Thrilling Victory: Texas Rangers Dominate AL Division Series Game 2 in 2023

BALTIMORE — The three-hole position in the lineup has been a revolving door for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy in recent weeks, but it hasn’t yielded positive results. Prior to Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Sunday, Texas three-hole hitters had a dismal .143 average through three postseason games.

In his postseason debut as the designated hitter for the Rangers, Garver made a significant impact. He crushed a grand slam over the left-field wall, measuring an impressive 419 feet, in the third inning. This home run propelled Texas to an early 9-2 lead against the Orioles at Camden Yards. The Rangers went on to secure an 11-8 victory, putting them up 2-0 in the series.

This grand slam by Garver was only the second in Rangers history during the postseason. The first was Nelson Cruz’s walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning of Game 2 in the 2011 ALCS against Detroit.

During an in-game interview with FS1’s Ken Rosenthal, Garver shared his thoughts on the at-bat. He mentioned that he got a good pitch to hit and had a feeling the pitcher wouldn’t throw an offspeed pitch in a 3-1 count with the bases loaded. Garver’s patience paid off, and he took advantage of the opportunity.

Garver’s performance resulted in five RBIs, tying the Rangers’ single-game postseason record. This feat had only been accomplished twice before, by Cruz in the 2011 ALCS and Michael Young in Game 6 of the same series.

With a total of 11 runs scored, this game ranks as the second-highest scoring postseason game in Rangers franchise history. The highest-scoring game remains Game 6 of the 2011 ALCS against Detroit, when they scored 15 runs.

The Orioles initially took a 2-0 lead over the Rangers, capitalizing on starter Jordan Montgomery’s struggles in the first inning. However, the Rangers quickly retaliated with a five-run second inning, and Garver’s grand slam in the third further solidified their dominance.

In the broadcast, Garver attributed their success to controlling the strike zone and displaying disciplined batting. Despite a shaky start in the first inning, the Rangers showed patience, drew walks, and utilized the entire field to generate effective offense.

The Rangers set a franchise record by accumulating 11 walks in this postseason game. This milestone marks the 10th time in postseason history that a team has achieved 11 or more walks in a single game. Additionally, Corey Seager broke a record by drawing five walks, the most by any player in a postseason game in the AL/NL.