Diamondbacks are one game from World Series elimination after Rangers rout
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Alek Thomas walks to the dugout after striking out in the seventh inning. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images
The Arizona Diamondbacks are one loss away from losing the World Series after falling 11-7 to the Texas Rangers at Chase Field Tuesday night.
The big picture: With Texas up 3-1, the D-Backs must win three in a row against the Rangers, including Games 6 and 7 on their home field, to win the World Series.
- They have one more home game Wednesday, then the series goes back to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, for Games 6 and 7, if necessary.
Reality check: In MLB postseason history, teams that have dropped three of the first four contests in a best-of-seven series have come back to win only 14 of 92 times (15%).
- Just six of 47 teams trailing 3-1 in a best-of-seven World Series have rallied to win, including four of 21 who had to win Games 6 and 7 on the road in the current 2-3-2 format.
What's next: Game 5 begins Wednesday at 5:03pm on Fox.
- Zac Gallen will be Arizona's starting pitcher and Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound for Texas in a rematch of Game 1.
- Gallen has been the D-Backs' top pitcher all season and his 17 wins amount to the second-most in Major League Baseball.
- But he recorded two losses against the Phillies in the National League Championship Series, and gave up three runs in five innings in Arizona's Game 1 loss to Texas.
State of play: Tuesday night's score obscured how bad a blowout it was for the D-Backs.
- The game was effectively over after the third inning when Texas took a 10-0 lead, scoring five runs apiece in the second and third.
- The D-Backs' bats came alive late in the game, putting up six runs in the eighth and ninth, but by then the game was too far out of reach to catch up.
Between the lines: All 10 runs the Rangers scored during their offensive barrage came with two outs.
- Arizona actually had more hits than Texas — 12 to 11 — but was unable to capitalize.
- The Rangers had four home runs, making this their 15th consecutive postseason game with a homer.
Zoom in: D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo went with a bullpen game and started relief pitcher Joe Mantiply, who earned the loss despite giving up one of the 11 runs Texas scored in 1.1 innings pitched.
1 big record: Perhaps the lone silver lining for Arizona was second baseman Ketel Marte, who kept his postseason hitting streak alive.
- He has now hit in an MLB-record 20 straight playoff games, a streak that began in 2017 and resumed this year.