The Texas Rangers are heading to the American League Championship Series. Tuesday night the Rangers completed the three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Division Series in blowout fashion. They led by six runs after two innings and the final score of Game 3 was 7-1 (box score). Texas awaits the winner of the Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins ALDS. Houston leads that series 2-1.
Game 3 was the first ever Rangers home postseason game at Globe Life Field. The four-year old stadium hosted the NLDS, NLCS, and World Series during the pandemic season in 2023, though the Rangers did not qualify. Tuesday was the first time Rangers fans could cheer on the Rangers in their new stadium in October, and the crowd was raucous. Game 3 was Texas' first home postseason win since Game 5 of the 2011 World Series. They had lost their last four home games in October.
Here now are three takeaways from the Rangers' Game 3 win over the Orioles, and a look ahead to the ALCS.
1. Texas blew it open early
There is no such thing as an ALDS MVP award, but, if it did exist, Corey Seager would win it handily. Seager opened the Game 3 scoring with a solo home run in the first inning to give Texas a 1-0 lead, then he was intentionally walked in the second inning to set up their five-run rally. Mitch Garver followed with a two-run double and then Adolis García clubbed a three-run home run.
The home run was Seager's eighth in 19 career postseason games at Globe Life Field. He played three rounds there with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2020 pandemic season. Seager went 1 for 2 with the home run and two walks in Game 3, and 2 for 6 with nine -- nine! -- walks in the three ALDS games. He has been worth every penny of his 10-year, $325 million contract.
Garver, meanwhile, batted with the bases loaded in Games 2 and 3. He hit a grand slam in Game 2 and a two-run double in Game 3. Keep in mind Garver wasn't even in the starting lineup for the two Wild Card Series games or Game 1 of the ALDS. Robbie Grossman handled DH duty those three games. Something tells me Garver will be in the lineup in Game 1 of the ALCS.
Baltimore's starters in the ALDS -- Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer -- combined to allow 13 runs in eight innings in the three games. The rotation was a concern last offseason and again at the trade deadline, yet GM Mike Elias didn't do much to upgrade it, so it isn't too surprising it was inadequate come postseason time.
2. Eovaldi was dominant again
Nathan Eovaldi continues to cement his status as one of the best postseason pitchers of this era, and really of all-time. He held the Orioles to one in seven innings in Game 3 after allowing one run in 6 2/3 innings in his Wild Card Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Eovaldi has 15 strikeouts and zero walks this October.
For his career, Eovaldi now has a 2.70 ERA with 56 strikeouts and only eight walks in 56 2/3 postseason innings. Two of those eight walks were intentional too. In five of his eight career postseason starts, Eovaldi went at least six innings and allowed no more than two runs. He has been an absolute horse in the postseason. One of the best we've ever seen, truly.
It's difficult not to notice the difference in urgency the two ALDS teams displayed when building their rotations. The Rangers signed Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom in the offseason, and when they got hurt, they traded for Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer. The Orioles needed rotation help just as badly, and settled for Kyle Gibson and Jack Flaherty.
3. The O's got swept
For the first time in 2023. Bad timing, huh? The Orioles went the entire regular season without getting swept. In fact, they had not been swept since May 13-15, 2022, at Comerica Park by the Detroit Tigers. That was a week before Adley Rutschman got called up. The ALDS is the first time in the Rutschman era the Orioles have been swept. Pretty incredible.
Baltimore's regular-season streak of not getting swept is up to 91 series. That is the third-longest such streak in history behind the 1942-44 St. Louis Cardinals (125 series) and 1903-06 New York Giants (106 series). It's an impressive streak, it really is, but something tells me the O's couldn't care less about it right now.
What's next?
The Orioles are going home. Baltimore had a tremendous season -- 101 wins is certainly something to be proud of -- but it did end sooner than they O's would have liked. As for the Rangers, they have advanced to the ALCS for the first time since winning back-to-back AL pennants in 2010 and 2011. They'll hope for a Twins win over the Astros on Wednesday because that series going five games is good for Texas. Either way, the Rangers have earned a break and will reset these next few days. The ALCS begins Sunday and it stands to reason Texas will start Montgomery and Eovaldi in Games 1 and 2, respectively.
