Diamondbacks stun Phillies 4-2 in Game 7 of NLCS to reach first World Series in 22 years
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Corbin Carroll went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and the Arizona Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series for the first time in 22 years by stunning the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. Arizona plays the Texas Rangers in the World Series, with Game 1 set for Friday night at Globe Life Field. In their only other trip to the Fall Classic, the Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees in a seven-game thriller in 2001. The young Diamondbacks, who at 84-78 squeezed into the playoffs as the final National League wild card, completed their comeback from an 0-2 hole in the NLCS by taking early leads in Games 6 and 7 to win the final two in Philadelphia.
Longshot World Series: Diamondbacks vs Rangers is a Fall Classic few saw coming
The Arizona Diamondbacks meet the Texas Rangers in a longshot World Series, a matchup that had 1,750 to 1 odds when wagering opened last fall. But in an era when 12 teams make the playoffs, sustained excellence over the six-month regular season has become a boarding pass, not the journey. The World Series opens Friday night at Globe Life Field. Major League Baseball has its third all-wild card meeting, a Grand Canyon vs. Lone Star finale of second-place teams played in air-conditioned ballparks under retractable roofs — potentially the first all-indoor World Series.
Rangers back in World Series, 12 years after twice being 1 strike from title
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers are back in the World Series for the first time since twice being within one strike of winning the 2011 title. They entered this season with a franchise-long streak of six consecutive losing seasons, including 102 losses just two years ago. The Rangers wrapped up a seven-game AL Championship Series with an 11-4 win Monday against the Houston Astros, last year’s world champs. Texas now hosts Game 1 of the Word Series against Arizona on Friday night. That will be 12 years to the date after Game 6 when the Cardinals were twice down to their final strike. St. Louis beat Texas in 11 innings, then finished off the World series the next night.
