This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Best Bets Arizona Diamondbacks vs.
Texas Rangers, World Series Game 2
The World Series kicked off with a BANG on Friday night. Arguably the most resilient team I've ever seen in any sport, the Rangers once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Down 5-3 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Corey Seager blasted a two-run tata off of Paul Sewald to send the game into extras. Then in the bottom of the 11th, the white-hot Adolis Garcia, built like a middle linebacker, said, "DADDY'S HOME" as he hit the walk-off shot to give the Rangers Game 1. What do we see for an encore in game two?
NFL fans can get in on the fun by signing up using the BetMGM bonus code to get a first-bet welcome offer worth up to $1,500 when using code ROTOBONUS. BetMGM is one of the best sports betting sites and there are plenty of other quality sportsbooks accepting credit card and PayPal.
Arizona Diamondbacks (+124) @ Texas Rangers (-146) | Over/Under 8.5
Before I dive into Game 2, I just have to vent a bit. I'm obviously annoyed that the DBacks made it into the World Series since I had a Phillies World Series ticket heading into the postseason. But I'm even more annoyed that Arizona made it and Baltimore wasn't there to greet them because of the +25000 ticket I took in June for them to face each other in the Fall Classic.
I'm actually surprised that Arizona got here considering their roster is good, but not great. When you look at the Diamondbacks' loaded farm system, I truly thought they were another year or two away from making this kind of run. If you think 'Zona is good now, wait until their future superstars like Ivan "The Hispanic Titanic" Ivan Melendez, Tommy Troy and Druw Jones etc. make it to the Show.
For the Texas Rangers, a lot of things had to fall into place. A couple big midseason pickups like Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer helped solidify the rotation, which was a big weakness. The scary part is they're doing this without their top pick in the 2023 draft, Wyatt Langford, the guy I will confidently say I was first in sports media to say is the next Mike Trout. It would have been nice to see Langford in the World Series, but with his soon-to-be-arrival, Evan Carter and Josh Jung, Texas is set up in prime position for the future.
Game 2 features a couple of starters who have been pitching in a different dimension for their respective teams. Texas is rolling out Montgomery, one the biggest reasons they have made it this far. Monty's 2023 postseason has been out of this world. He's pitched to a 2.16 ERA in four starts (five appearances) to go along with an electric 17/4 K/BB ratio across 25 innings. The Rangers have also won three of his four starts. While the Arizona offense has fared well against lefties this year (.251 average in the regular season), Monty has been locked in, so we should expect a strong start from him.
The DBacks will be throwing Merrill Kelly, who is not only coming off a career season, but has also been strong in the playoffs with a 2.65 ERA and a 17/8 K/BB ratio across three starts. Kelly's steadiness against the Phillies in Game 6 gave Arizona the juice it needed to complete the series comeback. Keeping a potent Philadelphia lineup at bay was a good test since the Power Rangers offer the same level of competence. His pitching style offers a lot more fly balls than ground balls, so keeping it in the park tonight will be the X-Factor against an offense that has a ton of power.
I've been pretty adamant this season that despite all of the big players in this Texas lineup, the guy that saved their season when they were on the brink of falling off a cliff is rookie third baseman Josh Jung. When he went down, Texas went 16-20 in his absence from Aug. 7-Sept. 17. Upon his return, the Rangers went 8-5 and secured a Wild Card berth. Of course, he's not the only factor, but it's hard to argue with the results. His presence in the lineup and in the field offers a lot of depth.
While it's a nice story from Arizona, I'm rolling with the Rangers tonight. They are the better team, and after an adrenaline rush from the Game 1 walk-off, I think it carries over into Saturday night. Additionally, my series plays were posted on Twitter prior to Game 1.
