Dominican Republic's Leody Taveras' Texas Watchers advance to the American League American League Championship Series. On Tuesday night, the Watchmen completed the three-game sweep over Jorge Mateo's Baltimore Orioles in the American League Division Series in overwhelming fashion.
Seager Brightness in the Field
The Watchmen had a six-run lead after two innings and the final score of Game 3 was 7-1. Texas awaits the winner of the ALDS Series between the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins. Houston leads that series 2-1.
Game 3 was the first postseason home game for the Lookouts at Globe Life Field. It was also the first postseason home win for the Lookouts since Game 5 of the 2011 World Series. They had lost their last four home games in October.
The four-year-old stadium hosted the NLDS, NLCS and World Series during the pandemic season in 2021, although the Watchmen did not qualify.
There is no ALDS Most Valuable Player award, but if there were, Corey Seager would win it easily.
Seager opened the Game 3 scoring with a solo home run in the first inning to give Texas a 1-0 lead, then was intentionally walked in the second inning to set up his five-run streak.
The home run was Seager's eighth in 19 postseason games at Globe Life Field. He played three rounds there with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2020 pandemic season.
Seager hit 1-for-2 with the home run and two walks in Game 3, and 2-for-6 with nine walks in the three-game ALDS. He has proven to be worth every penny of his 10-year, $325 million contract. Garver, meanwhile, hit with the bases loaded in Games 2 and 3. He hit a grand slam in Game 2 and a two-run double in Game 3.
Mitch Garver followed with a two-run double and then Adolis Garcia connected on a three-run home run.
It's important to note that Garver wasn't even in the starting lineup in the two Wild Card Series games or Game 1 of the ALDS.
Robbie Grossman manned the designated hitter position in those three games. Something says Garver will be in the lineup in Game 1 of the ALCS.
For Taveras, advancing to the next round is a step closer to the big leagues. The Dominican has been consistent in the field. For Taveras, the Vigilantes are getting closer and closer to being champions.
#PorSiTeLoPerdiste: José Leclerc secured our pass to the #ALCS!
📹 @FOXDeportes #GoAndTakeIt | #PuroTejas pic.twitter.com/VoLU23NZp4
- Texas Rangers (@losrangers) October 11, 2023
The Orioles Never Raised Their Head
The Orioles went the entire regular season without being swept. In fact, they hadn't been swept since May 13-15, 2022, at Comerica Park by the Detroit Tigers. That was a week before Adley Rutschman was called up.
The ALDS is the first time in the Rutschman era that the Orioles have been swept. Pretty incredible.
The Orioles' streak of not being swept in the regular season reaches 91 series. That's the third-longest streak in history, behind the 1942-44 St. Louis Cardinals, with 125 series, and the 1903-06 New York Giants, with 106 series.
It's an impressive streak, but the Orioles don't care much about it at this point.
The Orioles return home. Baltimore had a tremendous season, with 101 wins that are certainly a source of pride, but it ended sooner than they would have liked.
As for the Lookouts, they have advanced to the ALCS for the first time since winning back-to-back AL pennants in 2010 and 2011.
The team is hoping for a Twins win over the Astros on Wednesday, as that series is beneficial for Texas.
Either way, the Watchmen have earned a break and will reset in the coming days. The ALCS begins Sunday and the Lookouts are likely to pitch Montgomery and Eovaldi in Games 1 and 2, respectively.
