Apologies to the City of Houston (not really) for stealing your popular phrase, but the Texas Rangers, who are based in nearby Arlington, could be in for some very difficult times for the remainder of the 2023 World Series.

If what we witnessed from Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly and their incredible offense in Game-2 of the 2023 World Series on Saturday night at Globe Life Field in downtown Arlington is any indication, Bruce Bochy‘s Texas Rangers may very well be remembered as ‘also rans’ in the 2023 Fall Classic. Arizona crushed Texas 9-1 on baseball’s grandest stage on Saturday.

In his brilliant 7.0 innings pitched on Saturday night, the 35-year-old (wait for it…) Houston, TX native and eighth-round draft pick in 2010 by the Tampa Bay Rays out of Arizona State University in Tempe allowed just one run on three hits to the team that most Dodgers fans want to see prevail in baseball’s championship series.

“Just great command. He hit his spots all night, four pitches,” Bochy said postgame of Kelly’s brilliant performance. “He was on. He’s tough when he’s on. He’s been pitching well in the postseason and carried that into tonight’s game.”

That included striking out nine of Bochy’s Rangers without giving up a walk, doing so on 89 pitches, of which 63 were strikes.

And then there’s this from MLB.com‘s Paul Casella:

“Kelly became just the fifth pitcher in World Series history to complete seven innings of one-run ball with at least nine strikeouts and zero walks. The others: Clayton Kershaw (2017 Game 1), Cliff Lee (2009 Game 1), Roger Clemens (2000 Game 2) and Don Newcombe (1949 Game 1).”

That’s some pretty good company, wouldn’t you say?

But here’s the kicker. Kelly is not the Diamondbacks number one starter. That prestigious honor belongs to Friday night’s starter – 28-year-old Dbacks right-hander Zac Gallen – who allowed three runs on four hits to the Rangers in his 5.0 innings of work. Two of those three hits were doubles by Rangers rookie left fielder Evan Carter, who also drove in and scored a run in the Rangers 6-5 win over Arizona.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *