How long does it take to vanquish the nightmare of Game 6? How far do they have to go get the monkey off their backs that they cannot win a game when they have to come from behind in the late innings? 

Four hundred and eighteen feet.

On the anniversary of the David Freese home run, of the one-strike-away heartbreak, with the Rangers down 5-3, with Leody Taveras on first after coaxing a walk, and with one out, Corey Seager sent the first pitch he saw from Diamondbacks brilliant closer Paul Sewald four hundred and eighteen feet into right center field.

And with that, the Rangers tied the game 5-5. The team that had just two come-from-behind victories in 2023 when it trailed after the sixth innings, win it in eleven innings when the new Mr. October, Adolis Garcia, dropped a home run right over the right field wall to win the game 6-5. That home run broke the record for RBIs in a single postseason, which was set in 2011 by the Cardinals David Freese.

The franchise that has carried around the gut punch of World Series heartache and failure, was finally able to turn the tables and pass on that heartache to someone else.

The Rangers quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after rookie sensation Evan Carter doubled in Corey Seager, who had walked, then Adolis Garcia singled him home. 

But, Arizona showed why they made it the World Series, with their pesky, scrappy brand of baseball that brought them three runs in the top of the third, highlighted by a sacrifice bunt,* a two-RBI triple by their rookie sensation Corbin Carrol to tie the game, and a fielder’s choice with Corbin sliding in under the tag at home to make it 3-2. 

The Rangers tied it in the bottom of the third after another Corey Seager walk, another Evan Carter double, then two more walks made it 3-3. 

Tommy Pham immediately made it 4-3 with a homer run in the top of the fourth. For good measure, the Diamondback scratched out another run in the top of the fifth to make it 5-3. 

Arizona stole four bases,* moved runners over, sacrificed, and took their 5-3 lead built on their scrappy version of small ball into the ninth, after the Rangers failed to capitalize on two baserunners in the sixth and eighth. 

But Corey Seager had magic left in his bat. And in the bottom of the ninth, when the Rangers needed it most, he unleased it, sending millions of fans in Rangers Nation into a frenzy.

The Rangers won Game 1 of the World Series 6-5 in one of the best baseball games you’ll ever see.

This answer the question, why baseball?

*Who bunts runners over anymore? Arizona, that’s who. And that’s why they are playing in the World Series and homer happy Philadelphia is not.

*Who steals bases anymore? Arizona, that’s who. And that’s why they are playing in the World Series and homer happy Philadelphia is not.

*****