The Rangers are headed to the World Series after defeating the Astros, while over in the NL we’ve got a Game 7 scenario with the Diamondbacks and Phillies.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
The Rangers won 11-4 in Game 7 to take the AL Crown. The only time a team scored more in Game 7 was the Braves 15 run effort in 1996. It was a huge comback too.
They sure have come a long way in a short-time.
They have gone 8-0 on the road this postseason, tied for the most road wins in a single post-season.
A lot of that success is on the front office and the players, but don’t overallok the manager.
Bochy is now 6-0 in winner-take-all games in the playoffs. He also seems to have someone else’s number.
Adolis Garcia was a star in the series against the Astros as the first player with a homer and three RBI in 3-straight postseason games. There was also this…
Oh yeah, his 20 RBI are second all-time for a single post season. Garcia has a 1.102 OPS, but his teammate Corey Seager has an even higher marlk of 1.127 (.333/.483/.644). Seager has 12 walks, and 12 runs, in 12 games. Evan Carter has a .449 OBP. Mitch Garver has 11 RBI. Josh Jung and Nathaniel Lowe both have three homers.
Yordan Alvarez and his mates lost, but he set a record with 6-straight multi-hit games in the playoffs. He crushed it with a .465-6-15 effort with a 1.487 OPS in 11 games. Here are some OPS marks of his teammates: Abreu .945, Bregman .932, Altuve .906, McCormick .748, Brantley .603, Tucker .517, Pena .463, Diaz .143.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Whoever scores first has a good shot to win.
The Phillies usally come through when it matters most.
Still, there is this as well. “The Phillies have existed for 141 seasons and they have never played a Game 7. Their opponent in this National League Championship Series hails from a place that became a state in 1912. The Phillies have been around since 1883.” Further in that article is the fact that the Phils are swinging – a lot. “They swung at the first pitch in 15 of their 35 plate appearances, but it’s been trending that way all series. These are the first-pitch swings game-by-game in the NLCS: 12, 10, 10, 15, 14, 15.”
For more history on Game 7…
Nick Castellanos is 0-for-his-last-19 with nine punchouts.
Oh, Game 7 for the World Series will be Ranger Suarez and Brandon Pfaadt, to which I can only say, UGH.
Finally, the longest drought ever, and it is a good thing.
