Big players shine when they are decisive. Corey Seager (29), the ‘sweeping shortstop’ who led the LA Dodgers to the World Series championship in 2020 and won the MVP, is on track to win the first World Series since the Texas Rangers, which have been unrelated for 62 years, were founded.
Seager started as the second hitter and shortstop in Game 1 of the 2023 Major League World Series (WS, best of 7 games) held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, USA on the 28th, going 1 hit and 2 walks in 4 at-bats, including a dramatic tying two-run home run in the 9th inning. Scored 3 points.
Texas, which escaped the brink of defeat with Seager’s clutch home run, defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 with Adolis Garcia’s walk-off home run in the 11th inning. They succeeded in dominating the World Series with a thrilling comeback.
Texas, which was down 3-5 before the bottom of the 9th inning, faced Arizona closer Paul Seawald. Before taking the mound on this day, SeaWorld had 1 win and 6 saves in 8 games this postseason, and was showing a zero ERA with 3 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, and no runs in 8 innings. It looked like he would be difficult to attack, but everything changed with one shot from Seager.
Leadoff hitter Leody Taveras walked, but Marcus Siemian struck out on three pitches, almost ending Texas’ pursuit. But there was Seager behind Simeon. He did not miss the 93.6 mile (150.6 km) four-seam fastball that came high up on Sea World’s first pitch and caught it with a lightning-like swing. His exit speed of 112.6 miles (181.2 km), distance of 418 feet (127.4 m), and launch angle of 33 degrees went well over the right fence.
Seager, who sensed a home run the moment it hit, looked at the Texas first base dugout and roared. In an official interview after the game, Seager said, “The game is not over until all outs are made. “In the 9th inning, he worked hard to continue hitting well even in extended innings,” he said of his emotions at the moment of the home run. “Of course I was excited. It was fun. This is the playoffs. “It was a really cool moment,” he said. Although he is a player who does not usually express his emotions a lot, he has exploded with emotion since Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, greatly boosting the energy of the Texas players.
Texas coach Bruce Bochy said, “Seager showed that kind of emotion in Houston. Today it might have been a notch higher than that. “It is difficult to hit a bigger home run than this when we are down by 2 runs in the 9th inning,” he said. “Seager saved us.” He excited all the players. “He was truly amazing,” he praised. Arizona coach Torrey Lovullo also said, “Seager is a big player. He knows how to do it at the decisive moment. “He has performed at a very high level for a long time,” he said.
‘MLB.com’ also said, ‘Postseason Seager has been a hot topic in the clubhouse all month. As the calendar turns to October, Seager is receiving more attention. This can be seen by looking at his previous postseason history. Seager, the 2020 World Series MVP, improved his postseason slash line to .327/.484/.673 this year. His 17 career home runs in the postseason are third among shortstops, following Derek Jeter (20) and Carlos Correa (18). He explained that his 14 walks are tied with Ian Kinsler for the most by a Texas player in a single postseason, and he is also one of 16 players with 40 or more walks in his postseason career.
“It’s like the script was written for Seager,” said Texas rookie third baseman Josh Young. The hitting he makes in important situations is truly amazing. “When Seager came to bat in the 9th inning, he thought, ‘Something great is going to happen,’” he said, emphasizing Seager’s presence. Another rookie outfielder, Evan Carter, also said, “All players are overcoming important moments well. “I feel confident with veterans like Seager and Garcia around me,” he said.
Texas is one of six teams that have yet to win a World Series and is the oldest among them. Since its founding in 1961, it has been independent for 62 years until last year. After the 2021 season, they showed their will to win by signing free agent Seager for 10 years and $325 million. This year, his second year, there was a month-long absence at the beginning of the season due to a hamstring injury, but he hit hard with a batting average of .327 (156 hits in 477 at-bats) in 119 games, 33 home runs, 96 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.013. In fall baseball, he is leading the Texas batting lineup along with Garcia with a batting average of .327 (16 hits in 49 at-bats), 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.157 in 13 games.
The LA Dodgers, his former team, can’t help but feel sick as they watch Seager’s performance. The Dodgers suffered an upset in the division series due to a silent batting lineup for two consecutive years. I can’t help but wish there had been a strong Seager in the big game. The Dodgers also tried to catch Seager, but were unable to overcome Texas’ conditions due to the salary payment method and tax differences between states. Texas guaranteed $140 million in the first four years with no deferred salary payments. Also, unlike California, where the Dodgers belong, Texas only requires federal taxes and not state taxes, so Seager was able to collect more in actual income. 짱구카지노 도메인
Although there were differences in conditions, the Dodgers at the time had Trey Turner (Philadelphia Phillies), who played second base but was an All-Star shortstop. It was a situation where there was no need to hang on to Cigar, which had weak durability. Although it is extremely consequential, the fact that the Dodgers did not actively hold on to Seager at that time has become a regrettable situation for the Dodgers.