Rangers star Corey Seager shows raw emotion in dramatic World Series comeback
ARLINGTON, Texas − The Texas Rangers stood around in their clubhouse late Friday night, looking at all of the text messages on their phone, talking about the moment they’ll never forget, and in no hurry to go home.
It wasn’t Corey Seager’s stunning ninth-inning home run, dramatically tying the game.
It wasn’t Adolis Garcia’s game-winning, 11th-inning home run that give the Texas Rangers an electrifying 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the World Series.
It was Seager’s raw, pure, beautiful reaction.
The stare.
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The grin.
The look of disbelief.
The bat flip.
The dance around the bases.
“Man, that’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen on a baseball field,’’ Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski said. “It was so great because Corey shows zero emotion the entire season. He shows more emotion in a locker room playing cards than he does on the field.
“But then, when we see him let the emotions out in a big moment like that, it’s an instant change. The beauty of that is when he’s doing that throughout the season, it’s like, 'Oh, homer, sick.’ But you add the emotion on top of it in a situation like that, it’s euphoric in the dugout.
“It was awesome, man, it was awesome to be part of.’’
The comeback reminded several long-time Rangers’ employees of the Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, twice being one strike away from winning the World Series, only for David Freese to tie the game in the ninth inning and win it in the 11th on a walk-off homer for the St. Louis Cardinals.
This time, they’re the ones delivered the heartbreaking gut-punch.
It was only the second time in baseball history that a team hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning and a walk-off in extra innings, joining the 2001 New York Yankees when they beat the Diamondbacks in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium.
“The shock value was very high,’’ Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, “but I sat back down and reminded myself, 'This is the World Series for a reason. The best players are here on the stage and the best players do big-time things.'’’
This, of course, is what the Rangers paid Seager to do when they dropped a 10-year, $325 million contract in his lap a year ago. Seager struggled, hitting a career-low .245 with a pedestrian .772 OPS, with the Rangers going 68-94, 38 games out of first place in the AL West.
This year, he was much more comfortable, started to let his personality seep out in the clubhouse, and had a fabulous year, hitting .327 with 33 homers, a league-leading 42 doubles, and 96 RBI with a 1.013 OPS, despite playing in just 119 games.
“It’s funny because I feel like he’s showing more emotion in the clubhouse during the season than he was normally,’’ Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning said. “I mean, the first year with a new team you can be [quiet], but he’s definitely opened up.’’
October rolled around, and he continued his tear, hitting .333 this postseason with four homers, five doubles and eight RBI. This homer brought back memories of his two-run homer in Game 2 of the 2017 World Series off Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander, and he now has 17 career postseason homers, third-most among shortstops behind Derek Jeter (20) and Carlos Correa (18).
The sound of the bat.
The scream from Seager.
“It reminds me of the homer off Verlander in ’17, opposite field,’’ Rangers All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien said. “It’s very rare to see him show that emotion but obviously it takes a Game 7 or the World Series to get him out of it.’’
This one, though, was the most dramatic, one that could live forever in Rangers’ folklore if they go onto win their first World Series in franchise history.
The Rangers looked dead entering the ninth inning. They were down to their last two outs with D-backs closer Paul Sewald on the mound. He opened the inning by walking Leody Taveras on four pitches, but struck out Semien, when Seager walked to the plate.
Sewald, who was perfect in save situations this postseason, tried to throw a high fastball at 94-mph by him. Seager sent it nearly to Dallas, into the upper deck at Globe Life Field, with the sellout crowd of 42,472 going berserk, along with an entire Rangers’ bench.
“Fired up the boys,’’ said Rangers starter Nate Eovaldi. “It was incredible. It was an incredible opportunity for him. He saw that pitch and crushed it.’’
Said Dunning: “Corey, I mean, it’s so cool seeing him actually fired up.’’
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who led the San Francisco Giants to three World Series titles, and the San Diego Padres to a pennant, tried to think of a bigger moment in his managerial career. He paused. Blinked. And couldn’t think of another.
“It's hard to hit a bigger home run than what he did there,’’ Bochy said, “down two in the ninth. He saved us there. You could see it in him. He got everybody fired up.’’
Rangers third baseman Josh Jung stood by his locker for nearly 20 minutes, trying to find the right words to describe his emotions, but couldn’t.
“I’m out of words,’’ Jung said. “I’ve used them all. It’s just like, 'Wow.’ What can you say. Wow. It’s out of this world.'’’
Just when the Rangers caught their breath, with the game going into the 10th inning, and then the 11th, up steps Garcia. He was the hero in the ALCS with five homers and 15 RBI. He had already reached base four times in this game with two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. When he walked to the plate, the crowd rose, almost willing another magical moment.
Right-handed reliever Miguel Castro came into the game to face Garcia, and the noise grew louder and louder. Castro tried to get him to chase, but Garcia didn’t bite. It was 1-0. 2-0. Swing and miss. 3-1.
The next pitch with a 96.7-mph sinker right over the middle of the plate. Garcia swung, and the ball traveled to the opposite field, carrying and carrying. D-backs right field Corbin Carroll leaped, and the ball sailed just over his head into the front row.
Bedlam.
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Garcia thrust his right arm high into the air, twirling his hand, over and over again until he reached second base, listening to the crowd erupt with every step he took around the bases.
“Special players step out in moments like this,’’ Seager said, “and he's done it all season for us. It's been extremely fun to watch and extremely fun to be a part of.’’
Who doesn’t want to watch history unfold before your very eyes? It was only the 17th walk-off homer in World Series history, and his record 22nd RBI of the postseason. The guy now has homered in five games in a row, one shy of the major-league record, while driving in a run in seven consecutive games.
“I think we might have been to home plate before he was to first,’’ rookie outfielder Evan Carter said. “It was awesome. Honestly, right now, it’s otherworldly. Gosh, I mean, what a rollercoaster.’’
One minute, the Rangers are shut down by the D-backs’ bullpen, producing just two singles since the fourth inning, and the next, Seager creates a tremor felt clear around the state with his homer, setting up Garcia’s game-winner two innings later.
“It was a very special moment when Corey Seager hit that home run,’’ Garcia said. “Everyone just started jumping for joy. We were able to exhale. ... He just gave us that spark. It pumped us all up, and it allowed us to come back out there and get that win.’’
It’s enough to make a grown man scream, even if it’s totally against Seager’s demeanor.
“Game 1 of the World Series, you hit a homer, I’d be screaming too,’’ Semien said. “Regular season is regular-season Corey. Playoffs are playoffs Corey.
And now, well, it’s World Series Corey.
“All he wants to do is win titles,’’ Semien said. “He’s gotten a taste of it. He’s hungry for that opportunity.’’
And a whole lot more.
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