This was the sixth World Series overall to be played entirely on artificial turf. Before 2023, the most recent of the six to be played in the two home team’s stadiums was the 1993 World Series (which was the fourth one). However, the last “all-artificial turf” overall (the fifth one) before 2023 had been at the neutrally located 2020 World Series, with all games played at Globe Life Field, where the first two games of 2023 were also played. 2023 is only the second World Series to be played entirely on the second generation artificial turf (with 2020 being the first).
The Rangers and Diamondbacks entered the 2023 MLB postseason as wild cards. This was the third World Series meeting between two wild cards following 2002 and 2014. The Rangers had home-field advantage in the series over the Diamondbacks due to their better regular season record. The Rangers and Diamondbacks split the first two games in Texas before the Rangers won three consecutive games in Arizona to win the series. Corey Seager won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award for the second time in his career.
For the second straight year, the World Series was presented by Capital One.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams lost over 100 games in 2021.[1] The teams' 174 combined wins is the lowest ever total for a non-shortened season World Series.[2] This was the first World Series between one team that has never won in any prior appearances and another team that has never lost in any prior appearances. MLB has paired these two teams up as interleague rivals from 1998 to 2000 and in 2013, 2019, and since 2023. This was the fifth straight World Series to have games played in a venue in Texas, with Houston co-hosting in 2019, 2021, and 2022, and Arlington hosting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this was the first World Series since 2016 to not feature the Houston Astros or Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Diamondbacks won the regular season series 3–1, splitting a two-game series in May at Globe Life Field, and sweeping the Rangers at Chase Field in August.[3]
This was the third time in World Series history that the two teams that faced each other were both from the Expansion era, the first coming in 2015[4] and the second in 2019.[5]
The Rangers qualified for the postseason as the fifth seed wild card entrant in the American League just two years removed from a 102-loss season. In the Wild Card Series, they swept the fourth-seeded Tampa Bay Rays. In the Division Series, they swept the American League East division winner and top-seeded Baltimore Orioles. In the American League Championship Series, they defeated their division rival and defending World Series champion Houston Astros in seven games to win their third American League pennant in franchise history.[12] The Rangers made it to the World Series for the first time since 2011, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The Rangers were heading in as the favorites to win the series for the first time all postseason while also seeking their first World Series title in franchise history, which would put an end to their World Series championship title drought of 62 seasons since their franchise began, the second-longest active championship drought in Major League Baseball behind the Cleveland Guardians and the oldest active franchise without a World Series title.[13] This also marked a return to the World Series for three-time World Champion Bruce Bochy, who was looking to tie Walter Alston and Joe Torre for fourth on the list of World Series victories for managers.[14]
Texas came into the season with 50–1 betting odds, which was tied for the seventh-longest odds to make a World Series since 1985.[15]
The Diamondbacks were just two seasons removed from a 110–loss season, which included an MLB-record 24 straight road losses.[16] They had an uneven regular season in 2023, which included extreme highs and lows. At their peak in mid-June, they were 41–25 and leading the NL West. At their lowest, they had a 32-game stretch, where from early–July to mid–August, they went 7–25, a .219 win percentage, and had fallen to 57–59.[17] They were led by a young core consisting of Corbin Carroll, Zac Gallen, Gabriel Moreno, Alek Thomas, and Geraldo Perdomo, along with veterans Ketel Marte, Merrill Kelly, Christian Walker, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Tommy Pham, and Evan Longoria.[18] The Diamondbacks team finished second in MLB in stolen bases behind the Cincinnati Reds, including 56 from Carroll.[19] They were also the best defensive team during the season, committing the fewest errors in the regular season with 56 and tied for first with the Rangers with the best fielding percentage at .990.[20]
The Diamondbacks qualified for the postseason as the sixth seed wild card entrant in the National League. In the Wild Card Series, they swept the third-seeded and National League Central division winner Milwaukee Brewers. In the Division Series, they swept and upset the National League West division winner, second-seeded, and 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers. In the National League Championship Series, they defeated the fourth-seeded and defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies in seven games to win their second National League pennant and make it to the World Series for the first time since 2001. [21] The 84 wins is the lowest amount for a full season NL champion since the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals, who had 83 wins. The Diamondbacks also joined the 1987 Minnesota Twins as the only two teams to win a pennant with a negative run differential.[22] Arizona's revamped bullpen of Ryan Thompson, rookie Andrew Saalfrank, setup man Kevin Ginkel, and closer Paul Sewald, had a combined 1.45 ERA in 31 innings of work entering the World Series.[23]
At 125–1 preseason odds, Arizona had the third-longest odds to make a World Series since 1985 and longest since the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, which Diamondbacks player Evan Longoria was also part of during his rookie season.[15] Additionally, the 15 year gap between Longoria's first and second World Series appearances from 2008 to 2023 is the longest for a position player in MLB history.[24]
Texas's Evan Carter hit a double off the base of the right field wall to score Corey Seager. Adolis García scored Carter with a single, making it 2–0 Texas. In the top of the third, with runners on second and third, Corbin Carroll tripled, scoring both runners and tying the game. Ketel Marte scored Carroll on a fielder's choice, giving Arizona a one-run lead. The Rangers loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, where Gallen walked Mitch Garver to tie the game at three. Gallen limited the damage as Jonah Heim flied out to end the inning. In the top of the fourth, Tommy Pham hit a solo home run, which gave Arizona a lead they would not give up until the bottom of the ninth. In the fifth, Marte added on a run for Arizona with a double that scored Geraldo Perdomo and took Eovaldi out of the game. In the bottom of the sixth, Gallen was replaced with Ryan Thompson. After Thompson walked Heim, Nathaniel Lowe hit a towering fly ball that was caught by Carroll on the warning track. If the ball had been hit out, it would have tied the game. Thompson was able to get out of the jam by striking out Leody Taveras. Arizona relievers Joe Mantiply and Kevin Ginkel kept the seventh and the eighth innings scoreless.[33]
Will Smith retired the side in the top of the ninth, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth, where closer Paul Sewald was sent in to record the final three outs for Arizona. With Arizona still leading 5–3, Sewald gave up a leadoff walk to Taveras before striking out Marcus Semien. The next batter, Seager, hit a towering two-run home run to right field to tie the game at five. It was Sewald's first blown save of this postseason in seven opportunities; however he then struck out Carter and Austin Hedges to send the game to extra innings. José Leclerc retired the side in the top of the tenth. The bottom of the tenth started well for Texas, with Kyle Nelson giving up a leadoff walk to Lowe. However, Josh Jung grounded into a double play. Nelson then walked Taveras and gave up a single to Semien, but got the hero of the ninth inning, Seager, to ground out, ending the inning. Leclerc once again retired the side in the top of the eleventh, giving Texas another chance to walk it off. After getting Carter to fly out in the bottom of the inning, Nelson was replaced with Miguel Castro, who was sent in to face García. On a 3–1 count, Garcia hit a walk-off home run to right field to win the game for Texas.[33] With the home run, García recorded his 22nd RBI of the postseason, breaking the record for RBIs in a postseason, previously held by David Freese, who recorded 21 RBIs in the 2011 postseason.[34]
Game 2
Arizona starter Merrill Kelly struck out nine batters in Game 2.
Saturday, October 28, 2023 7:03pm (CDT) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas 74 °F (23 °C), Roof Closed
Arizona opened the scoring in the fourth inning, when Gabriel Moreno hit a solo home run followed by a double by Tommy Pham and an RBI single by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.Mitch Garver hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to put the Rangers on the board at 2–1, thereby cutting their deficit to one run. Arizona added two insurance runs in the seventh inning when an RBI single by Evan Longoria scored Alek Thomas, and another RBI single by Corbin Carroll scored Longoria. With the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Ketel Marte hit a two-run RBI single, and then Carroll hit an RBI single to expand the lead to 7–1.[38] With his hit, Marte extended his postseason hitting streak to 18 games, setting a major league record.[39] In the top of the ninth, Emmanuel Rivera hit a two-out two-run RBI single to score Jace Peterson and Gurriel Jr. to extend the Diamondbacks' lead to 9–1 before Rivera was out on a throw to second to end the inning. The Diamondbacks evened the series at one game apiece.[40]
Game 3
After starter Max Scherzer was taken out of the game, reliever Jon Gray pitched three shutout innings for Texas.
Arizona threatened to score first in the second inning, but Christian Walker was thrown out at home plate by Adolis García. In the third inning, Marcus Semien hit an RBI single for Texas, followed by a two-run home run by Corey Seager, giving the Rangers a 3–0 lead. Scherzer exited the game in the middle of the fourth inning with back tightness; Jon Gray entered in relief. Ketel Marte extended his post-season record hitting streak to 19 straight games with a single in the sixth inning. Gray exited the game after three innings, giving up only one hit and striking out three, preserving the Rangers lead. Emmanuel Rivera doubled to lead off the eighth inning and later put the Diamondbacks on the board with an RBI single by Geraldo Perdomo, cutting their deficit to 3–1, but Aroldis Chapman forced Marte, representing the potential tying run at the plate, to ground into an inning-ending double play. José Leclerc came in to pitch a scoreless ninth inning for the save, giving the Rangers a 2–1 series lead. García left the game early with a side strain.[44] With the win, Texas remained unbeaten (9–0) in road games this postseason.[45]
Game 4
Chase Field from behind home plate prior to Game 4
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 5:03pm (MST) at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona 77 °F (25 °C), Clear/Roof Open
Josh Jung led off the second inning for Texas with a double. After he advanced to third base, he scored the first run of the game off of a wild pitch by Miguel Castro, who relieved Mantiply. Leody Taveras drew a walk and Travis Jankowski hit a single, followed by a two-RBI triple by Marcus Semien. Kyle Nelson relieved Castro, and allowed a two-run home run to Corey Seager. Texas scored another five runs in the third inning after Jung and Nathaniel Lowe hit singles, Jonah Heim reached base on a fielder's choice to load the bases, Jankowski hit a two-RBI double, and Semien hit a three-run home run. Arizona scored their first run on a sacrifice fly by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the fourth inning. Heim's home run leading off the top of the eighth inning extended the Rangers lead to 11–1. In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Tommy Pham hit an RBI sacrifice fly for Arizona, scoring Corbin Carroll, and Gurriel hit a three-run home run to reduce their deficit to 11–5. In the ninth inning, Will Smith recorded two outs, but the Diamondbacks put two men on base. José Leclerc entered the game and gave up a two-run RBI single to Gabriel Moreno, but finished the game with a pop-up by Christian Walker.[49] With the win, the Rangers put themselves one win away from their first-ever World Series championship. This also extended the Rangers' 2023 postseason road win streak to ten games.[50]
The national anthem was performed by Dinah Jane.[51] Tyler Moldovan, an officer in the Phoenix Police Department who was injured on duty, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.[52] Game 5 featured a pitching rematch of Game 1 between Zac Gallen for the Diamondbacks and Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers.[53]
In a pitcher's duel, Gallen did not allow a hit in six innings. Meanwhile, Arizona had a scoring opportunity with runners on second and third base in the third inning, but Eovaldi retired Tommy Pham on a groundout. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the fifth inning but again failed to score. The Rangers ended Gallen's no-hit bid in the seventh inning on Corey Seager's single in left field; Seager scored on an RBI single by Mitch Garver. In the top of the eighth, Kevin Ginkel escaped the one-out bases-loaded jam to end the Rangers threat of another scoring opportunity. A single by Jonah Heim in the ninth inning combined with a fielding error by Alek Thomas scored two more runs for Texas, and then Marcus Semien hit a two-run home run to expand the lead to 5–0. Josh Sborz recorded the final outs, with Ketel Marte striking out to conclude the season and his first save as the Rangers won the game and the first World Series championship in franchise history, ending a 63-year drought. Seager won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award and was the first player ever to win the award in two different leagues.[54]
Texas finished the postseason with a perfect 11–0 in road games. Marte's 20-game postseason hit streak ended with Game 5, having walked three times and struck out once to end the World Series.
TUDN Radio broadcast the series in Spanish, with an announcing crew including Jesus Acosta, Alberto Ferreiro, Jose Napoles, and Luís Quiñones. The flagship radio stations for both teams also broadcast the series locally. In Dallas, KRLD-FM and KAMM aired the games in English and Spanish respectively, while KMVP-FM and KHOV-FM did the same in Phoenix.[68]
Sponsorship
The 2023 World Series was sponsored by Capital One, as part of a multi-year agreement. This sponsorship included logo branding in-stadium and on official digital properties on the field, as well as commercial inventory during Fox's telecasts of the games.[69]
Aftermath
The Rangers held a victory parade in Arlington on November 3.[70] Arlington's police department estimated a crowd of 250,000 to 300,000 prior to the parade, but an estimated crowd of 500,000 to 700,000 attended.[71]
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