His glove remains golden, but the Rangers’ Marcus Semien’s bat can’t find the ball
A World Series should never be a sweep, and the Texas Rangers made sure that this version will go at least five games.
On a night after the Rangers rallied to win one of the most exciting games in the history of the World Series, Game 2 offered all of the thrills and excitement for Rangers fans as opening a box of used socks on Christmas morning.
Arizona starting pitcher Merrill Kelly made sure of that, and the Diamondbacks neutered the Rangers bats for a 9-1 win in Game 2 of the World Series at Globe Life Mall. on Saturday.
As deflating as Game 1 was for the Diamondbacks, they are not going to be “an easy out” with their pitching.
The series is tied, and moves to the land of chain restaurants in the desert for the next three games. Game 3 is Monday evening in Phoenix.
“We’d be naive to think we’re going to run away with this against this team,” Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said after the game.
Since we’re on the topic of baseball bats that are riddled with invisible holes, and or are broken, Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien may want to see exactly what he’s swinging. At the moment, his bat may be the size of a broom handle.
The Rangers have advanced all the way to this World Series despite getting an alarming amount of nothing from their previously reliable All-Star. Semien was 1-for-4 against Arizona in Game 2 with two strikeouts.
His one hit, a single up the middle, came in the bottom of the ninth inning with the team trailing by eight. That actually improved his batting average in the playoffs to .193.
He is now 2-for-10 in the World Series, and continually so ineffective that you would have to think Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is considering dropping Semien down from the top spot in the lineup.
He is 12-for-62 in these playoffs with six walks and 10 strikeouts.
He said after the game he feels like he is having quality at bats, which says something. At some point, however, that quality at bats need results.
“Just want to keep grinding. Baseball is a grind,” he said. “It will always continue to be a grind.”
The Rangers are not giving him a day off for any reason, but he is clearly feeling the weight of these moments and trying to swing his way out of a slump at the worst possible time.
“Pressing gets you nowhere. Been playing this game a long time and I am sure early on in my career I learned that,” he said. “Just want to build off my last at bat.”
This is not the player the Rangers saw during the regular season when Semien was an All-Star.
He played in 162 games and hit .276 with 29 home runs and 100 RBIs. Not sure what happened to that player but his bat did not make the plane to the playoffs.
The glove did.
Semien has contributed his normal Gold Glove caliber defense. He has made several plays at second during these playoffs that prevented runs or base runners from reaching first.
The Rangers defense, overall, is one of the biggest reasons why they are in the World Series.
He has to do something offensively.
It wasn’t just Semien’s bat that took the night off on Saturday. The Rangers collected but four hits, the same figure as Arizona designated hitter Tommy Pham.
Other than Mitch Garver’s solo home run, the Rangers’ bats were worthless against Kelly, who went seven innings and allowed three hits with nine strikeouts.
“He just had it going tonight,” Lowe said. “He was not missing.”
Winning a World Series via a sweep is statistically like rain not on your wedding day but more rain like in the middle of the summer in Texas when you desperately want it. It doesn’t happen.
Only 21 times has a World Series ended in a sweep, and the Rangers made sure that no brooms are necessary against the Diamondbacks.
That’s the way it should be.
But since we’re on the subject of household wares that can be used for bats, Marcus Semien may want to start swinging a Louisville Slugger rather than a broom handle.
This story was originally published October 28, 2023 at 10:25 PM.
