ATLANTA — Adolis García’s career was founded on his embrace of extremes.
Adolis Garcia With a walk-off bomb, García smashes the playoff RBI record
He is, after all, the MVP of the American League Championship Series, “El Bombi,” the rare player who can hit a grand slam after striking out four times, the villain who gets booed like Michael Jordan did in Houston, and the unlikeliest of stories—an undrafted rookie who was twice assigned to the minor league who goes on to become a two-time All-Star.
García would undoubtedly rise to the occasion on the greatest stage of his career when it came to Game 1 of the World Series. He also cemented his position in the postseason record books when he led Texas to a 6-5 victory against the D-backs on Friday night at Globe Life Field with a walk-off home run in the eleventh inning.
Game 2 of the World Series, sponsored by Capital One: FOX, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT tonight (pregame at 7 ET).
Corey Seager said, “Special players step up in moments like this and he’s done it for us all season.”
His solo blast to the opposite field gave him 22 RBIs in October, surpassing David Freese’s 21 during the Cardinals’ 2011 World Series run. in is the most RBIs in an AL/NL postseason in history.
Adolis Garcia
García hits five home runs in a row.
For the fifth consecutive game, García hit a home run, which is the second-longest streak in playoff history. In addition, he equaled the record for the second-longest run of RBIs in postseason history with seven straight games, set in 2009 by Ryan Howard.
Through translator Will Nadal, García remarked in Spanish, “It’s just something where God has given me the opportunity to have a little piece of history in the MLB postseason.” “I think it’s excellent.”
García accomplished all of this by defying the extremes that have made him famous, including his enormous powerhouse home run, high strikeout and pursuit rates, and the emotions he displays during long home run trots.
With a feast-or-famine mindset, the 30-year-old burst out in 2021, hitting 31 home runs and recording high chase (35.7%, sixth percentile) and strikeout (31.2%, fifth percentile) rates.
Adolis Garcia
An even more formidable version of “El Bombi” has been unleashed in 2023 thanks to an offseason focused on managing the strike zone and making better swing choices. Reducing his worst whiffs, walking at a career-high pace (10.3%, 74th percentile), and maintaining every bit of his unique power were all achieved by García.
From the first at-bat on Friday night, the better García was clearly visible. The World Series’ hardest-hit ball since Statcast started keeping track of it in 2015 was an RBI single that the right fielder crushed at 116 mph after working the count to 3-1.
In the third, he proceeded with a six-pitch walk, which was his first playoff free pass. He also brushed off a hit-by-pitch on his hand to steal second and spark a possible rally in the tenth inning after a valiant eight-pitch single in the ninth.
Manager Bruce Bochy said, “He’s doing such a great job of controlling his emotions, so to speak, where he’s not overswinging and he’s staying under control.” “It’s entertaining to watch him do that.”Naturally, Bryan Abreu of the Astros famously plunked García, causing a bench-clearing fracas during Game 5 of the ALCS. Being the emotional center of the Rangers, his lengthy, spectacular home run trots and sympathetic bat flips and slams have been inextricably linked to him as a player. Occasionally, however, García’s valor is so immense that it speaks for itself. After making a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch to rob Corbin Carroll of extra bases in the top of the ninth, he hardly had time to celebrate.
It was the most subdued Adolis García home run celebration ever when he turned on a 96.7 mph sinker from D-backs reliever Miguel Castro for the game-winning shot in the 11th inning. He carried his bat to watch the ball leave the park before a light toss and then Eurostepped his way into his teammates’ waiting arms at home plate to celebrate.
“El Bombi” chants came from the Rangers’ clubhouse and echoed from the fans. As he has done after every memorable occasion in his career, the Cuban outfielder remained modest, praising God and acknowledging Kyle Seager’s game-tying two-run bomb in the ninth inning.
source : USA TODAY
