The Arizona Diamondbacks bounced back from losing game one in extra innings to tie the World Series with a 9-1 rout of the Texas Rangers.

Pitcher Merrill Kelly proved dominant as he allowed just three hits over seven innings and the Arizona bats completed the job.

Gabriel Moreno put the Diamondbacks – who were two runs up in the ninth inning before losing in extra innings the previous night – ahead with a home run in the fourth and they never relented.

A three-run eighth inning included a two-run single for Ketel Marte, who set a new record of 18 consecutive post-season games with a hit.

Tommy Pham had four hits, rookie Corbin Carroll driving in a pair of runs as Arizona won their first World Series match away from home – their only previous appearance coming in 2001.

Evan Longoria, playing in his first World Series since 2008 at the age of 38, also drove in a run.

Rookie Brandon Pfaadt will pitch for the Diamondbacks when the series resumes with game three in Arizona on Monday night, facing three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer who will be pitching for his third different team in the World Series.

A home run in the 11th inning by Adolis Garcia gave Texas Rangers a 6-5 victory in the opening game of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Rangers, seeking their first World Series crown, had trailed 5-3 in the ninth inning before Corey Seager hit a two-run home run to send the match into extra innings.

After a scoreless 10th inning, Garcia homered for the fifth straight game to spark rapturous scenes at Arlington.

Texas had taken a two-run lead in the opening inning, but Arizona fought back with three runs off starter Nathan Eovaldi – who had only given up five runs in the play-offs – in the third inning.

The home side immediately drew level, but Tommy Pham fired the Diamondbacks – chasing their second World Series title in their first appearance since 2001 – with a lead-off home run to start the fourth inning.

Ketel Marte stretched the advantage in the fifth, his RBI double equalling the post-season hitting streak of 17 successive games.

Trailing by two, the Rangers were down to their last two outs when Seager took closer Paul Sewald deep and Garcia applied the closing touches.

Game two is in Texas again on Saturday night before the series switches to Arizona.

Adolis Garcia continued his record-setting postseason with an opposite field, walk-off home run in the 11th inning to lift the Texas Rangers to a wild 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday in Game 1 of the World Series.

Garcia sent a 3-1 pitch from Miguel Casto over the wall in right field and beyond the glove of a leaping Corbin Carroll for his second RBI of the game, setting a record for most in one postseason with his 22nd.

He has homered in five straight games – tied for the second-longest streak in playoff history.

Garcia’s heroics were made possible when Corey Seager hit a tying, two-run shot in the ninth inning off Arizona closer Paul Sewald, who had converted his first six save chances this postseason.

Ketel Marte had an RBI double in the fifth inning for the Diamondbacks, extending his hitting streak to 17 games. That ties the record for the longest in a postseason, shared by the Yankees’ Hank Bauer (1956-58), the Yankees’ Derek Jeter (1998-99) and Boston’s Manny Ramirez (2003-04).

Tommy Pham’s solo homer in the fourth gave Arizona a 4-3 lead and Marte’s double made it 5-3.

Texas scored twice in the first off Zac Gallen on Evan Carter’s RBI double and Garcia’s single.

Carroll’s two-run triple in the third erased the Rangers’ two-run lead, and he scored on Marte’s failed fielder’s choice.

Game 2 is Saturday night in Texas.

The Arizona Diamondbacks became the first team to hit four home runs in a postseason inning and held on for a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to finish a stunning sweep and reach the NL Championship Series on Wednesday.

Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno went deep off Dodgers starter Lance Lynn in the third inning for a 4-0 lead.

That would be all the offense Arizona would need to eliminate the NL West champion and 100-win Dodgers and move into the NLCS for the first time since losing to Colorado in 2007.

The sixth-seeded Diamondbacks improved to 5-0 in these playoffs.

Rookie Brandon Pfaadt worked the first 4 1/3 innings without allowing a run before Joe Mantiply got the next four outs.

Ryan Thompson gave up a pair of runs in the seventh, but Andrew Saalfrank quelled the rally and Kevin Ginkel fanned two in the eighth.

Paul Sewald pitched the ninth for his fourth postseason save in as many opportunities.

Los Angeles scored two runs in every game of the series and hit one home run to Arizona’s nine.

Former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman combined to go 1 for 21 without an RBI in the series.

 

Astros oust Twins for another trip to ALCS

Jose Abreu and Michael Brantley homered, and the Houston Astros topped the Minnesota Twins 3-2 to reach the AL Championship Series for a seventh consecutive season.

Abreu’s two-run blast in the fourth off reliever Caleb Thielbar scored Yordan Alvarez and gave the Astros a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Abreu had three homers and eight RBIs in the four-game series, while Alvarez had four home runs and six RBIs.

Houston will host in-state rival Texas in Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday, with three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander likely on the mound for the Astros.

Jose Urquidy limited the Twins to two runs – both on homers - and three hits over 5 2/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

Hector Neris and Bryan Abreu combined for five strikeouts over 2 1/3 hitless innings and former Twin Ryan Pressly struck out the side in the ninth.

Royce Lewis hit his fourth home run of this postseason and Edouard Julien also went deep for the Twins, who managed just three runs and six hits in two home games in this series.

 

Harper hits 2 of Phillies’ 6 home runs in win

Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos each homered twice, and the Philadelphia Phillies rolled to a 10-2 rout of the Atlanta Braves for a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series.

Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner also went deep for the Phillies, who can advance to the NL Championship Series for the second consecutive season with a win at home Thursday.

Aaron Nola allowed two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings and four relievers held Atlanta scoreless the rest of the way.

The Phillies scored six runs in the third to knock out Bryce Elder, with Castellanos leading off with a home run.

After Marsh and Turner singled, Harper launched a 2-1 pitch deep into the seats in right for a 4-1 lead.

J.T. Realmuto capped the uprising with a two-run double against Michael Tonkin.

Harper added a solo homer off Brad Hand in the fifth and Turner’s blast an inning later made it 8-1.

Harper has nine playoff home runs in 22 games over the past two seasons, with five coming against Atlanta.

 

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