World Series Game 4: Texas Rangers v Arizona Diamondbacks – live | World Series

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, top 2nd

Castro’s first two pitches to Heim are out of the zone. 2-0. Heim takes the next pitch, but this one’s a called strike. 2-1. Heim fouls the next pitch off. 2-2. One high changeup later, it’s a full count. 3-2. Heim grounds out. Jung takes second on the play, but there are two outs in the inning.

With Jonah Heim up, the Diamondbacks make their first of many pitching changes. It looks as though they want righthander Miguel Castro.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, top 2nd

Nathaniel Lowe is up and then he’s down, striking out on three pitches. That is, uh, not a productive out with a runner on second and nobody out.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, top 2nd

Mantiply is back out for the second inning, facing Josh Jung. We’ll see how many outs Arizona will attempt to get out of their opener here. On a 2-2 count, Jung hits a ball into the outfield that makes it all the way to the wall. Jung is in with a double and the Rangers have their first hit of the game.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, bottom 1st

Christian Walker is up with two out and a runner on third. I wonder if the Diamondbacks are going to attempt a steal here and Marte takes off! And Jonah Heim throws him out! That’s a caught stealing to end the inning! To the second!

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, bottom 1st

Gabriel Moreno falls behind early against Heaney and eventually strikes out swinging. That’s two straight k’s for Heaney.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, bottom 1st

Heaney faces Corbin Carroll next and gets him to strike out swinging on three pitches for the first out of the bottom of the inning.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, bottom 1st

Andrew Heaney faces Ketel Marte to start the bottom of the first. Heaney’s first pitch is a ball. 1-0. Heaney falls behind 2-1, a hitter’s count, and he rifles the next pitch into centerfield for a leadoff hit.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, top 1st

Evan Carter is up with two out and one on. Carter’s reached base in every postseason game so far but he’ll need work to keep up this street as he flies out to the center on an 0-2 count. That’s the end of the top of the first, the Diamondbacks will have their first turn to bat next.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, top 1st

Mitch Garver is up next. He swings and misses at a changeup, takes a ball and then swings and misses at a curve that just touches the corner. He’s promptly down 1-2 and forced to revert into “staying alive” mode. He fouls off the next offering. The next pitch is far too high and Garver lays off. 2-2. The next pitch is a curve off the corner, so he’s worked a full count. The next pitch is a ball and the Rangers have their first baserunner thanks to a base on balls.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, top 1st

Corey Seager is up and immediately flies out after being booed lustily by the Arizona crowd.

Rangers 0-0 Diamondbacks, top 1st

Mantiply falls behind 3-1 before Semien swings and misses to make it a full count. He fouls off the next two pitches before grounding out to shortstop for the first out of the game.

First pitch

The funniest possible outcome here, which means it’s on the table.

Alright, we’re getting close to the official start time! Real baseball coming soon.

National anthem

100%. I recommend putting on some coffee to stay up for this one, because this probably will be the longest nine-inning game of the series. I suppose it could go to extra innings, but it definitely feels like one of those game that won’t be close. I know, famous last words.

Predictions

This was a harder prediction before today’s injury news. The Rangers have the ability to do major damage to any bullpen but that’s also their key weakness, as the Diamondbacks proved in their lopsided victory in Game 2.

It feels like it might come down to the fact that Scherzer had to leave yesterday’s game in the third inning with a back injury. With the exception of the utterly unreliable Chapman, who allowed the only Arizona run and nearly blew the game, Texas’s bullpen did a remarkable job of keeping the Diamondbacks’ batters at bay. The Rangers have now rattled off nine straight road wins in the postseason, a MLB record.

I’m guessing that streak ends today, especially with Texas missing García. While this should be a back-and-forth affair, with the Rangers having a shot until the final innings when the Diamondbacks pull away. I’m guessing something like a 10-7 Arizona win. The only thing I guarantee is that it won’t be a pitching duel.

Your predictions? Send them to us either by email (to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com) or by using Twitter/X/The Bird Site/Whatever You Call It These Days (to @HunterFelt). We’ll incorporate them throughout today’s liveblog.

Diamondbacks lineup

1. Ketel Marte, 2B

2. Corbin Carroll, RF

3. Gabriel Moreno, C

4. Christian Walker, 1B

5. Tommy Pham, DH

6. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF

7. Alek Thomas, CF

8. Emmanuel Rivera, 3B

9. Geraldo Perdomo, SS

Starting pitcher: Joe Mantiply

For the first time this postseason, Evan Longoria is out, replaced by Emmanuel Rivera at third.

Rangers starting lineup

1. Marcus Semien, 2B

2. Corey Seager, SS

3. Mitch Garver, DH

4. Evan Carter, LF

5. Josh Jung, 3B

6. Nathaniel Lowe, 1b

7. Jonah Heim, C

8. Leody Taveras, CF

8. Josh Jung, 3B

9. Travis Jankowski, RF

Starting pitcher: Andrew Heaney

Obviously, Jankowski is in for García

Adolis García out

As one probably would have guessed after witnessing his injury late in Game 3, Adolis García will be out for today’s game and for the remainder of the World Series.

Not to state the obvious, but this is a huge loss for the Rangers, given that García already set the postseason RBI record earlier this series. Meanwhile losing Scherzer, although a lesser concern, seriously hurts Texas’s already-thin pitching depth.

Preamble

Welcome to Game 4 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Our first major news update: It’s Halloween! It’s Halloween!

It’s time for scares. For instance, the Rangers losing both clutch outfielder Adolis García and starting pitcher Max Scherzer to injuries on their way to a 3-1 victory in yesterday’s Game 3.

It’s time for screams! For instance, the screams of Diamondbacks fans should they go on to lose two straight home games to fall into a 3-1 deficit.

The big reason the Rangers have taken a 2-1 World Series lead has been Corey Seager. Seager hit a two-run homer to give Texas a lead in Game 3 and he helped preserve it by helping turn a dazzling double play to help Aroldis Chapman out of late-inning trouble. Combined with his series changing game-tying blast in Game 1, he’s showing early signs of being World Series MVP should the Rangers manage to win. Certainly, they’ll need him to keep this up given that García is now a question mark for the rest of the series.

Also this Halloween we will have one of the scariest things imaginable for baseball purist: a bullpen game! In theory, the Rangers are starting little used Andrew Heaney (a 6.00 ERA in 6.0 innings pitched) while the Diamondbacks are sticking with key reliever Joe Mantiply (a 4.26 ERA in 6.1 innings pitched).

As you can tell by those innings pitched numbers, these are less “starters” than “openers.” Heaney and Mantiply will only be the first pitchers to emerge from what will most likely be an endless revolving door of relievers. Game 4 will come down to which team can best take advantage of the other team’s bullpen. If the Diamondbacks pull through, they will even the series out at 2-2 ensuring that the World Series lasts at least six games. If the Rangers win, they will put Arizona on the verge of elimination with a chance to clinch a championship in tomorrow’s Game 5.

Who will emerge victorious? We’ll find out in a few hours here. Until then, feel free to send us your thoughts, commentary, jokes and questions and we’ll use them throughout today’s liveblog. You can email them to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com or Tweet them to @HunterFelt.

It’s the Texas Rangers vs the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field for Game 4 of the 2023 World Series. First pitch is scheduled at 8:03 PM EST but we’ll be back well before then with further updates.

Hunter will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s the report from Game 3 on Monday night.