El Bombi dinger propels Texas Rangers to Game 1 World Series victory

Texas Rangers win Game 1 of the 2023 World Series in extra innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adolis Garcia hits game-winning home run.

In a thrilling start to the 2023 World Series, the Texas Rangers emerged victorious over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 6-5 extra-innings battle on Friday. The game was filled with adrenaline from both teams, but it was Texas who ultimately prevailed in the 11th inning.

Right from the beginning, Texas put pressure on Arizona's ace pitcher Zac Gallen. They scored two runs in the first inning, with Evan Carter hitting a double that allowed Corey Seager to run home, followed by an Adolis Garcia single that brought Carter in. This RBI from Garcia marked his 21st in his postseason career, tying the all-time record in MLB.

However, Arizona fought back in the third inning against Nathan Eovaldi, taking the lead in the process. Corbin Caroll, known for his triple-hitting abilities, added another triple that allowed Alek Thomas and Evan Longoria to score. Caroll himself scored the third run after Ketel Marte grounded into a fielder's choice.

Gallen found himself in trouble again in the bottom of the third as Texas loaded the bases. Despite the pressure, Gallen limited the damage to just one run, with Seager scoring after Mitch Garver walked.

Arizona, known for their resilience in adversity, reclaimed a one-run lead in the fourth inning when Tommy Pham hit a leadoff homer. The game continued to be intense, with Marte's double in the fifth inning bringing Geraldo Perdomo home and extending Arizona's lead to 5-3. Eovaldi was then relieved shortly after.

Gallen had a mixed performance, with five strikeouts, four hits, four walks, three runs allowed, and three errors. Texas made a comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning when Garcia singled to center and Jonah Heim walked, putting the potential game-tying run on base. However, Kevin Ginkel forced a double-play, ending the inning without any further damage.

The game reached its climax in the bottom of the ninth inning when Corey Seager stepped up for the Rangers. He delivered a two-run homer off Paul Sewald's four-seam fastball, his fourth of the postseason, tying the game at 5-5.

Finally, in the bottom of the 11th inning, it was Adolis Garcia who sealed the comeback win for the Rangers. Despite being hit by a pitch in his previous at-bat, Garcia sent Miguel Castro's sinker deep to right field for a game-winning home run.

Garcia, at 30 years old, was the standout player for Texas, going 3-for-4 at the plate, contributing two RBIs, and hitting the game-winning home run. Josh Jung went 2-for-4, while Seager went 1-for-4 but made a significant impact with three runs, two RBIs, and a homer.

On the other side, Arizona was led by Alek Thomas, who went 2-for-5 at the plate. However, their offense stalled after the fifth run in the top of the fifth inning, failing to increase the gap and allowing Texas to seize the opener of the World Series.