World Series: The Return of Marcus Semien leads Texas to a game four victory

The Texas Rangers offense had their coming out party in a game-four win that was over within the first three innings. Texas battered Arizona's attempt at a bullpen game. They put five runs up in the second and five runs up in the third all with two outs. It was a remarkable level of production considering that the team had lost their top RBI guy in Adolis Garcia to an oblique injury in game 3. Garcia was removed from the roster prior to the start of the game.

Texas has practiced the next man-up mentality throughout this 2023 season. When Corey Seager went down, Ezequiel Duran stepped up. When Jacob deGrom went down, Dane Dunning stepped up. When Adolis Garcia went down, Evan Carter stepped up. The question was not would Texas be able to respond? The question was who would step up in Garcia's absence?

Next Man up is Marcus Semien

The answer to that question at least in game four was Marcus Semien. The first guy to commit to Texas back in the 2021 offseason. The leadoff hitter for every game Texas has played this season. Semien had been struggling throughout the postseason. He was making weak contact, not really driving the ball, and only had two extra-base hits in the first 15 games postseason games played. He had not made near the impact he did during the regular season when he led the league in hits. He started to turn it around in game three with an RBI single. Tuesday night he announced himself fully back.

Semien was getting to ready to come to the plate in the second when a wild pitch squirted past catcher Gabriel Moreno allowing Josh Jung to score from third. Semien then followed a Taveras walk and a Travis Jankowski single with a two-run triple to increase the lead to 3-0. Semien who has been primarily pitched on the outside corner was able to hit a slider on the outside corner and pull it into the left corner.

Semien then came up again in the third. Texas had already scored two at this point in the third on a Jankowski two-run double. Semien then came up with two runners on and accomplished a first for this postseason.

Semien hit his first home run of the postseason and his first home run since September 27th against the Los Angeles Angels. That three-run home run gave Semien five RBIs in the game and it staked Texas out to a 10-0 lead in the third inning. Semien once again took a pitch low and away and was able to pull the ball into the left-field stands. Texas needed someone to fill that hole created by the Garcia injury and Semien stepped up and filled it admirably, giving Texas run-scoring production from the leadoff spot that they have not had all postseason.

Texas then put it on cruise control and Andrew Heaney was able to pitch very well in his five innings. The only hiccup really came in the eighth and ninth when Brock Burke, Chris Stratton, and Will Smith combined to give up six runs in the last two innings. Jose Leclerc was able to close it down and give Texas a 3-1 lead in the series.

The World Series is not over yet

Marcus Semien was the star of the night. His at-bats really helped Texas lengthen the lead and forced Torey Lovullo to use more of his pen than I am sure he wanted to. Semien much like the rest of the team knows the job is not done yet. This is what he had to say after the game.

It's huge, this is where we want to be. It's a one game at a time mentality so we get some rest tonight and understand that we need to focus on what we need to do to win the ball game

Texas has put themselves in a great position but the series is not over. Teams have come back from down 3-1. The last instance of that was 2016 when the Cubs overcame a 3-1 deficit by winning game five at home and then games six and seven on the road. Semien realizes that and I am sure Bochy will be reminding the team of that throughout Wednesday. Nothing is accomplished yet.

Texas will be sending Nathan Eovaldi to the mound and he will be trying to win the third-clinching game of the postseason for Texas. Arizona will send Zac Gallen to the mound. Game time is once again at 7:03pm from Arizona. If Texas wins the series is over and if Arizona wins both teams come back to Arlington for game six and if necessary game seven.

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