Rangers, Diamondbacks turn to bullpens for WS Game 4

 

[October 31, 2023]  PHOENIX -- The Texas Rangers look to grab a commanding 3-1 advantage Tuesday night when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the World Series at Chase Field.

Texas took Game 3 Monday night 3-1 on the strength of its pitching and a two-run home run from Corey Seager, the one-time World Series MVP's second two-run home run of this series.

Pitchers Max Scherzer, Jon Gray, Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman and Jose Leclerc held the Diamondbacks to a run on six hits. Arizona had scored a combined 14 runs in the first two games of the series.

Game 4 looks like a bullpen game for both teams. Left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-0) is set to make his third start and fifth appearance for the Rangers this postseason, with six innings pitched and four runs allowed on seven hits thus far.

Heaney has a 6.00 earned run average and opponents are batting .292 against him this postseason. Heaney went 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA in the regular season and made 28 starts, with nine wins as a starter.

The Diamondbacks counter with lefty Joe Mantiply, an All-Star in 2022 who made his first career World Series appearance in Game 1. He pitched a scoreless inning.

Mantiply is 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA over eight career postseason appearances (all this season). He did not allow an earned run over his last six games of the regular season (8 1/3 innings) and had a 1.38 ERA over 10 games in September.

The Rangers have opened the postseason with nine consecutive road wins, tying a Major League Baseball record.

"We're just showing up to play every day. We're trying to win that day. No matter where you are, we're trying to play good baseball every day," Seager said. "I don't know how to credit it to anything other than that, really."

The Rangers hope to have a healthy Adolis Garcia back in the lineup on Tuesday after he left Monday's game with left side tightness. Garcia hit a walk-off home run in Game 1, giving the slugger eight in the postseason, and he has also driven in 22 runs.

"We're being optimistic there but we'll know more tomorrow," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of Garcia after Game 3.

The Diamondbacks come off their first World Series game at their home ballpark in 22 years. They won the World Series in 2001, the franchise's only championship.

Arizona is 16-10 at home in the postseason all time.

Second baseman Ketel Marte has hit safely in each of his first 19 postseason games, the longest streak in MLB postseason history. He has 22 hits.

"At the end of the day we do have to be better. I think our offense is very capable against any type of pitching, whether it's a reliever or starter. We just got beat. We got beat. We got maybe out-executed. And we've got to figure that out," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after Game 3.

The Diamondbacks used Kyle Nelson, Miguel Castro, Luis Frias and Andrew Saalfrank out of their bullpen in Game 3. That should leave them with their top relievers rested and available for Game 4 after Mantiply departs.

Ryne Nelson, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and closer Paul Sewald are in line to pitch in Game 4, especially in a close game.

--Jose M. Romero, Field Level Media

[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.