Game: Texas Rangers @ Arizona Diamondbacks
Time: 8:03 p.m.
Odds: Rangers -102, Diamondbacks -108
Total: 8.5
In Game 5 tonight, the Texas Rangers are one victory away from winning their first World Series, and they will look to Nathan Eovaldi to seal the deal against the Arizona Diamondbacks. With an 11-7 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday, Texas took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Marcus Semien contributed a three-run home run and a two-run triple.
With five runs in the second and third innings, the Rangers forced the 48,388 spectators to leave the game early and begin their celebrations. The Diamondbacks did battle back to score six runs in the final two innings, but it wasn’t enough to even the series.
Texas is 10-0 on the road in the postseason, a MLB record. The Rangers will try to finish their flawless road record with another win tonight. Over five postseason starts, Eovaldi is 4-0 with a 3.52 ERA. He has pitched 32.1 innings and has 36 strikeouts and just five walks. In Game 1 of this series, Eovaldi gave up five runs on six hits in 4.2 innings. He walked one and fanned eight and Texas went on to win 6-5. Eovaldi was not involved in the decision. The Rangers right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his eight career regular-season games (five starts) against the Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks will look to their ace, Zac Gallen, to stave off elimination and attempt to take the series back to Texas for at least a Game 6. The right-hander, who has started five games in October and is 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA, has not been as effective in the postseason as he was during the regular season. In 27.1 postseason innings, he has struck out 18 batters while walking 13 and giving up six home runs. Gallen pitched five innings of three-run ball in Game 1, but the Rangers were too strong for the Arizona bullpen to hold.
Gallen threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session on Monday and is ready to go tonight. At home this season, Gallen really shined. He went 12-3 and had a 2.47 ERA. If he can keep the D-Backs in it, the Arizona bullpen still has its best arms available tonight.
Adolis Garcia, the Rangers’ injured slugger who finished the postseason with eight home runs and 22 RBIs, will be sidelined for the remainder of the World Series. On Tuesday, Travis Jankowski replaced Garcia in right field and hit a single and a double that scored two runs. Garcia was replaced on the World Series roster by Ezequiel Duran. Garcia’s oblique strain from Game 3 is keeping him out of action.
Pitcher Max Scherzer is also out for the remainder of the series. He was forced off the field in Game 3 due to back spasms, and left-handed reliever Brock Burke took his place. For the first time since giving up two runs in a third of an inning in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Baltimore Orioles, Burke gave up three runs and only managed one out in Game 4. Despite their injuries, the Rangers are confident going into Game 5.
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