They went and took it.
The Texas Rangers are World Series champions, securing their first championship in franchise history by shutting out the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game 5 Wednesday night.
The win caps off an unlikely season in which the team went neck-and-neck with the defending champion Houston Astros — a team they later eliminated in the American League Championship Series to punch their ticket to the Fall Classic — and ended up with 90 wins after finishing nearly 30 games under .500 last year.
Wednesday’s win came on the road, but in Arlington, fans flocked to Globe Life Field to watch the game on the big screen inside the Rangers’ home park. The gathered crowd erupted with joy when the final out was called as they bore witness to history.
One of those fans was Dallas resident Jesse Vallejo, who said he’s been waiting for this moment his entire life.
“This is what baseball is,” Vallejo said. “This is community right here. It has no race, it has no political affiliation, it’s baseball. It’s the Rangers. And we did it.”
Watauga resident Gloria Sanchez, 63, has been a Rangers fan for 30 years. She’s also originally from Arizona — but couldn’t bring herself to root for the Diamondbacks.
“The journey was, like, back and forth, but I have so much faith in my Rangers and I knew they would come through,” she said.
On X (formerly known as Twitter) fans posted the hashtag #WentAndTookIt — a twist on the #GoAndTakeIt slogan the team embraced during their playoff run.
The Rangers even got a shout-out from the band Creed, whose song “Higher” was the team’s unofficial anthem this season.
Congratulations Rangers! https://t.co/rCYY29362S
— Creed (@Creed) November 2, 2023
But while fans had a lot to celebrate at the end of the game, the tone of the local watch party crowd was more muted earlier, as Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
But soon after, Texas shortstop Corey Seager slapped a single that just made it past the infield. Two batters later, Seager was driven in by a Mitch Garver single for the first run of the game.
Texas batters tacked on four more runs in the top of the ninth including a two-run homer from Marcus Semien. Pitcher Josh Sborz retired three straight Arizona batters in the bottom of the ninth to close out the game.
Seager, who also hit a trio of home runs across five World Series games, was selected as the series MVP. It’s the second time he’s received the honor: the shortstop was also the 2020 World Series MVP as a Los Angeles Dodger, and joins Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson — all Hall of Famers — as the only two-time World Series MVPs.
“We always felt confident in ourselves, you know, coming into the playoffs,” Seager said after the game. “We turned the page from not winning the division and we battled, man. We battled all year, we battled all postseason and we’re finally reaping the rewards of it.”
Seager also heaped praise on manager Bruce Bochy, who came out of retirement to lead the team in 2023.
“What he’s done for this group and what he’s done for this team — it’s unbelievable,” Seager said.
The matchup was initially seen as “unlikely”, and some viewed both teams as underdogs this season.
It was the Rangers’ third time making it to the World Series — they previously made it in 2010 and 2011.
For the Diamondbacks, it was the team's second time in the World Series. They defeated the New York Yankees in 2001.
The win came without star slugger Adolis Garcia, who along with Max Scherzer was injured in Game 3. Garcia had an impressive postseason with eight home runs in 15 games.
The Texas Rangers made history in more ways than one this season. With 11 consecutive wins on the road, they have the longest road win streak in postseason history.
The city of Arlington has scheduled the World Series victory parade for Friday. It will be a welcome celebration for fans who’ve been with the team even when there wasn’t much to celebrate.
“I feel like the fanbase has always been here,” said 32-year-old Michael Sullivan of Rockwall. “We’re still gonna be here, and we’re gonna be here all through the night.”
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