Rangers' Marcus Semien enjoys historic day at the plate in Simulated World Series
How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.
We all knew the Texas Rangers could hit. Just not THIS well.
In one of the most dominant displays of slugging in postseason history, the Rangers bashed six home runs – including three from second baseman Marcus Semien – on their way to an 18-3 blowout of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series.
Semien broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with an RBI single, then hit a three-run homer in the sixth, a grand slam in the seventh and – just for good measure – another grand slam in the eighth on his way to a ridiculous 12 RBI in the game. (If you're wondering, the record for most RBI in a World Series game is six by Bobby Richardson, Hideki Matsui, Albert Pujols and Addison Russell.)
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager hit two home runs of his own and Mitch Garver added a solo shot as part of a 20-hit Texas ambush.
BOX SCORE: Rangers 18, Diamondbacks 3
FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Semien smashes World Series record with 12 RBI
How it happened
There wasn't a whole lot of nuance to this one as the Rangers kicked their offense into overdrive with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
To that point, starters Zac Gallen of Arizona and Nathan Eovaldi of Texas had kept the other team's bats in check.
The Rangers broke through with consecutive one-out singles from Josh Jung, Leody Taveras and Semien to go up 2-1. Seager then followed with a massive 515-foot blast to right to open up a 5-1 lead.
Although the D-backs got a run back in the sixth on Tommy Pham's RBI single, the Rangers broke the game open against the Arizona bullpen. Relievers Ryan Thompson, Miguel Castro and Kyle Nelson were hammered for 13 runs over the final three innings – with all three giving up home runs to Semien.
What to watch in (the real) Game 1
We can't take a whole lot from this Game 1 simulation – other than the fact that the Rangers sure can hit. But look for plenty of offense with the warm temperatures (it was 81 degrees at first pitch in our simulation), especially if the roof at Globe Life Field is open.
Big bats: The Rangers led the American League in scoring during the regular season (5.4 runs/game), and they've stepped up their production even more in the playoffs (5.9 runs/game). The Diamondbacks will need a strong start from Gallen to get them to the relievers they trust most – Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald – before the game has a chance to get out of hand.
Long lineup: One of the reasons Semien was able to drive in 12 runs (as a leadoff hitter, no less) was because of how productive the lower part of the Texas lineup can be. The 7-8-9 hitters – Nate Lowe, Josh Jung and Leody Taveras – went a combined 8-for-13 with eight runs scored in Sim Series Game 1. If they set the table, the mashers at the top of the order will feast.
Catchers in spotlight: Arizona's only home run in Game 1 came from rookie catcher Gabriel Moreno, who has played a huge role in his team's success, both on offense and defense. His defensive skills are superb – with the highest possible A ratings for fielding range and pitch blocking, and a throwing arm rating (-3) that very few catchers can match.
On the other side, the Rangers' Jonah Heim is also very good defensively with an elite A grade for handling pitchers and pitch framing. His throwing arm rating (-2) is just a tick below Moreno's, but will be very important in containing the Diamondbacks' running game that caused so many problems for the Philadelphia Phillies in the final two games of the NLCS.
Simulate your own World Series. Get a FREE one-month subscription to Dynasty League Baseball online by going to DynastyLeagueBaseball.com, selecting the monthly option and entering code USA2 at checkout.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Series Game 1 simulation: Marcus Semien's 3 HR lead Rangers rout
