Adolis García played the role of hero once more in a Texas Rangers postseason win, something that has been a recurring theme during these playoffs. Corey Seager’s two-run ninth inning homerun off Paul Sewald set the stage for the outfielder from Ciego de Ávila, Cuba.
With one out in the bottom of the 11th frame García connected on a game-winning opposite field solo-shot off Arizona reliever Daniel Castro giving the Rangers a 6-5 victory in Game 1 of the World Series. With his eighth longball of the postseason he also set a record for RBI in the playoffs with 22, breaking David Freese’s mark set in 2011.
The Cuban slugger saw his average jump to a robust .357 in the extra phase of the MLB season and he also boasts a robust 1.204 OPS. Without a doubt García is not only the leader of this team, but also the heart and soul of this squad from the Lone Star state.
Good morning, @Rangers fans!
The Spanish broadcast call of García's #walkoff home run is one you won't wanna miss. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/7J5WKyIFlJ
— MLB (@MLB) October 28, 2023
So you get hit again in the ninth inning and then the walk-off home run. Seems like this is the whole pattern of the playoffs, isn’t it?
Yeah, you can’t deny it. He hit me in that situation, but my focus is on just having good at-bats, just putting good swings on balls. And that’s something that I think I’ve done very well.
After Game 7 in Houston you said Corey kind of hyped you guys up after the first inning home run. What did his ninth inning home run do for you guys besides obviously tying the game?
I think that he did it again. It’s a moment where what he did just gave us that spark. It pumped us all up, and it allowed us to come back out there and get that win, which was what we were trying to do.
How big was the walk, and how have you felt about controlling the strike zone recently?
I think that in these types of games that’s what you have to do. You have to get guys on base, put traffic on the bases. And that’s what’s going to give us good results.
How many more of these kind of moments do you have left in you?
I hope a lot of them.
You’re obviously focused, but could you hear your teammates in the dugout chanting “Vamos Bombi”?
I think that during the game my teammates are in the dugout, they’re pumping me up, they’re helping me out. But once I’m in that batter’s box it’s just me and the pitcher. I kind of tune everything out. But I know they’re still there providing support for me.
Can you talk about what it’s like — we’ve heard other players talk about this before — being in this zone. Some people say the ball comes slower. You see it more. What’s it like when you’re in this streak right now? And secondly what’s it mean to do something with this consecutive home streak that people like Babe Ruth never did, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays? You’re doing something that most of the great players have never done.
Like I said, just very happy to be at the opportunity to be in the history books. But like I said as well, just when I’m in the batter’s box I’m just focused and I tune out everything, every other noise, and I’m just focused on the situation
Where does that homer rank in terms of career accomplishments up to this point?
We’re in the World Series. I think, honestly, it’s the first.
Did you know the ball was gone when you made contact? What was the trip around the bases like?
I felt that I hit it well but it was a ball that went the opposite direction. So when that happens I’ve just got to make sure that I run out of home plate and run the bases.
Have you heard from the person that caught the home run, or would you like to have that ball from the fan that caught that?
I would like to have the ball, honestly. But I don’t know, really, what happened with it.