In a heart-pounding showdown at Chase Field, Jonah Heim, the catcher for the newly crowned World Series champions, faced a nail-biting moment when the ball slipped from his mitt and raced across the field. He understood the magnitude of that baseball resting on the dusty diamond, per MLB.com.
“That ball,” Heim passionately declared, “holds profound meaning for the state of Texas and Rangers fans. I wasn’t about to let it slip away.”
The Rangers, known for their heartbreaking loss in the World Series, a story of falling short by just one strike, not once but twice, more than a decade ago, refused to be defeated this time.
Heim, with the ball that had just captured Ketel Marte’s ill-fated gaze, sealed a triumphant 5-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on that Wednesday night, unleashing a jubilant celebration that had been 52 years in the making.
For the first time in their franchise history, the Rangers, born as the expansion Washington Senators (Part II) in 1961 and later relocating to Arlington in 1972, secured a cherished title. Their victory narrative was the stuff of legends, as they entered the postseason as the fifth seed out of six in the American League and proceeded to achieve an unprecedented 11-0 record on the road. This extraordinary journey was powered by the awe-inspiring performances of World Series MVP Corey Seager, AL Championship Series MVP Adolis García, and led by Bruce Bochy, a likely Hall of Famer, who came out of retirement to become the sixth manager in history to win at least four World Series.
Bruce Bochy credited this remarkable achievement to “general manager Chris Young and the ownership, Ray Davis, who were determined to bring winning baseball back to the Texas Rangers. When we met, that’s what we talked about, and they delivered on every promise.”
Despite making their Fall Classic appearance appear effortless, the Rangers’ season was anything but a walk in the park. Their journey was marred by challenges, including a significant investment in Jacob deGrom, their imported ace, whose season was cut short due to a right elbow injury after just six starts. Even their late acquisition, Max Scherzer, met an unfortunate injury. Their dream season took an unpredictable path, including injuries to key players like Seager, Josh Jung, Heim, Nathan Eovaldi, and Mitch Garver. They weathered the storm, even during a tough period in mid-August to early September, where they struggled with a 4-16 record, which threatened their playoff chances. They bounced back, clinching the AL West’s top spot late in the season, only to lose it to their rivals, the Astros, in a tiebreaker after losing three of their last four games in Seattle. Their path led them to face challenging opponents like the 99-win Rays, 101-win Orioles, and the seasoned Astros.
However, the Rangers conquered all, and in Game 5, they delivered a resounding defeat to the Diamondbacks, even after losing Adolis García to a left oblique injury in Game 3. The final win in this awe-inspiring journey was secured on a night where the Rangers faced a no-hit bid by Arizona ace Zac Gallen. The game was a testament to their determination, a showcase of their lethal lineup that ignited in the late innings.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged the Rangers’ incredible journey, stating, “They’re an amazing franchise. They were the best team, and they defeated us squarely and fairly.”
The game was a fierce battle of pitchers, maintaining an edge-of-the-seat tension for eight innings. Zac Gallen and Nathan Eovaldi delivered a World Series-worthy pitchers’ duel, offering a refreshing change after the bullpen-heavy action of the previous night. The game also underscored the diversity of “zeroes.”
Gallen’s performance was efficient, seemingly effortless as he retired batter after batter, producing the first-ever instance in World Series history where a pitcher tossed six no-hit innings while facing elimination.
Torey Lovullo praised Gallen’s performance, stating, “It was everything that he could possibly give us and more. He fought fiercely and gave it his all.”
On the other side was Nathan Eovaldi, who had to endure a nail-biting journey to success, with runners frequently threatening on the base paths. Eovaldi allowed four hits and five walks over six innings. However, the D-backs went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position against him, stranding all nine runners. There was a critical moment in the third inning when Gabriel Moreno, the third hitter, attempted a questionable sacrifice bunt to advance runners, but it didn’t yield any benefits.
Eovaldi reflected on the game, saying, “Starting the game with a leadoff walk, having traffic on the bases in the first five innings – it wasn’t easy. But I managed to make the big pitches when I needed them.”
Unable to break through against Eovaldi, the D-backs put themselves in a vulnerable position, relying on perfection from their ace, Gallen.
In the seventh inning, Gallen finally faltered, and it happened in an ironic fashion. Corey Seager, who would prove to be the pivotal player of the night, ended Gallen’s no-hit bid with a softly hit grounder to the opposite side, a hit that would have been harmless if third baseman Evan Longoria hadn’t shifted toward shortstop. This minor play breathed life into the Rangers, and Evan Carter, a Rangers left fielder, remarked, “[Seager] was definitely going to be the one to open the game for us.”
In the same inning, the Rangers seized the moment. Carter’s double put two runners in scoring position, and after a consultation with pitching coach Brent Strom, Gallen conceded a ground-ball single up the middle to Mitch Garver, bringing Corey Seager home and marking the game’s first run. Although Gallen managed to strike out Josh Jung and handed over the final two outs of the seventh to Kevin Ginkel, a reliever who had earlier found himself in a bases-loaded jam, the D-backs were made to pay for their inability to convert opportunities at the plate.
In the ninth inning, the Rangers continued their offensive onslaught, with consecutive singles from Josh Jung and Nathaniel Lowe against Arizona closer Paul Sewald. Jonah Heim’s single to center field added to the pressure, and an error by Gold Glove finalist Alek Thomas allowed two runners to score while Heim raced to third.
With two outs remaining, Marcus Semien delivered a homer, marking his second in as many nights and extending the lead to 5-0. Josh Sborz completed a perfect ninth inning, and by that point, the outcome was clear. When Ketel Marte took a called third strike for the final out, ending his 20-game postseason hit streak, all that remained was to secure the precious ball that had briefly eluded Jonah Heim’s grasp.
Heim shared a moment of honest confession, stating, “He called him out, and I wanted to celebrate with Sborz and forgot the ball was in my glove. But I recovered, made the play, and we got it.”
In the end, they did. The Texas Rangers, after a remarkable and challenging journey, clinched the World Series title that had eluded them for more than half a century, etching their names into baseball history as champions.
