Despite a plunking, Adolis García powers Rangers to World Series with record ALCS performance
Rangers slugger Adolis García was named the AL Championship Series MVP after setting a record for RBIs in a postseason series with 15 and extending his home run streak to four games by going deep twice in Game 7 as Texas beat the Houston Astros 11-4 on Monday night to clinch the pennant.
García stretched his RBI streak to six games with a single in the first inning of the pennant-deciding game. He added an opposite-field solo homer in the third, a two-run single in the fourth and then went deep again in the eighth to push the Rangers to an 11-3 lead. He's also the first player with RBIs in six straight games within a postseason series.
The Cuban slugger known as "El Bombi" broke the previous postseason record held by Nelson Cruz. Cruz had 13 RBIs for the Rangers in the 2011 ALCS against Detroit, which was the last time they went to the World Series.
García has 20 RBIs in these playoffs, the most ever by a player before the start of the World Series. He's one shy of David Freese's mark in 2011 for most RBIs in a postseason overall.
It has been an eventful series for García, who hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning of Game 5, when he spiked the bat and took a slow trot after putting the Rangers ahead. In his following at-bat, he was hit on the top of the left arm by a 98.8 mph fastball from Bryan Abreu.
When García immediately turned and got into the face of catcher Martin Maldonado, the benches and bullpens cleared and the game was delayed about 12 minutes before order was restored. Umpires determined that Abreu intentionally threw at the slugger, who was also ejected for his aggressive reaction. Abreu was suspended two games, a punishment delayed until the start of the next regular season after Abreu appealed.
Houston won that game 5-4 on Jose Altuve's three-run homer in the ninth.
García — amid a chorus of boos from the Houston crowd — then struck out in his first four at-bats in Game 6 on Sunday night, before hitting a grand slam in the ninth inning of a 9-2 win that forced the deciding game. He began Game 7 with hits in his first three at-bats.
Rangers fans celebrate!