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It’s not the matchup we expected when the MLB postseason started but the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks deserve to be playing in the World Series after they each went 9-3 to get here and won Games 6 and 7 on the road to win their respective LCS. That the D-Backs made it this far is more of a surprise since their odds to make the MLB playoffs were long before the season and they entered the postseason with the fewest regular season wins of any playoff team with 84. They promptly swept Central Division champion Milwaukee and the 100-win Dodgers in the NLDS before taking out the defending NL champion Phillies in the LCS.
After leading the AL West for a majority of the season, the Rangers entered as a Wild Card losing a tie-breaker to the Astros for the division crown setting up the first World Series between non-division winners since 2014. Texas took a similar path sweeping Tampa Bay and the AL’s No. 1 seed Baltimore in the ALDS. The championship series against Houston was crazy with the road team winning every game, so I guess the Rangers were thankful they didn’t finish ahead of their in-state rival. Needing two wins at Minute Maid Park the Rangers outscored the home team 20-6 in Games 6 and 7 to reach the Fall Classic for first time since back-to-back appearances in 2010 and 2011.
Playing as a series underdog is nothing new for Arizona and they’ll do it again in their second World Series visit. The D-Backs were series dogs back in 2001 and knocked of the favored New York Yankees in seven games. MLB series odds have Arizona at +162 with the Rangers the favorite on the MLB betting line at -180. You can bet the 2023 World Series at BetRivers sportsbook.
2023 World Series Schedule
Game 1: Diamondbacks at Rangers, Friday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 2: Diamondbacks at Rangers, Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 3: Rangers at Diamondbacks, Monday, Oct. 30, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 4: Rangers at Diamondbacks, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 5: Rangers at Diamondbacks, Wednesday, Nov. 1 (If Necessary)
Game 6: Diamondbacks at Rangers, Friday, Nov. 3 (If Necessary)
Game 7: Diamondbacks at Rangers, Saturday, Nov. 4 (If Necessary)
Considering how the teams played to reach the World Series we shouldn’t have a loser. And because it’s hard to define a winner there’s a good chance the series runs long. Both clubs experienced a Game 7 in their LCS and both have been dynamite on the road. The DBacks won their first four playoff away games impressively dismissing NL West champ Los Angeles in three games. They went 6-2 on the road over the first three playoff series.
Texas was even better on the road going a perfect 8-0 and averaging 6.5 runs to punch their ticket to the Fall Classic. If ever having home field seemed like a disadvantage this would probably be it. The Rangers will need at least one home win to claim their first World Championship and they were just 1-3 in the earlier rounds. They beat the O’s, 7-1, to finish off a three-game sweep then dropped all three games at Globe Life Park to Houston in the ALCS getting outscored 23-12.
With a deep lineup that can produce a lot of runs, the Rangers have an edge in that area. Adolis Garcia went crazy during the ALCS and is batting .327 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs during the postseason. Corey Seager has also been hot stroking .333 with three homers and 12 walks for an impressive .483 OBP. They rank second in playoff batting average and home runs while averaging 5.9 runs and they’ve gotten little production from Marcus Semien. The OVER is 5-0-1 in their last six games.
Nearly everything has gone right for Torey Lovullo and the DBacks this postseason. Under any previous playoff format the team wouldn’t have qualified but they took advantage of the expanded field getting hot at the right time. They don’t have to outscore the Rangers to win the series, but they will need runs to offset the lineup on the other side. Corbin Carroll had a big Game 7 in the NLCS but otherwise looked overwhelmed in the postseason. The DBacks need the bats and I don’t know where those are in the lineup. The Rangers used a strong 1-2 punch of Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery to win the AL pennant with that duo and the offense making the Rangers a strong World Series bet to claim a title.
Check out the latest World Series odds at BetRivers.
