The Texas Rangers kept Game 3 of the World Series scoreless thanks to their defense — and Christian Walker keeping his head down.
Christian Walker is thrown out by Adolis Garcia after blowing through the stop sign!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2023
: FOX pic.twitter.com/wXM9RbieFp
Walker led off the second inning with a double for the Arizona Diamondbacks. When Tommy Pham followed with a single to right, Walker sprinted around third — totally missing that third-base coach Tony Perezchica had switched from waving him home to putting up the stop sign. Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia threw him out.
Garcia is a Gold Glove finalist who had 11 assists this season. After winning MVP in the American League Championship Series with 15 RBI against the Astros, Garcia proved he could also help win playoff games with his arm. The Diamondbacks might not have wanted to test Garcia's arm, but Walker did and learned a quick lesson.
Arizona still had a runner on second, but Texas escaped the inning on a play where starter Max Scherzer had an unintentional assist on a 1-5-3 putout. Alek Thomas hit one up the middle right off Scherzer's back, but third baseman Josh Jung managed to nail the speedy Thomas at first and end the inning.
JOSH JUNG, WHAT A PLAY!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2023
The Rangers get out of the inning unscathed!
: FOX pic.twitter.com/U4A1KDbvku
Jung isn't one of Texas' four Gold Glove finalists, but he still made the play. Arizona was scoreless through three innings of Game 3, and it's due to what's happened around third base.
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