Rangers cap one-sided sweep of O's, advance to ALCS

Field Level Media|published: Tue 10th October, 23:07 2023

Oct 10, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc (25) and catcher Jonah Heim (28) celebrate after defeating the Baltimore Orioles in game three of the ALDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Globe Life Field. credits: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

Adolis Garcia smacked a three-run homer, Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe also went deep and the Texas Rangers routed the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on Tuesday night at Arlington, Texas, to earn a spot in the American League Championship Series.

Mitch Garver contributed a two-run double as Texas swept the best-of-five AL Division Series in three games. Garver, Garcia and Josh Jung each had two hits for the Rangers, who outscored the Orioles 21-11 in the series.

Nathan Eovaldi (2-0) allowed one run and five hits over seven innings for Texas. He struck out seven and walked none in his second straight stellar effort this postseason.

Texas will face either the Houston Astros or Minnesota Twins in the AL Championship Series, with Game 1 on Sunday in either Houston or Minneapolis. It will be the Rangers' first trip to the ALCS since making back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and '11.

Gunnar Henderson had three hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who have lost nine straight playoff games dating back to 2012. Baltimore won an AL-best 101 games in the regular season.

The contest was the first at home for the Rangers since Sept. 24. Texas had played its previous 11 games — seven to end the regular season, four to start the playoffs — on the road.

Seager came up as the second batter in the game against Dean Kremer (0-1) and hammered a 445-foot homer into the seats in right-center. The blast was his first of the playoffs and 14th postseason shot of his career.

Texas loaded the bases with two outs in the second before Garver ripped a double down the third base line to score two. The big hit came two days after Garver hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in Game 2.

Garcia followed with a three-run blast to left center to make it 6-0 and end Kremer's night. The 418-foot shot was Garcia's second career postseason homer, both coming this year.

Baltimore got on the board in the fifth inning when Henderson's two-out single scored Jordan Westburg from second.

Lowe led off the sixth with a 437-foot homer off Kyle Gibson. It was the first postseason blast of Lowe's career.

In the eighth, the Orioles loaded the bases with two outs against Aroldis Chapman before Jose Leclerc entered and retired pinch hitter Aaron Hicks on a grounder. Leclerc retired the side in order in the ninth.

Kremer allowed six runs and seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out none.

—Field Level Media