Bullpen match for both teams in J4

For the first time in World Series history, both teams will send their starters to the mound Tuesday in Game 4 of the Major League Baseball World Series, scheduled to be held at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The Texas Rangers took the lead in the event by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 on Monday before 48,517 fans. Shortstop Corey Seager hit a two-run homer and the bullpen, one of Texas’ few dark spots all season, pitched six one-run innings.

For Game 4, Andrew Heaney (0-0, 6.00 in 6.0 IL), who has two starts and two reliefs in the postseason, will start for the Rangers, while Joe Mantiply (2-0, 4.26 in 6.2 IL), who after eight playoff appearances, will start for the Diamondbacks for the second time.

Although neither of the lefties are scheduled to go far in the game, their teams hope to have them for more than one inning.

There has only been one game in World Series history in which both starters pitched one inning or less, and it was Game 4 of the 1932 classic, which was started by Johnny Allen (0.2 IL). for the New York Yankees and Guy Bush (0.1 IL) for the Chicago Cubs.

There were at least five occasions in which World Series starters did not go more than two innings, but none occurred since he began using a reliever as a starter. The 2018 Tampa Bay Rays are credited with being the first team to regularly use the concept.

In the first three games, the Rangers used Nathan Eovaldi, Adam Montgomery and Max Scherzer, while the Diamondbacks used Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt, who on Monday allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the lead. . He defeats because of the little offensive support he received from his teammates.

“It was very important, considering what we’re going to go through tomorrow,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said of the importance of Pfaadt being in the box in the sixth inning.

“But pitching into the sixth inning and giving us a little bit more was a big moment for him because I know I extended him a little bit and he accepted that responsibility. He did enough to win the baseball game. Unfortunately we couldn’t get him any support in the race. That was the difference in the game for me,” Lovullo added.

Before Monday’s game, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Jon Gray was his most likely starting pitcher on Tuesday, but Gray had to come in on an emergency basis in the fourth inning in place of Scherzer, who left after three blank entries. . due to back stiffness. Gray, 29, has started 204 of his 205 games in nine years in the majors, but in the postseason he has been relegated to Bochy’s bullpen. The right-hander only pitched one inning in the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, which lasted a maximum of seven games.

But the right-hander was key in the Rangers’ second victory, pitching three big one-hit innings to hold the Diamondbacks scoreless into the sixth inning and take credit for the won game.

Gray is the second pitcher in the last six editions of the World Series to throw three one-hit innings. The other was Mexican José Urquidy, of the Astros, in 2022.

“He is really thriving in this role. He is very confident. I’ll start by saying that right now he is healthy and excited about his role,” Bochy said of Gray. “He was dealing with the arm, but now returning to who he is, he knows that he is taking the ball where he wants, his speed, his control,” he added.

We only had him for one inning [in the championship series], but every time he goes out he gets stronger. So we can use it on multiple inputs. Tonight there were three. “To be honest, he probably could have gone further,” the Texas driver said.