Jankowski<\/a><\/strong> said of Garcia, \u201cI think you gotta call him a freak now, right? He’s in that \u2018freak\u2019 category. He’s ALCS MVP for a reason. He goes out there and performs every day. I’m glad he’s on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rangers wasted little time getting to Javier, as shortstop Corey Seager launched the fourth pitch of the game 440 feet for a one-out, second-deck homer to right. Left fielder Evan Carter<\/a><\/strong> walked and stole second. Right fielder Adolis Garcia, the most hated man in Houston, blasted a deep drive to left through the chorus of hostile boos. He stood and watched, suddenly having to run hard when the ball hit a foot or two below the top of the high wall in left. Carter scored easily, but Garcia had to settle for a long single. He redeemed himself by stealing second as designated hitter Mitch Garver<\/a><\/strong> batted. Garver also singled to left, scoring Garcia and advancing to second on the throw home. Up came catcher Jonah Heim<\/a><\/strong>, whose single to left advanced Garver to third.<\/p>\n Exit stage left for Javier, who retired only one of the six batters he faced. Enter Phil Maton<\/a><\/strong>, who stopped the bleeding with strikeouts of first baseman Nathaniel Lowe<\/a><\/strong> and third baseman Josh Jung<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Second baseman and Game Five hero Jose Altuve<\/a><\/strong> led off the bottom of the first with a double off the wall in left. After third baseman Alex Bregman<\/a><\/strong> grounded to short, designated hitter Yordan Alvarez<\/a><\/strong> drew an intentional walk. Up came first baseman Jose Abreu<\/a><\/strong>, whose single down the left-field line scored Altuve and advanced Alvarez to third. That was all the Astros could get back, as left fielder Michael Brantley<\/a><\/strong> grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.<\/p>\nRangers Put Astros in Early Hole<\/h3>\n
Putting the Game Away Early<\/h3>\n