The Diamondbacks have referred to themselves as the “Answerbacks” on social media during their run to the World Series, and that nickname certainly describes Arizona’s performance in Saturday night’s Game 2.
After an extra-inning Game 1 loss that would qualify as devastating for most teams, the Diamondbacks appeared unbothered, rolling to a 9-1 win over the Rangers and tying the Fall Classic at a game apiece.
The biggest difference-maker proved to be Merrill Kelly, who didn’t allow a baserunner until the fourth inning and delivered one of the most impressive postseason starts in Diamondbacks history. Kelly allowed just one earned run over seven innings, striking out nine batters and walking none.
MORE: How fast is Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll?
Kelly set the tone early on, and Arizona’s offense rose to the occasion as the game went on. Two runs off of Jordan Montgomery in the fourth got the ball rolling, and the Diamondbacks would pile on seven more runs over the final three innings.
Tommy Pham was the catalyst, going 4-for-4 in a game dominated by small-ball. A home run by Gabriel Moreno opened the scoring for Arizona, but the rest of the night was loaded with singles, sacrifice bunts, and minor moves that made a major impact.
Small-ball helpful, but it’s not everything. Ultimately, the Diamondbacks had a whopping 16 hits, quadruple the Rangers’ total. A 16-4 hit advantage is a recipe for resounding success, and that’s what Arizona found in Game 2.
The Diamondbacks have ensured they will play a full three games at Chase Field, which will host its first World Series game in 22 years on Monday night. Rookie Brandon Pfaadt will be on the mound for Arizona, facing future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer in a battle between youth and experience.
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The Sporting News tracked. live scoring updates and highlights from Game 2 of the 2023 World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed from Arizona’s win.
Diamondbacks vs. Rangers final score
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F Diamondbacks 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 3 2 9Rangers 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
World Series results, highlights from Game 2
(All times Eastern)
Final: Diamondbacks 9, Rangers 1
11:06 p.m. — Garver lines out, and the Diamondbacks win Game 2! Arizona poured it on in the late innings, after a tremendous start by Merrill Kelly. The World Series is all even as it heads to Chase Field for the first time in 22 years.
11:05 p.m. — Brent Strom is out to talk to Frias, who’s dealing with some control issues in search of the final out.
11:01 p.m. — Luis Frias comes on and gets the second out of the inning. The Diamondbacks are an out away from tying the series.
10:57 p.m. — Seager hits one deep, but it’s caught by Thomas. That’ll be it for Saalfrank with one out in the ninth.
10:56 p.m. — Saalfrank stays in and allows a leadoff single to Semien. Like Walker, Semien is just hoping that hit is the start of something after a major slump.
Diamondbacks 9, Rangers 1
10:51 p.m. 2-RUN SINGLE — Emmanuel Rivera drives in two more runs before getting caught up between first and second. The inning is over, but that’s the Diamondbacks’ 16th hit of the night. It’s 9-1.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2023
10:49 p.m. — Gurriel singles to put a second runner on after a Jace Peterson fielder’s choice got the first out of the inning.
10:45 p.m. — Christian Walker opens the ninth inning with a single. That doesn’t mean much in terms of this game, but for a hitter who has been in a serious slump, it could mean plenty going forward.
10:41 p.m. — Review confirms Leody Taveras it out at first base after a ground ball, ending the inning. Efficient work by Saalfrank.
10:39 p.m. — Saalfrank quickly induces back-to-back groundouts.
10:36 p.m. — Andrew Saalfrank is into the game for the Diamondbacks.
10:33 p.m. — Perez strikes out Moreno to end the inning, but what an inning it was for the Diamondbacks. They’re six outs away from going home with the series tied.
Diamondbacks 7, Rangers 1
10:31 p.m. RBI SINGLE — The RBI hits do not stop for Arizona. It’s Corbin Carroll’s turn to drive home a run, and the Diamondbacks lead 7-1 with runners on the corners.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2023
Diamondbacks 6, Rangers 1
10:30 p.m. 2-RUN SINGLE — Marte extends his hitting streak in a huge way, scoring two with a clutch single off of Perez. The Diamondbacks have a commanding 6-1 lead and appear poised to even up this series.
History for Ketel Marte!! D-Backs extend their lead! pic.twitter.com/aJripz2Ui7
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 29, 2023
10:28 p.m. — And now Perez walks Perdomo to load the bases with two outs. He had an 0-2 count and let it get away.
10:25 p.m. — Perez walks Rivera to extend the inning.
10:22 p.m. — It will be Emmanuel Rivera instead of Smith for Arizona…
10:19 p.m. — Stratton strikes out Thomas, and the Diamondbacks will pinch-hit Pavin Smith for Longoria. Here comes Martin Perez to face Smith with a runner on second.
10:16 p.m. — Gurriel is just barely out at first after a successful sacrifice bunt. Arizona has been bunting left and right lately.
10:14 p.m. — Pham laces a single to center for his fourth hit of the night. Aside from the pickoff, he’s been phenomenal tonight.
10:12 p.m. — Chris Stratton is in to pitch for the Rangers.
10:09 p.m. — Seven innings, no walks, nine strikeouts for Kelly. He’s been everything the Diamondbacks needed and more. Arizona leads 4-1 through seven.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 29, 2023
10:05 p.m. — Kelly strikes out Garcia for his eighth K of the night. Dominant.
10:00 p.m. — Walker hits it right back to Dunning for the third out of the inning. Onto the bottom of the seventh, where the Rangers’ offense needs to start gathering some momentum.
9:59 p.m. — Dane Dunning comes on for the Rangers and walks Moreno to set up first and second with two outs for the struggling Walker. Walker has a chance to blow the game open.
Diamondbacks 4, Rangers 1
9:53 p.m. RBI SINGLE — The bunt is a success! Carroll singles home Longoria with two outs, extending the Diamondbacks’ lead to 4-1. Arizona is in control.
C.C. joins in on the fun! pic.twitter.com/gdI4HbY34T
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 29, 2023
9:51 p.m. — Peraldo bunts Longoria over to second as Andrew Heaney enters the game.
Diamondbacks 3, Rangers 1
9:47 p.m. RBI SINGLE — The veteran delivers! Longoria gets one past Jung at third base and scores Thomas from second. The Diamondbacks pick up a massive insurance run and lead 3-1. Montgomery’s night is done.
Longo restores the 2-run lead! pic.twitter.com/HzzO2N429y
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 29, 2023
9:45 p.m. — Alek Thomas gets ahold of a pitch from Montgomery and opens the inning with a double. He nearly tried to stretch that into a triple. Evan Longoria has a big opportunity here as Arizona gets closer to turning over its lineup.
9:43 p.m. — Wow, Kelly gets Carter to strike out and strikes out the side. A dominant inning for the veteran, who allowed hard contact the last time he faced the top of the order.
9:41 p.m. — Kelly mows down Seager for the second out of the inning. He’s handled business against the Rangers’ heavy hitters tonight.
9:39 p.m. — Semien goes down again. He’s going through a serious slump.
9:36 p.m. — Pham gets caught in no man’s land on the basepaths and is picked off at second base. That’s what can’t happen in a one-run game. Inning over as Montgomery gets through six.
Tommy Pham gets picked off BY A MILE pic.twitter.com/dlAJwlNEh0
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 29, 2023
9:33 p.m. — Tommy Pham is now 3-3 on the night after he legs out a double.
9:31 p.m. — Montgomery gets two quick outs, including a pop up by Walker as the first baseman’s struggles continue.
9:27 p.m. — Leody Taveras ends the inning with a groundout. The Rangers will have the top of the lineup up in the sixth inning.
9:25 p.m. — Peraldo stops a grounder from Jung, but he has no play on it. A two-out single for the rookie third baseman.
9:24 p.m. — Lowe hits one very deep… but not deep enough. He misses a home run by a few feet in what goes down as the second out of the inning.
9:22 p.m. — Excellent play by Christian Walker at first base on a ball that took a bizarre bounce. One away.
Christian Walker WHAT A PLAY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/JbgvUsurm0
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 29, 2023
Diamondbacks 2, Rangers 1
9:19 p.m. HOME RUN — Mitch Garver cuts Arizona’s lead in half! It’s a solo blast to left field for the veteran catcher. Rangers trail, 2-1.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2023
9:16 p.m. — Carroll hits a shallow infield pop up, and Montgomery wiggles out of that situation. The Rangers still trail by two halfway through.
9:14 p.m. — With Carroll down to his last strike, Perdomo takes off and easily steals second.
9:12 p.m. — Marte pops out for the second out of the inning.
9:10 p.m. — Perdomo delivers a single to center, so Montgomery already has some trouble to work around.
9:09 p.m. — Longoria grounds out to start the fifth. Montgomery is looking to set the tone after a rough fourth.
9:04 p.m. — Kelly survives a drive to right field by Adolis Garcia and gets the third out. All three outs were hit hard, which may be a positive sign for Texas, but right now the Diamondbacks right-hander is cruising.
9:03 p.m. — There’s the first hit of the night for the Rangers as Carter dunks a single into centerfield.
9:02 p.m. — Semien and Seager both hit the ball hard in their second at-bats, but not hard enough. That’s two quick outs for Kelly.
8:58 p.m. — Thomas hits it right to Nathaniel Lowe to end the inning, but the Diamondbacks give Kelly a huge show of support with a two-spot in the fourth.
Diamondbacks 2, Rangers 0
8:56 p.m. RBI SINGLE — The Diamondbacks are suddenly all over Montgomery. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. lofts one into the outfield to score Pham from second, and Arizona leads 2-0.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. makes it 2-0 @Dbacks! 🐍#EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/PfsNNXiaeh
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2023
8:54 p.m. — Pham hits one down the first base line for a double and his second hit of the night. Just like that, Jung’s play was a run-saver.
8:53 p.m. — Walker hits a screamer toward third base, but Josh Jung makes an outstanding play to nab him. Excellent job by Jung.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2023
Diamondbacks 1, Rangers 0
8:52 p.m. HOME RUN — Gabriel Moreno blasts one over the fence for the first run of the night! Diamondbacks lead 1-0 as the promising young catcher comes through with another huge hit.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2023
8:50 p.m. — Carroll hits a flare to the outfield, but it’s caught for the first out of the inning.
8:47 p.m. — The bananas behind home plate are not working. Kelly is through three perfect innings as pressure mounts on Arizona’s offense to give him some support.
8:44 p.m. — Josh Jung grounds out for the second out of the inning. 8 up, 8 down for Kelly.
8:42 p.m. — Kelly strikes out Lowe to open the bottom of the third.
8:37 p.m. — Marte harmlessly flies out to center, so Montgomery works around the leadoff single. He’s through three scoreless innings.
8:36 p.m. — Seager makes a really nice play to get Geraldo Perdomo at first as Thomas moves over to third. Here comes Ketel Marte with an RBI opportunity.
8:34 p.m. — Evan Longoria moves the speedy Thomas over to second base with a bunt, so Arizona has its first runner in scoring position against Montgomery. The way this game is going, every run could be massive.
8:33 p.m. — Alek Thomas delivers the Diamondbacks’ second hit of the night with a leadoff single.
8:30 p.m. — Jonah Heim gets ahold of the first pitch from Kelly and elicits a roar from the crowd, but he hit it to the deepest part of the park. Alek Thomas catches it before the warning track. Kelly and Montgomery are both sitting on only 20 pitches through two innings.
8:28 p.m. — Mitch Garver pops out to the infield as Kelly continues to work efficiently.
8:27 p.m. — Adolis Garcia grounds out to start the bottom of the second. He’ll save the hits for later.
8:24 p.m. — And just like that, Montgomery induces a double play off the bat of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. It’s a scoreless second for Montgomery, who has faced the minimum.
8:23 p.m. — Baseball is a funny game. The first hit of the night is a very soft grounder from Tommy Pham, so soft that even Josh Jung didn’t have a play at first.
8:22 p.m. — Christian Walker, going through a slump of his own, grounds out to open the second inning.
8:21 p.m. — If the goal was distracting Kelly, it hasn’t worked yet.
Lol these banana fans distracting Merrill Kelly. Love it! pic.twitter.com/M3X0Ps9uH9
— 🙂 (@LRH388) October 29, 2023
8:19 p.m. — Kelly strikes out Evan Carter to end an efficient 1-2-3 first inning. Both teams are still looking for their first baserunner.
8:18 p.m. — There are three children dressed in banana costumes behind home plate, so that’s something.
8:17 p.m. — Seager lifts a soft fly ball for the second out of the inning. Still no baserunners to this point.
8:16 p.m. — Semien strikes out to lead off the inning as his struggles continue.
8:11 p.m. — Gabriel Moreno pops pops out to end the inning. A 1-2-3 inning for a pitcher who has hit some bumps in the first inning recently.
8:09 p.m. — Corbin Carroll works a six-pitch at-bat but is retired on a chopper to Marcus Semien. Two away for Montgomery.
8:05 p.m. — Marte, batting leadoff after hitting second last night, steps in to face Montgomery and grounds out on the first pitch.
8:00 p.m. — Adrian Beltre gets the action started ahead of Game 2.
Legendary @Rangers player Adrian Beltre tosses out the first pitch for Game 2 ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/nK293p0Csj
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 28, 2023
7:58 p.m. — As the broadcast points out, Marcus Semien has been missing while the rest of the Rangers’ offense has success. Getting Semien going would be transformative for Texas’ lineup.
7:51 p.m. — Getting closer to first pitch as Pearle Peterson performs the national anthem at Globe Life Field.
7:30 p.m. — Merrill Kelly has a 2.65 ERA through three starts this postseason, but walks have popped up as an issue. Will a talented Rangers lineup let him work around any free passes?
7:10 p.m. — Rangers great Adrian Beltre is throwing out the ceremonial first pitch tonight. He said the Rangers winning the World Series would be “a little weight off” the 2011 team that came within a strike of a title.
6:40 p.m. — Adolis Garcia has a 1.204 OPS and 8 HR in this postseason. It’ll be interesting to watch how carefully the Diamondbacks pitch him after his Game 1 heroics.
6:15 p.m. — Ketel Marte, hitting streak still intact, will lead off for the Diamondbacks with Corbin Carroll batting second.
Battle back. #EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/IC0tZfzkzJ
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 28, 2023
6:00 p.m. — The Rangers are sticking with the same approach in Game 2.
Keep the momentum. #GoAndTakeIt pic.twitter.com/Yt4vanwaQn
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 28, 2023
Diamondbacks vs. Rangers start time today
Date: Saturday, Oct. 28First pitch: 8:03 p.m. ET (7:03 p.m. CT)Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Tex.
First pitch for Game 2 of the 2023 World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks is set for 8:03 p.m. ET.
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How to watch the 2023 World Series
Channel: Fox (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada)Live stream: Fox Sports app, Fubo (U.S.) | Sportsnet NOW (Canada)
Fox will carry the full World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks. Joe Davis will be handling play-by-play, while John Smoltz will provide commentary. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will be reporting from the dugouts.
For those who have cut the cord on cable, fans can find the game on the Fox Sports app or with Fubo, which offers a free trial. Canadian viewers can find the game on Sportsnet or on Sportsnet NOW.
MLB playoff schedule, results
(All times Eastern)
American League
Wild Card
Date Result Oct. 3 Rangers 4, Rays 0 Oct. 3 Twins 3, Blue Jays 1 Oct. 4 Rangers 7, Rays 1 Oct. 4 Twins 2, Blue Jays 0
Division Series
Date Result Oct. 7 TEX 3, BAL 2 (TEX, 1-0) Oct. 7 HOU 6, MIN 4 (HOU, 1-0) Oct. 8 TEX 11, BAL 8 (TEX, 2-0) Oct. 8 MIN 6, HOU 2 (Tied, 1-1) Oct. 10 HOU 9, MIN 1 (HOU, 2-1) Oct. 10 TEX 7, BAL 1 (TEX wins 3-0) Oct. 11 HOU 3, MIN 2 (HOU wins, 3-1)
Championship Series
Date Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 15 Rangers at Astros 8:15 p.m. Fox TEX 2, HOU 0 (TEX, 1-0) Oct. 16 Rangers at Astros 4:37 p.m. Fox or F TEX 5, HOU 4 (TEX, 2-0) Oct. 18 Astros at Rangers 8:03 p.m. FS1 HOU 8, TEX 5 (TEX, 2-1) Oct. 19 Astros at Rangers 8:03 p.m. FS1 HOU 10, TEX 3 (TIE, 2-2) Oct. 20 Astros at Rangers* 7:07 p.m. FS1 HOU 5, TEX 4 (HOU, 3-2) Oct. 22 Rangers at Astros* 8:03 p.m. FS1 TEX 9, HOU 2 (TIED, 3-3) Oct. 23 Rangers at Astros* 8:03 p.m. Fox or FS1 TEX 11, HOU 4 (TEX wins, 4-3)
*If necessary
National League
Wild card series
Date Result Oct. 3 Diamondbacks 6, Brewers 3 Oct. 3 Phillies 3, Marlins 1 Oct. 4 Diamondbacks 5, Brewers 2 Oct. 4 Phillies 7, Marlins 1
Division Series
Date Result Oct. 7 PHI 3, ATL 0 (PHI, 1-0) Oct. 7 ARI 11, LAD 2 (ARI, 1-0) Oct. 9 ATL 5, PHI 4 (Tied 1-1) Oct. 9 ARI 4, LAD 2 (ARI, 2-0) Oct. 11 PHI 10, ATL 2 (PHI, 2-1) Oct. 11 ARI 4, LAD 2 (ARI wins, 3-0) Oct. 12 PHI 3, ATL 1 (PHI wins, 3-1)
Championship Series
Date Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 16 Diamondbacks at Phillies 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 5, ARI 3 (PHI, 1-0) Oct. 17 Diamondbacks at Phillies 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 10, ARI 0 (PHI, 2-0) Oct. 19 Phillies at Diamondbacks 5:07 p.m. TBS ARI 2, PHI 1 (PHI, 2-1) Oct. 20 Phillies at Diamondbacks 8:07 p.m. TBS ARI 6, PHI 5 (Tied 2-2) Oct. 21 Phillies at Diamondbacks 8:07 p.m. TBS PHI 6, ARI 1 (PHI, 3-2) Oct. 23 Diamondbacks at Phillies 5:07 p.m. TBS ARI 5, PHI 1 (Tied, 3-3) Oct. 24 Diamondbacks at Phillies* 8:07 p.m. TBS ARI 4, PHI 2 (ARI wins, 4-3)
*If necessary
World Series schedule
Date Matchup Start time (ET) TV channel Result Oct. 27 Diamondbacks at Rangers 8:03 p.m. Fox TEX 6, ARI 5 (TEX, 1-0) Oct. 28 Diamondbacks at Rangers 8:03 p.m. Fox — Oct. 30 Rangers at Diamondbacks 8:03 p.m. Fox — Oct. 31 Rangers at Diamondbacks 8:03 p.m. Fox — Nov. 1 Rangers at Diamondbacks* 8:03 p.m. Fox — Nov. 3 Diamondbacks at Rangers* 8:03 p.m. Fox — Nov. 4 Diamondbacks at Rangers* 8:03 p.m. Fox —
*If necessary
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