Jordan Blackmon 2nd page MONTGOMERY^{[1, 2, 3]}

• Name	Jordan Blackmon 2nd page MONTGOMERY  [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
  Gender	Female
  HIST	Making it to the Big Apple - Sears becomes latest Sumterite to break through for the Yankees Former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears takes the field at Yankee Stadium for the first time after making the New York Yankee's Major League roster this spring. Posted Saturday, April 9, 2022 6:00 am By TIM LEIBLE tim@theitem.com There's something about the New York Yankees organization that seems to attract the best baseball players from Sumter. Back in the '50s and '60s, Bobby Richardson played on some of the best baseball teams ever assembled, sharing a lineup with likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Roger Maris. He went on to be the World Series MVP in 1960, a three time champion and an eight time All-Star. Since then, left-handed pitcher Jordan Montomgery, a Sumter High grad, has been a mainstay in the Yankee rotation when healthy. He returns to New York this spring for his fifth big league season. This spring, another Sumterite joins to storied history of the Yankees in former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears. "It's been a fun journey and I'm looking to extend it as long as I can," Sears said of earning a spot on the big league club. "I can't want to get out there and to play." It seems fitting that the only two Sumter residents on Major League rosters share a clubhouse in New York. Richardson is thrilled to see another player follow in his footsteps. "Sumter has always been my home; I always came back and couldn't wait to get back home. Both of those guys being from Sumter, I know both of them. I had lunch the other day with Jordan's father and Sears' grandfather is one of my closest friends," Richardson said of the two lefties from Sumter. "It really is exciting. "One thing I will say, they're paying a little more than when I was playing," Richardson added with a laugh. Sears had a winding path to his first season in New York. After graduating from Wilson Hall, he played three seasons at The Citadel before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He spent a year bouncing around different low-level clubs for the Mariners before being traded to New York. He spent two more years in Class A before COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 minor league season. Looking back at the lost season, Sears said the temporary setback paid long-term dividends. "That COVID year was actually a huge blessing for me. Not COVID but having the time to work on what I needed to work on to try to get better," Sears said. "That led to my year last year, learning some new things and kind of carrying that into this year." Last summer, Sears started the year at Double A before eventually being called up to pitch in Triple A. He blossomed in Scranton, going 7-0 in 10 starts with an ERA of 2.87. He struck out 65 batters in 53 and a third Triple A innings. That strong season prompted the Yankees to put Sears on their 40-man roster, making him eligible to make the move to the majors. Of course, that move came right before Major League Baseball locked out its players on Dec. 1, meaning Sears was unable to communicate with the club. Visit site "I was able to talk to them for like two weeks and then there was no communication until the lockout was over," Sears said. "There was no communication for a long time, it was definitely weird." While the lockout was challenging for a player trying to make the jump to the majors, Sears kept his head down and prepared for his first trip to Major League spring training. "This is my fifth year of pro ball, so I have a pretty good understanding of how I need to get prepared for the season. It wasn't that hard in that aspect," Sears said. "The communication in the offseason is typically more about timetables for when they expect us to be there and what kind of shape they want us in. "That was the only thing I kind of missed out on, so I just tried to make sure I was a little over prepared and over ready so when the lockout was over, I didn't have to play catchup." Sears went into spring training knowing there was a chance he would make the team, so he just wanted to do whatever he could to earn a spot. He got out to a great start, pitching two scoreless frames against the Detroit Tigers in his debut. He allowed just three hits and struck out four batters. "It was a little bit of nerves but mainly excitement," Sears said. "I found myself afterwards thinking that I wasn't really that nervous, I was more so thinking I was so excited to get out there because of the lockout made me anticipate it even more. "I was thrilled to be out there competing and I was thrilled to have a role. It was a very fun experience." While some young players can struggle facing an MLB lineup for the first time, Sears said his experience in Triple A helped him prepare for first appearance against the Tigers. "Last year, being in Triple-A, I was able to face a lot of good hitters," Sears said. "I think a lot of time the nerves of facing big leaguers comes from not having experience doing it. While I haven't experienced it that much, I was able to do it a little bit last year. "I just went into it with the same mindset that I did last year, that you have to as a pitcher, that your job is to get the guy out. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to do that because you're in the role that you are (for a reason). I was just excited to get the opportunity." Sears' second appearance didn't go as well. Sears came in against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 1-0 lead in the fourth but surrendered five runs on seven hits in an inning and two-thirds. "I'm never happy when I don't throw like I expect myself to throw and things don't go as planned. It was more so a learning experience," Sears said of his line rocky appearance of the shortened spring. "There's a lot of good players out there and a lot of good hitters with good approaches. It opened my eyes up more to the fact that I have to be overly prepared and really attack guys. I just got behind in counts in that outing and when you get behind good hitters, they expose your mistakes." Sears had one more chance to pitch this spring as he hoped to earn a spot on the Major League roster. He was able to pitch three innings in his lone start of the spring on Monday, allowing one run on two hits against the Philadelphia Phillies. After the start, he got the news he made the Opening Day roster. "There were a lot of things going on the past couple of days with camp being so short and them having to make some quick moves. At first, it was little bit quiet," Sears said. "(Manager Aaron) Boone told me that it looked like there was going to be a spot for me on the roster and to be patient and wait for it to be official. Once it became official, I was just excited. I couldn't wait to get on the plane to get up here on the field and start competing." One major aid as Sears looked to earn a trip to New York was the other Sumter southpaw on the roster. The two lefties have worked together over the years during the offseason. Sears appreciates having a familiar face in the locker room. "Jordan has always been really helpful to me and a really good friend of mine. Being a little bit older than me, a little bit more experienced, he's been able to help me out here and there," Sears said. "Having Jordan around - and I have a couple of other of buddies that I've met over the years that were around - that makes things a lot easier and makes you feel more at home. I'm blessed to have some people around me that are super kind and helpful." Richardson remembers the veterans that helped him along the way early in his career, so he knows how integral an asset Montgomery can be for Sears. "Jordan now is a veteran and will be able to tell him little things that will help him along the way," Richardson said. "When I came up at 19 years old, the one that meant the most to me was Mickey Mantle. He took an interest to me. I remember I was afraid to step in the batting cage when I was working out with him as a 17-year-old and he said, 'Come on in here.' "When I got back up, he played a trick on me when we were coming out on Opening Day. All the players were running out on the field and they all stopped and went back to the dugout to see what I would do. Of course, I stopped too, and they were all laughing." Sears, who primarily expects to be used as a long reliever in New York, has been able to meet Richardson over the years and he's excited to follow in the footsteps of the Yankee great from Sumter. "He's always reached out to me at milestones in my career," Sears said. "It's obvious around here with the Yankees that he's well known, not just in Sumter. He's a great person to look up to in our community and with the Yankees." Starting with Richardson back in the 50s, the Yankees have become an important team to the Sumter community. Richardson is excited that the Yankee faithful in the Gamecock city have two more players to root for. "It's a family and Sumter really followed," Richardson said of the Yankees. "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans and they follow them closely. I've been out of baseball 60 years and you'd be surprised by the mail that I get on a daily basis. They all say the same thing, 'My grandfather was a Yankee fan, my father was a Yankee fan and I've been going over his memorabilia and I've learned about your career.' "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans with me having played there and now Jordan and Sears. It will be good for them. They'll have a following pulling for them."Making it to the Big Apple - Sears becomes latest Sumterite to break through for the Yankees Former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears takes the field at Yankee Stadium for the first time after making the New York Yankee's Major League roster this spring. Posted Saturday, April 9, 2022 6:00 am By TIM LEIBLE tim@theitem.com There's something about the New York Yankees organization that seems to attract the best baseball players from Sumter. Back in the '50s and '60s, Bobby Richardson played on some of the best baseball teams ever assembled, sharing a lineup with likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Roger Maris. He went on to be the World Series MVP in 1960, a three time champion and an eight time All-Star. Since then, left-handed pitcher Jordan Montomgery, a Sumter High grad, has been a mainstay in the Yankee rotation when healthy. He returns to New York this spring for his fifth big league season. This spring, another Sumterite joins to storied history of the Yankees in former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears. "It's been a fun journey and I'm looking to extend it as long as I can," Sears said of earning a spot on the big league club. "I can't want to get out there and to play." It seems fitting that the only two Sumter residents on Major League rosters share a clubhouse in New York. Richardson is thrilled to see another player follow in his footsteps. "Sumter has always been my home; I always came back and couldn't wait to get back home. Both of those guys being from Sumter, I know both of them. I had lunch the other day with Jordan's father and Sears' grandfather is one of my closest friends," Richardson said of the two lefties from Sumter. "It really is exciting. "One thing I will say, they're paying a little more than when I was playing," Richardson added with a laugh. Sears had a winding path to his first season in New York. After graduating from Wilson Hall, he played three seasons at The Citadel before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He spent a year bouncing around different low-level clubs for the Mariners before being traded to New York. He spent two more years in Class A before COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 minor league season. Looking back at the lost season, Sears said the temporary setback paid long-term dividends. "That COVID year was actually a huge blessing for me. Not COVID but having the time to work on what I needed to work on to try to get better," Sears said. "That led to my year last year, learning some new things and kind of carrying that into this year." Last summer, Sears started the year at Double A before eventually being called up to pitch in Triple A. He blossomed in Scranton, going 7-0 in 10 starts with an ERA of 2.87. He struck out 65 batters in 53 and a third Triple A innings. That strong season prompted the Yankees to put Sears on their 40-man roster, making him eligible to make the move to the majors. Of course, that move came right before Major League Baseball locked out its players on Dec. 1, meaning Sears was unable to communicate with the club. Visit site "I was able to talk to them for like two weeks and then there was no communication until the lockout was over," Sears said. "There was no communication for a long time, it was definitely weird." While the lockout was challenging for a player trying to make the jump to the majors, Sears kept his head down and prepared for his first trip to Major League spring training. "This is my fifth year of pro ball, so I have a pretty good understanding of how I need to get prepared for the season. It wasn't that hard in that aspect," Sears said. "The communication in the offseason is typically more about timetables for when they expect us to be there and what kind of shape they want us in. "That was the only thing I kind of missed out on, so I just tried to make sure I was a little over prepared and over ready so when the lockout was over, I didn't have to play catchup." Sears went into spring training knowing there was a chance he would make the team, so he just wanted to do whatever he could to earn a spot. He got out to a great start, pitching two scoreless frames against the Detroit Tigers in his debut. He allowed just three hits and struck out four batters. "It was a little bit of nerves but mainly excitement," Sears said. "I found myself afterwards thinking that I wasn't really that nervous, I was more so thinking I was so excited to get out there because of the lockout made me anticipate it even more. "I was thrilled to be out there competing and I was thrilled to have a role. It was a very fun experience." While some young players can struggle facing an MLB lineup for the first time, Sears said his experience in Triple A helped him prepare for first appearance against the Tigers. "Last year, being in Triple-A, I was able to face a lot of good hitters," Sears said. "I think a lot of time the nerves of facing big leaguers comes from not having experience doing it. While I haven't experienced it that much, I was able to do it a little bit last year. "I just went into it with the same mindset that I did last year, that you have to as a pitcher, that your job is to get the guy out. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to do that because you're in the role that you are (for a reason). I was just excited to get the opportunity." Sears' second appearance didn't go as well. Sears came in against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 1-0 lead in the fourth but surrendered five runs on seven hits in an inning and two-thirds. "I'm never happy when I don't throw like I expect myself to throw and things don't go as planned. It was more so a learning experience," Sears said of his line rocky appearance of the shortened spring. "There's a lot of good players out there and a lot of good hitters with good approaches. It opened my eyes up more to the fact that I have to be overly prepared and really attack guys. I just got behind in counts in that outing and when you get behind good hitters, they expose your mistakes." Sears had one more chance to pitch this spring as he hoped to earn a spot on the Major League roster. He was able to pitch three innings in his lone start of the spring on Monday, allowing one run on two hits against the Philadelphia Phillies. After the start, he got the news he made the Opening Day roster. "There were a lot of things going on the past couple of days with camp being so short and them having to make some quick moves. At first, it was little bit quiet," Sears said. "(Manager Aaron) Boone told me that it looked like there was going to be a spot for me on the roster and to be patient and wait for it to be official. Once it became official, I was just excited. I couldn't wait to get on the plane to get up here on the field and start competing." One major aid as Sears looked to earn a trip to New York was the other Sumter southpaw on the roster. The two lefties have worked together over the years during the offseason. Sears appreciates having a familiar face in the locker room. "Jordan has always been really helpful to me and a really good friend of mine. Being a little bit older than me, a little bit more experienced, he's been able to help me out here and there," Sears said. "Having Jordan around - and I have a couple of other of buddies that I've met over the years that were around - that makes things a lot easier and makes you feel more at home. I'm blessed to have some people around me that are super kind and helpful." Richardson remembers the veterans that helped him along the way early in his career, so he knows how integral an asset Montgomery can be for Sears. "Jordan now is a veteran and will be able to tell him little things that will help him along the way," Richardson said. "When I came up at 19 years old, the one that meant the most to me was Mickey Mantle. He took an interest to me. I remember I was afraid to step in the batting cage when I was working out with him as a 17-year-old and he said, 'Come on in here.' "When I got back up, he played a trick on me when we were coming out on Opening Day. All the players were running out on the field and they all stopped and went back to the dugout to see what I would do. Of course, I stopped too, and they were all laughing." Sears, who primarily expects to be used as a long reliever in New York, has been able to meet Richardson over the years and he's excited to follow in the footsteps of the Yankee great from Sumter. "He's always reached out to me at milestones in my career," Sears said. "It's obvious around here with the Yankees that he's well known, not just in Sumter. He's a great person to look up to in our community and with the Yankees." Starting with Richardson back in the 50s, the Yankees have become an important team to the Sumter community. Richardson is excited that the Yankee faithful in the Gamecock city have two more players to root for. "It's a family and Sumter really followed," Richardson said of the Yankees. "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans and they follow them closely. I've been out of baseball 60 years and you'd be surprised by the mail that I get on a daily basis. They all say the same thing, 'My grandfather was a Yankee fan, my father was a Yankee fan and I've been going over his memorabilia and I've learned about your career.' "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans with me having played there and now Jordan and Sears. It will be good for them. They'll have a following pulling for them." Montgomery dominant as Yankees thump Angels Former Sumter High standout and current New York Yankees' Jordan Montgomery allowed just four hits in seven innings of work as the Yankees rolled past the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday in New York. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Thursday, June 2, 2022 6:00 am By RONALD BLUM Associated Press NEW YORK - Noah Syndergaard walked slowly off the mound just one out into the third inning, his head bowed and expression blank, blond hair brushing his shoulders. Thor never imagined getting hammered in his return to New York. He knew after falling behind leadoff batter DJ LeMahieu 3-0 that it might be a long night. "Something wasn't adding up," Syndergaard said Tuesday night after the Yankees routed the reeling Los Angeles Angels 9-1. "I just kind of noticed how tense my upper body was, and it's kind of hard to deliver a quality pitch when you're really tight out there." Aaron Judge helped turn the game when the 6-foot-7 All-Star jumped to get his glove above the 8-foot-5 center-field wall and denied Shohei Ohtani a possible first-inning home run. Matt Carpenter's two-run homer capped a four-run bottom half. Starting a high-profile three-game series against Ohtani, Mike Trout & Co., New York improved on the American League's best record, 34-14, and sent the 27-23 Angels to their season-worst sixth straight loss. "Fortunately we got off to a wonderful start so that you can kind of absorb a moment like this," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. "When you get off to a really bad start, moments like this could be devastating.'" A Mets fan-favorite at Citi Field from 2015-19, Syndergaard played catch in Central Park on Monday with Angels teammate Reid Detmers, who pitched a no-hitter on May 10. Syndergaard hardly resembled his old flamethrowing self at Yankee Stadium. He missed all of 2020 following Tommy John surgery and returned to pitch two innings during the final week of last season. Syndergaard signed a $21 million, one-year deal with the Angels and has reinvented himself, 98 mph bolts now absent. Syndergaard (4-3) got just one swinging strike among 45 pitches, averaging 94 mph with his fastball. He allowed five runs, seven hits and a walk, his ERA rising from 3.08 to 4.02. Maddon thought he "just did not have finish." "He was this guy that was sitting triple digits most of his outings," Carpenter said. ""The velo is obviously not what it used to be." Former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery (1-1) pitched four-hit ball for seven innings, allowing Luis Rengifo's seventh-inning homer on a hanging curveball. He credited Judge's grab as being key. "Ohtani hit it to the moon," said Judge, who has started 17 games in center and 23 in right. "I was able to get underneath it." Jose Trevino also homered for the Yankees and tied a career high with three hits. Judge walked on four pitches with one out in the first, and Anthony Rizzo smoked an RBI double to the right-center gap that just glanced off the glove of a diving Trout in center. Gleyber Torres hit a drive off the top of the glass in front of the left-field bullpen to make it 2-0 - thinking the ball was out, he jogged between first and second and was called out on a video review for overrunning third. Miguel Andъjar hit a soft single, and Carpenter drove a slider into the right-field seats for his second home run since signing with the Yankees last week. Twelve of 20 runs off Syndergaard this season have scored in the first inning. It was his second short outing in three starts after a one-out, six-run wipeout at Texas on May 16. LeMahieu added an RBI double in the second. Yankees manager Aaron Boone smiled afterwards when thinking about how he let Judge start to play center field last season following years of lobbying. "I just got sick of him in my office," Boone said, "so I said: 'Fine, let's go.'" Montgomery comes up big again as Cardinals beat Brewers 3-1 St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in St. Louis. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, August 16, 2022 6:00 am By STEVE OVERBEY Associated Press ST. LOUIS - Jordan Montgomery pitched six strong innings for second straight scoreless outing for his new team, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado both homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 Friday night. The victory set the tone for the weekend, as the Cardinals took two of three from Milwalkee St. Louis, which has won 12 of 16, pushed its lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central to 1 1/2 games entering Monday. The Cardinals won their ninth straight at home, the longest streak since a nine-game run June 2-29, 2015. Montgomery (5-3), acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade for outfielder Harrison Bader on Aug. 2, allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked two. The left-hander pitched five scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the Yankees in his Cardinals debut last Saturday. "This clubhouse is great," Montgomery said. "They've made it easy for me to fit in. They've gone out of their way to help me feel welcome." Victor Caratini had three hits and an RBI for Milwaukee, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Montgomery has given up six hits in 11 innings for St. Louis with nine strikeouts and three walks. "It's hard enough getting traded, probably a little bit out of the blue for him," Goldschmidt said. "He's proven he was ready. Hopefully, he can keep it going and we can play well behind him." Ryan Helsley picked up his 12th save in 15 opportunities with two scoreless innings of relief. Montgomery struck out Christian Yelich and Willy Adames with runners on first and third to end a threat in the fifth. "It's a guy you can tell has been there before on the big stage," St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. "That's a perfect example of just keeping your composure, knowing that if you execute, you'll be fine." Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer in the first off Eric Lauer (8-4). It was Goldschmidt's team-leading 28th of the season and his NL-leading eighth since the All-Star break. An MVP candidate, Goldschmidt leads the majors with 28 multi-RBI games. Arenado pushed the lead to 3-0 with his 25th homer of the season in the sixth. Caratini's RBI single in the seventh got the Brewers on the scoreboard. Luis Urias had opened the inning with a triple and Caratini followed with his hit. Lauer allowed three runs and five hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked two. "I think the one to (Arenado) might have been the worst pitch I've thrown in my life," Lauer said. "It was a changeup middle and good hitters aren't going to miss that." The Brewers have lost 10 of their last 13 games against NL Central opponents. HEAD TO HEAD The Cardinals lead the series over their NL Central rivals 7-6. The teams will play six more times. The winner of the regular-season series will get the nod as the division winner in a case of a tie, adding more importance to the next six games. Former Gamecock Montgomery throws 1-hitter, Pujols homers in win over Cubs Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Chicago Cubs on Monday in Chicago. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, August 23, 2022 7:01 pm By JAY COHEN Associated Press CHICAGO — Albert Pujols reached out and drove Drew Smyly's high fastball through the night sky at Wrigley Field. Just like that, it was over. Put Smyly on Pujols' list. Pujols hit career homer No. 693, former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Monday for their season-high eighth straight victory. Pujols led off the seventh with a drive to left-center for his seventh homer in his last 10 games and No. 14 overall in his final big league season. There was a noticeable round of cheers from the crowd of 29,719 as the three-time NL MVP rounded the bases on his second hit of the night. “I think at the end of the day you know you have to trust your work, and that's something that I do,” the 42-year-old Pujols said. “I come out here, no matter where I'm playing, and continue to do my work for 22 years.” Pujols matched Barry Bonds’ major league record by homering off his 449th different pitcher. It was Pujols' 940th multihit game, snapping a tie with Paul Waner for 10th on the career list. Smyly (5-7) called it a tough way to lose, given the pitch was way out of the strike zone. “I was thinking just change his eye level and like, you know, don't let him hit it obviously was my thought,” Smyly said. “But he's ‘The Machine’ for a reason. He's back.” That one run was all Montgomery (7-3) needed. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none in his first career complete game, improving to 4-0 with a sparkling 0.35 ERA in four starts since he was acquired in an Aug. 2 trade with the New York Yankees. “Every bullpen I'm working on something and then when I get to take the ball, I'm competing and just trying to make pitches,” he said. Rookie Christopher Morel doubled with two out in the third for Chicago's only hit. Morel hustled into third when shortstop Paul DeJong mishandled the relay from left fielder Tyler O'Neill. But Montgomery retired Nick Madrigal on a grounder to DeJong, ending the inning. Montgomery threw 99 pitches for the NL Central leaders in the opener of a five-game series, 65 for strikes. “That's a pretty special outing,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. Chicago wasted a sharp performance by Smyly (5-7) in its second straight loss after a five-game win streak. The lefty allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two in seven innings. “He's throwing the ball really well for us,” manager David Ross said. “That was a really impressive night from both starters, obviously.” WORTH NOTING Yadier Molina went 0 for 3 for St. Louis after missing the previous two games so he could be with his basketball team in Puerto Rico for the end of its championship run. The 40-year-old Molina owns the Vaqueros de Bayamуn, who beat San Germбn 75-61 on Saturday to clinch their 16th Baloncesto Superior Nacional title. TRAINER'S ROOM Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (left MCL tear) is slated to throw another side session on Wednesday. ... Marmol said he got a positive report on Jack Flaherty's third rehab start on Sunday. Flaherty, who is coming back from a strained right shoulder, threw four innings of one-run ball for Double-A Springfield. Flaherty will make another rehab start with Triple-A Memphis on Friday, going up to about 80 pitches. “Once we go through that, we'll sit down ... and figure out what's next,” Marmol said. Cubs: 3B Patrick Wisdom (injured ring finger on this left hand) was out of the staring lineup, but manager David Ross said he was available off the bench. ... RHP Kyle Hendricks will not return this season. Hendricks is recovering from a capsular tear in his shoulder. ... RHP Adbert Alzolay (right shoulder strain) was slated to begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Monday night. Montgomery injures hamstring in final start before All-Star break Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (47) stands on the mound before exiting with a hamstring injury against the Chicago White Sox on Friday in Chicago. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, July 11, 2023 6:00 am CHICAGO (AP) - Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery abruptly left Friday night's 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox in the fifth inning with an apparent right hamstring injury. With St. Louis holding a 5-1 lead and with one out and a 2-1 count on White Sox hitter Elvis Andrus, Montgomery tapped the back of his right leg with his glove. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and trainers went to the mound, and Montgomery left the game, walking slowly to the dugout. "Hamstring grabbed at him," Marmol said. "Kind of his foot slipped as he was coming down the mound. We didn't want him to pitch through it." The former South Carolina standout was checked by doctors again on Sunday, but is still waiting for a clearer timeline for his return. "I just kind of slipped on the mound and I guess my body just tried to catch myself," the 6-foot-6 lefty said. "It's just kind of a freak thing." JoJo Romero replaced Montgomery and got the final two outs of the inning. Then Chicago went on to rally against Romero and three other Cardinals relievers. Montgomery (6-7) was looking for his fifth straight win after seven consecutive losses. The 30-year-old allowed one run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings. He had allowed just a single and a walk though the first four innings. Jake Burger hit a solo shot of Montgomery in the fifth, then Zach Remillard doubled off Nolan Arenado's glove and down the left field line. Remillard was at second when Montgomery exited. Montgomery strong again as Arenado's walk-off HR lifts Cards over Marlins Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday in St. Louis. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Wednesday, July 19, 2023 2:09 pm By JOE HARRIS Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Nolan Arenado’s three-run homer in the 10th inning lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-2 win over the slumping Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. Arenado’s homer off A.J. Puk (4-4) was his first game-ending homer since Aug. 14, 2019 and the fourth of his career. “We’re just playing good baseball right now,” Arenado said. “It was something that we expected from ourselves early on, but, you know, we’re playing good ball right now and that’s a good team over there with some really good arms and good players and we just found a way to battle today and get a win.” Arenado is hitting .333 (6 for 18) with two homers in his last five games. “Right now, he’s doing whatever he wants at the plate and it’s impressive,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “But to have him up right there, you have a pretty good feeling that the game is going to be over.” JoJo Romero (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th for the Cardinals, who have won four straight games. The Marlins have lost five straight, matching a season high from May 2-6. “I don’t think it’s a mental thing,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I think that they go about their routine and their work the same way. We were winning games that we’re losing now. I mean, it’s just kind of that part of the season where you know, you have winning streaks, you have losing streaks. It’s just kind of how you bounce back and how you get out of these things.” Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery threw 92 pitches in his first appearance since a July 7 start was cut short by right hamstring tightness. The former Sumter High and South Carolina star allowed one run and six hits, struck out five and walked two. Marlins starter Edward Cabrera was dominant in his return from the 15-day injured list as he recovered from a right shoulder impingement felt at Seattle on June 13. Cabrera, who was on a pitch count, went five-plus innings, allowed just one run on two hits. He struck out five and walked three. “For him to get five was impressive just coming off the injury,” Schumaker said. “He had 85 or so pitches to work with and was doing really good.” Jon Berti had three hits and scored twice for the Marlins. Cabrera didn’t allow a hit through our innings before Alec Burleson led off the fifth with an infield single and the only hard hit ball he allowed came on his last pitch of the night on Brendan Donovan’s 388-foot homer to lead off the sixth. “It’s always tough when you face a guy coming right back from the (injured list) because you know they’re really fresh,” Arenado said. “I’ve never had experience facing him except in spring training one time, but he was really good today so we’re a little lucky to get that win.” Berti led off the fifth with a triple and scored on Luis Arraez’s sacrifice fly. Donovan tied it 1-1 with his career-high 11th homer. Berti led off the seventh with a single and scored on a Jorge Soler single. Nolan Gorman’s double in the bottom half scored Dylan Carlson from first to tie the game at 2-all. Montgomery was able to pitch out of a two-on jam in the second, aided by a diving catch by centerfielder Lars Nootbaar to rob Dane Myers of a potential run scoring hit. “He’s super talented out there,” Montgomery said of Nootbaar. “They made a bunch of good catches. A lot of good plays, defense was incredible tonight.” Nootbaar’s hitting streak ended at 11 games, but he walked in the first to reach safely in 15 straight, which ties a career best set last season. ROSTER MOVE The Marlins optioned LHP Robert Garcia to Triple-A Jacksonville to make room for Cabrera on the roster. TRAINER’S ROOM Marlins: OF Avisaнl Garcнa (left back tightness) began a rehab assignment at Double-A Pensacola on Tuesday. Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (right shoulder irritation) and RHP Ryan Helsley (forearm strain) threw off a mound Tuesday. UTL Tommy Edman (right wrist inflammation) will swing the bat on Wednesday. MLB trade deadline analysis: AL West leaders loaded up on starting pitchers The St. Louis Cardinals traded former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers on Sunday. He was part of a major influx of pitching to the AL West. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Thursday, August 3, 2023 6:00 am By NOAH TRISTER Associated Press The arms race in the AL West began with Lucas Giolito and quickly escalated. After the Los Angeles Angels acquired Giolito and signaled their intentions to make a bid for the postseason, division rivals Texas and Houston answered with some big moves of their own, acquiring Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander before Tuesday's trade deadline. That should set up quite a race down the stretch. Scherzer and Verlander, who were previously teammates with both the Tigers and Mets, were dealt by New York to two AL West rivals. Verlander returns to Houston less than a year after winning the Cy Young Award with the Astros. That was the third of his career, matching Scherzer's total. Here's a look at the biggest buyers and sellers at this year's deadline, and how they've reshaped their futures: Texas Rangers (61-46, first place in AL West) Acquired: C Austin Hedges, LHP Jordan Montgomery, C Kevin Plawecki, RHP Max Scherzer and RHP Chris Stratton. Traded: SS Luisangel Acuсa, RHP Spencer Howard, LHP John King, RHP Tekoah Roby and SS Thomas Saggese. Analysis: After losing Jacob deGrom and now Nathan Eovaldi to injuries, the Rangers will have to hope Scherzer and Montgomery can keep their rotation afloat. Their spot atop the division is precarious, but they've not giving it up without a fight. Houston Astros (61-47, second place in AL West) Acquired: RHP Kendall Graveman and RHP Justin Verlander. Traded: OF Ryan Clifford, OF Drew Gilbert and C Korey Lee. Analysis: The Astros lost Verlander to the Mets via free agency last offseason, only for him to return with New York covering the majority of the $57.5 million the right-hander is still guaranteed through the end of next season. No wonder Houston didn't feel the need to do much else. Los Angeles Angels (56-52, third place in AL West) Acquired: 1B C.J. Cron, RHP Lucas Giolito, RF Randal Grichuk, RHP Dominic Leone and RHP Reynaldo Lуpez. Traded: LHP Mason Albright, LHP Ky Bush, LHP Tucker Davidson, SS Jeremiah Jackson, RHP Jake Madden and C Edgar Quero. Analysis: This is what you do when you don't even want to think about what happens if you miss the playoffs again this year. The Angels, who are closer to fourth in the division than second, decided to hold onto Shohei Ohtani and make a run at the postseason. They acquired Giolito and Lуpez - both of whom can leave via free agency this offseason - and gave up Quero, the game's No. 65 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Los Angeles Dodgers (60-45, first place in NL West) Acquired: RHP Joe Kelly, RHP Lance Lynn, SS Amed Rosario and LHP Ryan Yarbrough. Traded: RHP Phil Bickford, LHP Justin Bruihl, SS Derlin Figueroa, LHP Adam Kolarek, RHP Jordan Leasure, 2B Devin Mann, RHP Nick Nastrini, RHP Noah Syndergaard and RF Trayce Thompson. Analysis: The Dodgers seemed like a realistic landing spot for someone like Verlander or Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease, but none of that came to fruition. They reached a deal to acquire Eduardo Rodriguez from Detroit, but that fell through because of his no-trade clause. Tampa Bay Rays (66-44, second place in AL East) Acquired: RHP Aaron Civale, C Alex Jackson, RHP Manuel Rodrнguez and RHP Adrian Sampson. Traded: 1B Kyle Manzardo, RHP Evan McKendry, RHP Luis Patiсo and RHP Josh Roberson. Analysis: After slugging their way to a 13-0 start, Tampa Bay has ceded first place to Baltimore. The Rays made an interesting deal with Cleveland, acquiring Civale, who is under contract through 2025. They gave up a top-50 prospect in Manzardo to do it. SELLERS Chicago White Sox (43-65, fourth place in AL Central) Acquired: LHP Ky Bush, RHP Juan Carela, LHP Jake Eder, RHP Jordan Leasure, C Korey Lee, RHP Nick Nastrini, RHP Luis Patiсo, C Edgar Quero and RF Trayce Thompson. Traded: 3B Jake Burger, RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Kendall Graveman, RHP Joe Kelly, RHP Reynaldo Lуpez, RHP Lance Lynn and RHP Keynan Middleton. Analysis: This was an impressive haul for the White Sox, considering they ended up holding onto ace Dylan Cease. Quero immediately becomes the No. 2 prospect in their system, with Eder, Nastrini and Bush slotting into their top seven. New York Mets (50-56, fourth place in NL East) Acquired: SS Luisangel Acuсa, RHP Phil Bickford, OF Ryan Clifford, OF Drew Gilbert, C Ronald Hernandez, SS Jeremiah Jackson, RHP Justin Jarvis, LHP Adam Kolarek, SS Jeremy Rodriguez and 2B Marco Vargas. Traded: LF Mark Canha, RHP Dominic Leone, CF Tommy Pham, RHP David Robertson, RHP Max Scherzer and RHP Justin Verlander. Analysis: The Mets continued to throw their financial weight around, even when selling off star players. Their willingness to cover some of Verlander and Scherzer's huge salaries helped facilitate those deals, and New York netted a top-50 prospect in Acuсa. However, Scherzer's comments about what the New York front office told him suggest the Mets may take a more patient approach to free agency this coming offseason. St. Louis Cardinals (47-61, last place in NL Central) Acquired: LHP John King, RHP Adam Kloffenstein, 2B Cйsar Prieto, RHP Sem Robberse, RHP Tekoah Roby, LHP Drew Rom, SS Thomas Saggese, RHP Zack Showalter and RHP Matt Svanson. Traded: SS Paul DeJong, RHP Jack Flaherty, RHP Jordan Hicks, LHP Jordan Montgomery and RHP Chris Stratton. Analysis: It's unusual to see the Cardinals in this position. Although they couldn't touch the very best prospects in Baltimore's loaded system, they did acquire Prieto, who has hit .349 across Double-A and Triple-A this year. Detroit Tigers (47-60, third place in AL Central) Acquired: 2B Hao-Yu Lee and SS Eddys Leonard. Traded: RHP Michael Lorenzen. Analysis: A quieter deadline than Detroit would have liked after its failed attempt to trade Rodriguez to the Dodgers. The Tigers did manage to flip Lorenzen to Philadelphia after signing him to a one-year contract before the season. Montgomery, Rangers fall to A's as Texas offense falls flat Former Sumter High star and current Texas Rangers pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday in Oakland, California. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Thursday, August 10, 2023 4:39 pm MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. — Freddy Tarnok threw four scoreless innings of relief for his first MLB win and five Oakland pitchers combined for a four-hitter as the Athletics beat AL West-leading Texas 2-0 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep and snap the Rangers’ eight-game winning streak. Zack Gelof hit his sixth homer of the season and rookie Esteury Riuiz singled, stole two bases to raise his season total to 46 and scored the A’s first run. Oakland, which has the worst record in the majors at 33-82, won for just the eighth time in 23 games since the All-Star break. In the A’s clubhouse after the game, Tarnok was treated to a celebration by his teammates, who doused him in the shower area. “Happy to finally get that win, throw up a zero, get a good outing in,” said Tarnok, who missed the first two months of the season with a strained pitching shoulder. “Got a little shower of multiple liquids in the shower, so it was slick.” The Rangers entered the game with their longest winning streak since 2017 and leading their division by three games over the Houston Astros. Texas, however, couldn’t manage much offense off an A’s pitching staff that entered the game with the highest ERA (5.83) in the majors. “That’s the story of the game,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “The bats were quiet. We just couldn’t mount anything hardly offensively.” Tarnok (1-1) anchored the A’s on the mound in relief of opener Austin Pruitt with his longest and most efficient outing of his career. The 24-year-old rookie right-hander had four strikeouts and two walks, gave up two hits and allowed one runner past first base. “This kid’s been grinding through the rehab process and put a lot of work into getting back here,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “Today was a reflection of that work.” Pruitt pitched two scoreless innings as Oakland’s opener. Бngel Felipe followed Tarnok and retired four batters before Kirby Snead set down two. Trevor May allowed a pair of two-out singles in the ninth and then got Josh Smith to line out to shortstop for his 12th save. Ruiz, the A’s speedy outfielder who leads the American League in steals, singled leading off the third against former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery. Ruiz quickly stole second and then swiped third on the next pitch before scoring on Jonah Bride’s sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. Ruiz had studied videos of Montgomery before the game and noticed something he thought could help, although he wouldn’t reveal exactly what he saw. “I saw it before the game, studied it and when I saw it I just took it,” Ruiz said through a translator. “I wasn’t expecting to try to go for third, but once it was there I just went for it.” Gelof, another of the A’s promising rookies, made it 2-0 with a solo homer leading off the sixth. It was Gelof’s fifth home run in his last 11 games and marked his sixth in 22 career games, making him the fastest player in franchise history to reach that mark. “It’s not something I focus on, but it’s something that’s pretty cool, especially if you’re driving in runs and helping the team win,” Gelof said. “When you hit the ball hard, good things happen.” Josh Smith doubled in the third and Travis Jankowski had an infield single in the sixth to account for two of the Rangers’ four hits. Montgomery (7-10) allowed seven hits and two runs in six innings in his second start with the Rangers since being acquired in a trade from the Cardinals on July 30. He narrowly missed pitching against another Sumter native, as former Wilson Hall star JP Sears pitched for the A's on Tuesday. Montgomery sparkles, Rangers beat sloppy Rays 4-0 in AL Wild Card Series opener Former Sumter High star and current Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Florida. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Wednesday, October 4, 2023 6:00 am By FRED GOODALL Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery was exceptional against the Tampa Bay Rays, even better when he lumbered off the mound to make a diving catch that helped the Texas Rangers to a 4-0 victory in their AL Wild Card Series opener. “It's good to do your job and help the team win,” Montgomery said after scattering six hits over seven innings on Tuesday to move the Rangers within a victory of an AL Division Series matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. Texas rebounded from a weekend collapse that cost the Rangers the AL West title and a first-round playoff bye. The Rays dropped a club-record sixth straight postseason game dating to Game 2 of the 2021 AL Division Series against Boston. Montgomery's pitching set the tone as the best-of-three series began. The Rangers also drew inspiration from the 6-foot-6 left-hander's defensive gem on a bunt that Jose Siri popped into the air along the first-base line with runners at the corners. Montgomery dove to make the catch and landed awkwardly. “I saw it high enough in the air, kind of made two quick steps at it, and then just blacked out and went for it,” Montgomery said. “That was electric. I was fired up,” said rookie left fielder Evan Carter, who doubled twice and drew a pair of walks in his postseason debut. “It wasn't a soft landing was it? He's a big fellow,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Great catch by him. We were in a tight situation there. ... Just shows you how competitive he is to go out there and dive for that ball.” Bochy and Rangers athletic trainers went to the mound to check on Montgomery, who was not injured. “I think I was just as shocked as everybody in the stands. I had to backhand it. ... It just was something I've never done before,” the pitcher said. “I don't know if I've done that since I was 12. Just kind of a heat-of-the-moment competitive thing.” Corey Seager and Josh Jung drove in runs and the Rangers benefitted from four errors by the Rays, who also fizzled offensively before a crowd of just 19,704 — roughly 5,300 below listed capacity — at Tropicana Field. “We didn't hit, pitch or defend,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “When you're up against a good team, they're going to capitalize, and they eventually really did.” Tampa Bay, wearing throwback Devil Rays jerseys in the style of 1998-2000, has reached the postseason for the fifth straight season but has one run in its last three playoff defeats, hitting .133. Montgomery, a 30-year-old left-hander acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, retired 14 of his last 16 batters. He fanned pinch-hitter Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay's top minor league prospect, to end his outing with five strikeouts and no walks. Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect eighth and Josй Leclerc worked around a walk in the ninth to finish a six-hitter, the Rangers' first postseason shutout since the 2011 World Series. “We're not going to alter our approach. This team has scored a lot of runs this year. It's a good hitting lineup,” Cash said. “We got shut down today. I'm very confident that we're going to bounce back and have some good at-bats.” Tyler Glasnow (0-1) yielded a sacrifice fly to Jung in the second inning, and the right-hander's wild pitch allowed Texas to score its second run after the Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth. Texas, 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position while stranding nine baserunners through five innings, opened a 4-0 lead in the sixth with additional help from the normally sure-handed Rays, who committed four errors — Tampa Bay's most in a postseason game since 2008. Glasnow walked the first two batters in the sixth and Seager greeted Chris Devenski with a run-scoring single. A second run scored on the play when centerfielder Jose Siri threw wildly past third base. Montgomery, who is eligible for free agency after the World Series, was 2-0 with a 0.67 ERA over his final four starts. Glasnow allowed four runs and six hits in five-plus innings with eight strikeouts and five walks. FAMILY AFFAIR The mother of Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena joined her son on the field to throw a ceremonial first pitch before the game. Sandra Gonzalez made the trip to Tropicana Field from Mexico to watch Arozarena play in person for the first time as a major leaguer. She only recently obtained a visa and arrived in Florida on Monday. Gonzalez played catch with the All-Star outfielder near the home dugout before taking the mound and tossing a strike to Arozarena, who was squatting in a catcher’s position behind the plate. The Rays-Rangers series is a family affair in more ways than one, with brothers Josh Lowe of Tampa Bay and Nathaniel Lowe of Texas facing off in October for the first time. Their mother, Wendy, was unable to attend because she is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. “It hurts her that she’s not going to be here today. She’s entering her third week of chemo and radiation, and she’s got brain cancer, so yeah, it’s a lot to go through,” Nathaniel said before the game. “It’s a pretty heavy toll,” the Texas first baseman added. “I know Josh has done a pretty good job of putting it aside and compartmentalizing it and performing. But it’s something that we’re all learning to deal with and go forward with.” UP NEXT Texas right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (12-5, 3.63 ERA) starts Wednesday, and the Rays will counter with AL wins co-leader Zach Eflin (16-8). Montgomery shines in relief as Rangers advance to 1st World Series since 2011 with 11-4 rout of Astros Former Sumter High star and current Texas Rangers pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday in Houston. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, October 24, 2023 10:57 am By KRISTIE RIEKEN Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Adolis Garcнa and these road-happy Rangers are not only tops in Texas, they're best in the American League. Garcнa homered twice and drove in five runs as the Texas Rangers reached their first World Series in 12 years with an 11-4 blowout of the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series on Monday night. Corey Seager got the Rangers started with a long homer in a three-run first inning. Nathaniel Lowe also went deep to give Texas — one of six major league teams without a World Series title — its first berth in the Fall Classic since consecutive trips in 2010 and 2011. Garcнa homered for the fourth straight game and set a record for RBIs in a postseason series with 15. He had four hits, scored three times and was the obvious choice for ALCS MVP in a series that saw the road team win every game. “He’s a bad man, isn’t he?” Seager said. “To be able to come into this atmosphere and get booed every at-bat and do what he did was really special. It was really fun to watch.” After winning their Lone Star State showdown with rival Houston, the resilient Rangers open an all-wild card World Series at home Friday night against Arizona or Philadelphia, who play the decisive Game 7 of their NLCS on Tuesday night. Bruce Bochy, who came out of retirement this season to manage the Rangers, became the first skipper to win a League Championship Series with three different teams, after leading San Diego and San Francisco to NL pennants. He and general manager Chris Young have spearheaded a swift turnaround with Texas, making its first playoff appearance since 2016 after losing 102 games in 2021 and going 68-94 last year. “I didn’t know if I’d get back in it. And here I am. I know how blessed I am,” Bochy said. “We’ve had our streaks. We’ve had our injuries. They keep getting up. To come in here and beat such a great team like Houston — and congrats on their year. But it’s great to be wearing the horns in Texas.” Meanwhile, the defending World Series champion Astros were finally dethroned. Fittingly, it came at home, where they went 40-47 this year and 0-4 in this series. They won all three games at Texas and returned to Minute Maid Park a win shy of their third straight pennant, but Houston's pitching staff got pounded for 20 runs in the final two games of the team's seventh consecutive ALCS. “That finished our season — not being able to win at home,” said outfielder Chas McCormick, who sat stone-faced in the dugout long after the last out. “That came and bit us.” No club has repeated as World Series champion since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. “I don’t like tipping my cap to anybody,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “But when someone beats the hell out of you, what are you going to do? “We have been spoiled around here as far as winning and winning and winning. And heck, I’ve been here four years, and we’ve been to two World Series and two Championship Series. We have nothing to be ashamed of or nothing to hold our head down about. We’re down, but we’re not out. And every team in baseball would trade to have had the last four years that we’ve had.” Texas led the AL West for most of the year, only to squander the division crown to Houston with a loss at Seattle on the final day of the regular season that sent the streaky Rangers on the road to begin the playoffs. Turns out, that was no problem. They have gone 8-0 away from home in these playoffs, joining the 1996 Yankees as the only teams to win their first eight road games in one postseason. Garcнa, part of those clubs that lost nearly 200 games over the past two seasons, is savoring October success. “More than anything, it’s not even about beating the Astros or that particular opponent,” he said through a translator. “It’s how proud I feel about the journey we’ve been on and how we’ve been able to improve to get to this point right now where we’re celebrating this victory.” Jordan Montgomery, normally a starter, came out of the bullpen on two days' rest and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. The big left-hander from Sumter, acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, improved to 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA this postseason. Texas starter Max Scherzer, acquired from the Mets in July, allowed four hits and two runs with two walks in 2 2/3 innings. But the Rangers took advantage of an early flop by Cristian Javier. Texas jumped on Javier immediately and tagged him for three runs, highlighted by Seager’s second-deck shot, before he was lifted with just one out in the first. The right-hander entered 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA in four career postseason starts. Seager, in his second season with Texas after signing a $325 million, 10-year contract, had three hits after starting the series 5 for 26. Garcнa slugged his sixth home run this postseason to make it 4-1 in the third before the Astros cut it to two on a solo homer by Alex Bregman in the bottom of the inning. Texas broke things open with a four-run fourth that featured a two-run double by rookie Evan Carter and a two-run single by Garcнa. After hitting a grand slam to punctuate a 9-2 win in Game 6, Garcнa led the charge Monday. He had 15 RBIs in the series to break the record set by Nelson Cruz with 13 for Texas in the 2011 ALCS. The slugger was booed throughout the game for a second straight night after being at the center of a bench-clearing scuffle in Game 5 after being hit by a pitch from Astros reliever Bryan Abreu. Garcнa seemed to delight in playing the road villain. When he opened the third inning with his shot to right field, he watched as the ball sailed over the fence before slowly taking a few steps toward first base. He then dropped his bat, turned around and skipped backward for a few feet while smiling broadly at his cheering dugout before trotting around the bases. “When there’s a lot of emotions, the fans out there, they are rallying for their team, it fuels me,” Garcнa said. “It’s motivation that helps me out when I’m playing.” The Cuban outfielder added a solo shot in the eighth to give him seven homers and 20 RBIs this postseason, passing Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez (six) for the most home runs in the playoffs this year. Garcнa's home run streak is tied for fourth-longest in postseason history. It was only the second time the road team won every game in a best-of-seven postseason series. The Astros were also on the wrong end of the other one, dropping four home games in a loss to Washington in the 2019 World Series, when Scherzer also pitched Game 7 in Houston for the Nationals. Texas and Houston had identical regular-season records (90-72), with the AL West title going to the Astros on a head-to-head tiebreaker. Tied once again entering this game, the Rangers came out on top when it mattered most. Texas’ win guaranteed a third all-wild card World Series, the first since Bochy’s Giants beat Kansas City in 2014. Jose Altuve hit his 27th career postseason homer in the ninth for Houston, two behind Manny Ramirez for most all-time. Rangers' Eovaldi, Arizona's Gallen to start Game 1 of World Series Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Friday, October 27, 2023 6:00 am By STEPHEN HAWKINS Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas - Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 1 of the World Series for the Texas Rangers on Friday night against Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Eovaldi, a Texas native who signed with the Rangers last offseason, will make his first career World Series start. The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts this postseason, including the AL Wild Card Series and AL Division Series clinchers, and the must-win Game 6 of the AL Championship Series at Houston on Sunday night. "Nate's had plenty of rest; he's ready to go," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday. The Diamondbacks, who traveled to Texas a day after clinching the NL pennant in Philadelphia, will start Gallen, an All-Star right-hander who is 2-2 with a 5.24 ERA in his first postseason. The 28-year-old started Arizona's openers in the NLDS and NLCS after winning 17 games during the regular season. Bochy didn't say who will start Game 2, though Eovaldi and former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery have been the key starters for Texas this postseason. Montgomery is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA, including the Game 7 victory in Houston with 2 1/3 innings in relief on Monday night. The 33-year-old Eovaldi is 8-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 15 career postseason games, including 10 starts. His only previous World Series experience came with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, when he made relief appearances in each of the first three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Eovaldi pitched the final six innings of Game 3, which went 18 innings. Max Muncy led off the bottom of the 18th for the Dodgers with the game-ending homer.  [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
  HIST	Making it to the Big Apple - Sears becomes latest Sumterite to break through for the Yankees Former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears takes the field at Yankee Stadium for the first time after making the New York Yankee's Major League roster this spring. Posted Saturday, April 9, 2022 6:00 am By TIM LEIBLE tim@theitem.com There's something about the New York Yankees organization that seems to attract the best baseball players from Sumter. Back in the '50s and '60s, Bobby Richardson played on some of the best baseball teams ever assembled, sharing a lineup with likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Roger Maris. He went on to be the World Series MVP in 1960, a three time champion and an eight time All-Star. Since then, left-handed pitcher Jordan Montomgery, a Sumter High grad, has been a mainstay in the Yankee rotation when healthy. He returns to New York this spring for his fifth big league season. This spring, another Sumterite joins to storied history of the Yankees in former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears. "It's been a fun journey and I'm looking to extend it as long as I can," Sears said of earning a spot on the big league club. "I can't want to get out there and to play." It seems fitting that the only two Sumter residents on Major League rosters share a clubhouse in New York. Richardson is thrilled to see another player follow in his footsteps. "Sumter has always been my home; I always came back and couldn't wait to get back home. Both of those guys being from Sumter, I know both of them. I had lunch the other day with Jordan's father and Sears' grandfather is one of my closest friends," Richardson said of the two lefties from Sumter. "It really is exciting. "One thing I will say, they're paying a little more than when I was playing," Richardson added with a laugh. Sears had a winding path to his first season in New York. After graduating from Wilson Hall, he played three seasons at The Citadel before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He spent a year bouncing around different low-level clubs for the Mariners before being traded to New York. He spent two more years in Class A before COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 minor league season. Looking back at the lost season, Sears said the temporary setback paid long-term dividends. "That COVID year was actually a huge blessing for me. Not COVID but having the time to work on what I needed to work on to try to get better," Sears said. "That led to my year last year, learning some new things and kind of carrying that into this year." Last summer, Sears started the year at Double A before eventually being called up to pitch in Triple A. He blossomed in Scranton, going 7-0 in 10 starts with an ERA of 2.87. He struck out 65 batters in 53 and a third Triple A innings. That strong season prompted the Yankees to put Sears on their 40-man roster, making him eligible to make the move to the majors. Of course, that move came right before Major League Baseball locked out its players on Dec. 1, meaning Sears was unable to communicate with the club. Visit site "I was able to talk to them for like two weeks and then there was no communication until the lockout was over," Sears said. "There was no communication for a long time, it was definitely weird." While the lockout was challenging for a player trying to make the jump to the majors, Sears kept his head down and prepared for his first trip to Major League spring training. "This is my fifth year of pro ball, so I have a pretty good understanding of how I need to get prepared for the season. It wasn't that hard in that aspect," Sears said. "The communication in the offseason is typically more about timetables for when they expect us to be there and what kind of shape they want us in. "That was the only thing I kind of missed out on, so I just tried to make sure I was a little over prepared and over ready so when the lockout was over, I didn't have to play catchup." Sears went into spring training knowing there was a chance he would make the team, so he just wanted to do whatever he could to earn a spot. He got out to a great start, pitching two scoreless frames against the Detroit Tigers in his debut. He allowed just three hits and struck out four batters. "It was a little bit of nerves but mainly excitement," Sears said. "I found myself afterwards thinking that I wasn't really that nervous, I was more so thinking I was so excited to get out there because of the lockout made me anticipate it even more. "I was thrilled to be out there competing and I was thrilled to have a role. It was a very fun experience." While some young players can struggle facing an MLB lineup for the first time, Sears said his experience in Triple A helped him prepare for first appearance against the Tigers. "Last year, being in Triple-A, I was able to face a lot of good hitters," Sears said. "I think a lot of time the nerves of facing big leaguers comes from not having experience doing it. While I haven't experienced it that much, I was able to do it a little bit last year. "I just went into it with the same mindset that I did last year, that you have to as a pitcher, that your job is to get the guy out. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to do that because you're in the role that you are (for a reason). I was just excited to get the opportunity." Sears' second appearance didn't go as well. Sears came in against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 1-0 lead in the fourth but surrendered five runs on seven hits in an inning and two-thirds. "I'm never happy when I don't throw like I expect myself to throw and things don't go as planned. It was more so a learning experience," Sears said of his line rocky appearance of the shortened spring. "There's a lot of good players out there and a lot of good hitters with good approaches. It opened my eyes up more to the fact that I have to be overly prepared and really attack guys. I just got behind in counts in that outing and when you get behind good hitters, they expose your mistakes." Sears had one more chance to pitch this spring as he hoped to earn a spot on the Major League roster. He was able to pitch three innings in his lone start of the spring on Monday, allowing one run on two hits against the Philadelphia Phillies. After the start, he got the news he made the Opening Day roster. "There were a lot of things going on the past couple of days with camp being so short and them having to make some quick moves. At first, it was little bit quiet," Sears said. "(Manager Aaron) Boone told me that it looked like there was going to be a spot for me on the roster and to be patient and wait for it to be official. Once it became official, I was just excited. I couldn't wait to get on the plane to get up here on the field and start competing." One major aid as Sears looked to earn a trip to New York was the other Sumter southpaw on the roster. The two lefties have worked together over the years during the offseason. Sears appreciates having a familiar face in the locker room. "Jordan has always been really helpful to me and a really good friend of mine. Being a little bit older than me, a little bit more experienced, he's been able to help me out here and there," Sears said. "Having Jordan around - and I have a couple of other of buddies that I've met over the years that were around - that makes things a lot easier and makes you feel more at home. I'm blessed to have some people around me that are super kind and helpful." Richardson remembers the veterans that helped him along the way early in his career, so he knows how integral an asset Montgomery can be for Sears. "Jordan now is a veteran and will be able to tell him little things that will help him along the way," Richardson said. "When I came up at 19 years old, the one that meant the most to me was Mickey Mantle. He took an interest to me. I remember I was afraid to step in the batting cage when I was working out with him as a 17-year-old and he said, 'Come on in here.' "When I got back up, he played a trick on me when we were coming out on Opening Day. All the players were running out on the field and they all stopped and went back to the dugout to see what I would do. Of course, I stopped too, and they were all laughing." Sears, who primarily expects to be used as a long reliever in New York, has been able to meet Richardson over the years and he's excited to follow in the footsteps of the Yankee great from Sumter. "He's always reached out to me at milestones in my career," Sears said. "It's obvious around here with the Yankees that he's well known, not just in Sumter. He's a great person to look up to in our community and with the Yankees." Starting with Richardson back in the 50s, the Yankees have become an important team to the Sumter community. Richardson is excited that the Yankee faithful in the Gamecock city have two more players to root for. "It's a family and Sumter really followed," Richardson said of the Yankees. "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans and they follow them closely. I've been out of baseball 60 years and you'd be surprised by the mail that I get on a daily basis. They all say the same thing, 'My grandfather was a Yankee fan, my father was a Yankee fan and I've been going over his memorabilia and I've learned about your career.' "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans with me having played there and now Jordan and Sears. It will be good for them. They'll have a following pulling for them."Making it to the Big Apple - Sears becomes latest Sumterite to break through for the Yankees Former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears takes the field at Yankee Stadium for the first time after making the New York Yankee's Major League roster this spring. Posted Saturday, April 9, 2022 6:00 am By TIM LEIBLE tim@theitem.com There's something about the New York Yankees organization that seems to attract the best baseball players from Sumter. Back in the '50s and '60s, Bobby Richardson played on some of the best baseball teams ever assembled, sharing a lineup with likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Roger Maris. He went on to be the World Series MVP in 1960, a three time champion and an eight time All-Star. Since then, left-handed pitcher Jordan Montomgery, a Sumter High grad, has been a mainstay in the Yankee rotation when healthy. He returns to New York this spring for his fifth big league season. This spring, another Sumterite joins to storied history of the Yankees in former Wilson Hall pitcher JP Sears. "It's been a fun journey and I'm looking to extend it as long as I can," Sears said of earning a spot on the big league club. "I can't want to get out there and to play." It seems fitting that the only two Sumter residents on Major League rosters share a clubhouse in New York. Richardson is thrilled to see another player follow in his footsteps. "Sumter has always been my home; I always came back and couldn't wait to get back home. Both of those guys being from Sumter, I know both of them. I had lunch the other day with Jordan's father and Sears' grandfather is one of my closest friends," Richardson said of the two lefties from Sumter. "It really is exciting. "One thing I will say, they're paying a little more than when I was playing," Richardson added with a laugh. Sears had a winding path to his first season in New York. After graduating from Wilson Hall, he played three seasons at The Citadel before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He spent a year bouncing around different low-level clubs for the Mariners before being traded to New York. He spent two more years in Class A before COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 minor league season. Looking back at the lost season, Sears said the temporary setback paid long-term dividends. "That COVID year was actually a huge blessing for me. Not COVID but having the time to work on what I needed to work on to try to get better," Sears said. "That led to my year last year, learning some new things and kind of carrying that into this year." Last summer, Sears started the year at Double A before eventually being called up to pitch in Triple A. He blossomed in Scranton, going 7-0 in 10 starts with an ERA of 2.87. He struck out 65 batters in 53 and a third Triple A innings. That strong season prompted the Yankees to put Sears on their 40-man roster, making him eligible to make the move to the majors. Of course, that move came right before Major League Baseball locked out its players on Dec. 1, meaning Sears was unable to communicate with the club. Visit site "I was able to talk to them for like two weeks and then there was no communication until the lockout was over," Sears said. "There was no communication for a long time, it was definitely weird." While the lockout was challenging for a player trying to make the jump to the majors, Sears kept his head down and prepared for his first trip to Major League spring training. "This is my fifth year of pro ball, so I have a pretty good understanding of how I need to get prepared for the season. It wasn't that hard in that aspect," Sears said. "The communication in the offseason is typically more about timetables for when they expect us to be there and what kind of shape they want us in. "That was the only thing I kind of missed out on, so I just tried to make sure I was a little over prepared and over ready so when the lockout was over, I didn't have to play catchup." Sears went into spring training knowing there was a chance he would make the team, so he just wanted to do whatever he could to earn a spot. He got out to a great start, pitching two scoreless frames against the Detroit Tigers in his debut. He allowed just three hits and struck out four batters. "It was a little bit of nerves but mainly excitement," Sears said. "I found myself afterwards thinking that I wasn't really that nervous, I was more so thinking I was so excited to get out there because of the lockout made me anticipate it even more. "I was thrilled to be out there competing and I was thrilled to have a role. It was a very fun experience." While some young players can struggle facing an MLB lineup for the first time, Sears said his experience in Triple A helped him prepare for first appearance against the Tigers. "Last year, being in Triple-A, I was able to face a lot of good hitters," Sears said. "I think a lot of time the nerves of facing big leaguers comes from not having experience doing it. While I haven't experienced it that much, I was able to do it a little bit last year. "I just went into it with the same mindset that I did last year, that you have to as a pitcher, that your job is to get the guy out. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to do that because you're in the role that you are (for a reason). I was just excited to get the opportunity." Sears' second appearance didn't go as well. Sears came in against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 1-0 lead in the fourth but surrendered five runs on seven hits in an inning and two-thirds. "I'm never happy when I don't throw like I expect myself to throw and things don't go as planned. It was more so a learning experience," Sears said of his line rocky appearance of the shortened spring. "There's a lot of good players out there and a lot of good hitters with good approaches. It opened my eyes up more to the fact that I have to be overly prepared and really attack guys. I just got behind in counts in that outing and when you get behind good hitters, they expose your mistakes." Sears had one more chance to pitch this spring as he hoped to earn a spot on the Major League roster. He was able to pitch three innings in his lone start of the spring on Monday, allowing one run on two hits against the Philadelphia Phillies. After the start, he got the news he made the Opening Day roster. "There were a lot of things going on the past couple of days with camp being so short and them having to make some quick moves. At first, it was little bit quiet," Sears said. "(Manager Aaron) Boone told me that it looked like there was going to be a spot for me on the roster and to be patient and wait for it to be official. Once it became official, I was just excited. I couldn't wait to get on the plane to get up here on the field and start competing." One major aid as Sears looked to earn a trip to New York was the other Sumter southpaw on the roster. The two lefties have worked together over the years during the offseason. Sears appreciates having a familiar face in the locker room. "Jordan has always been really helpful to me and a really good friend of mine. Being a little bit older than me, a little bit more experienced, he's been able to help me out here and there," Sears said. "Having Jordan around - and I have a couple of other of buddies that I've met over the years that were around - that makes things a lot easier and makes you feel more at home. I'm blessed to have some people around me that are super kind and helpful." Richardson remembers the veterans that helped him along the way early in his career, so he knows how integral an asset Montgomery can be for Sears. "Jordan now is a veteran and will be able to tell him little things that will help him along the way," Richardson said. "When I came up at 19 years old, the one that meant the most to me was Mickey Mantle. He took an interest to me. I remember I was afraid to step in the batting cage when I was working out with him as a 17-year-old and he said, 'Come on in here.' "When I got back up, he played a trick on me when we were coming out on Opening Day. All the players were running out on the field and they all stopped and went back to the dugout to see what I would do. Of course, I stopped too, and they were all laughing." Sears, who primarily expects to be used as a long reliever in New York, has been able to meet Richardson over the years and he's excited to follow in the footsteps of the Yankee great from Sumter. "He's always reached out to me at milestones in my career," Sears said. "It's obvious around here with the Yankees that he's well known, not just in Sumter. He's a great person to look up to in our community and with the Yankees." Starting with Richardson back in the 50s, the Yankees have become an important team to the Sumter community. Richardson is excited that the Yankee faithful in the Gamecock city have two more players to root for. "It's a family and Sumter really followed," Richardson said of the Yankees. "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans and they follow them closely. I've been out of baseball 60 years and you'd be surprised by the mail that I get on a daily basis. They all say the same thing, 'My grandfather was a Yankee fan, my father was a Yankee fan and I've been going over his memorabilia and I've learned about your career.' "There are a lot of Sumter Yankee fans with me having played there and now Jordan and Sears. It will be good for them. They'll have a following pulling for them." Montgomery dominant as Yankees thump Angels Former Sumter High standout and current New York Yankees' Jordan Montgomery allowed just four hits in seven innings of work as the Yankees rolled past the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday in New York. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Thursday, June 2, 2022 6:00 am By RONALD BLUM Associated Press NEW YORK - Noah Syndergaard walked slowly off the mound just one out into the third inning, his head bowed and expression blank, blond hair brushing his shoulders. Thor never imagined getting hammered in his return to New York. He knew after falling behind leadoff batter DJ LeMahieu 3-0 that it might be a long night. "Something wasn't adding up," Syndergaard said Tuesday night after the Yankees routed the reeling Los Angeles Angels 9-1. "I just kind of noticed how tense my upper body was, and it's kind of hard to deliver a quality pitch when you're really tight out there." Aaron Judge helped turn the game when the 6-foot-7 All-Star jumped to get his glove above the 8-foot-5 center-field wall and denied Shohei Ohtani a possible first-inning home run. Matt Carpenter's two-run homer capped a four-run bottom half. Starting a high-profile three-game series against Ohtani, Mike Trout & Co., New York improved on the American League's best record, 34-14, and sent the 27-23 Angels to their season-worst sixth straight loss. "Fortunately we got off to a wonderful start so that you can kind of absorb a moment like this," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. "When you get off to a really bad start, moments like this could be devastating.'" A Mets fan-favorite at Citi Field from 2015-19, Syndergaard played catch in Central Park on Monday with Angels teammate Reid Detmers, who pitched a no-hitter on May 10. Syndergaard hardly resembled his old flamethrowing self at Yankee Stadium. He missed all of 2020 following Tommy John surgery and returned to pitch two innings during the final week of last season. Syndergaard signed a $21 million, one-year deal with the Angels and has reinvented himself, 98 mph bolts now absent. Syndergaard (4-3) got just one swinging strike among 45 pitches, averaging 94 mph with his fastball. He allowed five runs, seven hits and a walk, his ERA rising from 3.08 to 4.02. Maddon thought he "just did not have finish." "He was this guy that was sitting triple digits most of his outings," Carpenter said. ""The velo is obviously not what it used to be." Former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery (1-1) pitched four-hit ball for seven innings, allowing Luis Rengifo's seventh-inning homer on a hanging curveball. He credited Judge's grab as being key. "Ohtani hit it to the moon," said Judge, who has started 17 games in center and 23 in right. "I was able to get underneath it." Jose Trevino also homered for the Yankees and tied a career high with three hits. Judge walked on four pitches with one out in the first, and Anthony Rizzo smoked an RBI double to the right-center gap that just glanced off the glove of a diving Trout in center. Gleyber Torres hit a drive off the top of the glass in front of the left-field bullpen to make it 2-0 - thinking the ball was out, he jogged between first and second and was called out on a video review for overrunning third. Miguel Andъjar hit a soft single, and Carpenter drove a slider into the right-field seats for his second home run since signing with the Yankees last week. Twelve of 20 runs off Syndergaard this season have scored in the first inning. It was his second short outing in three starts after a one-out, six-run wipeout at Texas on May 16. LeMahieu added an RBI double in the second. Yankees manager Aaron Boone smiled afterwards when thinking about how he let Judge start to play center field last season following years of lobbying. "I just got sick of him in my office," Boone said, "so I said: 'Fine, let's go.'" Montgomery comes up big again as Cardinals beat Brewers 3-1 St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in St. Louis. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, August 16, 2022 6:00 am By STEVE OVERBEY Associated Press ST. LOUIS - Jordan Montgomery pitched six strong innings for second straight scoreless outing for his new team, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado both homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 Friday night. The victory set the tone for the weekend, as the Cardinals took two of three from Milwalkee St. Louis, which has won 12 of 16, pushed its lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central to 1 1/2 games entering Monday. The Cardinals won their ninth straight at home, the longest streak since a nine-game run June 2-29, 2015. Montgomery (5-3), acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade for outfielder Harrison Bader on Aug. 2, allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked two. The left-hander pitched five scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the Yankees in his Cardinals debut last Saturday. "This clubhouse is great," Montgomery said. "They've made it easy for me to fit in. They've gone out of their way to help me feel welcome." Victor Caratini had three hits and an RBI for Milwaukee, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Montgomery has given up six hits in 11 innings for St. Louis with nine strikeouts and three walks. "It's hard enough getting traded, probably a little bit out of the blue for him," Goldschmidt said. "He's proven he was ready. Hopefully, he can keep it going and we can play well behind him." Ryan Helsley picked up his 12th save in 15 opportunities with two scoreless innings of relief. Montgomery struck out Christian Yelich and Willy Adames with runners on first and third to end a threat in the fifth. "It's a guy you can tell has been there before on the big stage," St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. "That's a perfect example of just keeping your composure, knowing that if you execute, you'll be fine." Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer in the first off Eric Lauer (8-4). It was Goldschmidt's team-leading 28th of the season and his NL-leading eighth since the All-Star break. An MVP candidate, Goldschmidt leads the majors with 28 multi-RBI games. Arenado pushed the lead to 3-0 with his 25th homer of the season in the sixth. Caratini's RBI single in the seventh got the Brewers on the scoreboard. Luis Urias had opened the inning with a triple and Caratini followed with his hit. Lauer allowed three runs and five hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked two. "I think the one to (Arenado) might have been the worst pitch I've thrown in my life," Lauer said. "It was a changeup middle and good hitters aren't going to miss that." The Brewers have lost 10 of their last 13 games against NL Central opponents. HEAD TO HEAD The Cardinals lead the series over their NL Central rivals 7-6. The teams will play six more times. The winner of the regular-season series will get the nod as the division winner in a case of a tie, adding more importance to the next six games. Former Gamecock Montgomery throws 1-hitter, Pujols homers in win over Cubs Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Chicago Cubs on Monday in Chicago. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, August 23, 2022 7:01 pm By JAY COHEN Associated Press CHICAGO — Albert Pujols reached out and drove Drew Smyly's high fastball through the night sky at Wrigley Field. Just like that, it was over. Put Smyly on Pujols' list. Pujols hit career homer No. 693, former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Monday for their season-high eighth straight victory. Pujols led off the seventh with a drive to left-center for his seventh homer in his last 10 games and No. 14 overall in his final big league season. There was a noticeable round of cheers from the crowd of 29,719 as the three-time NL MVP rounded the bases on his second hit of the night. “I think at the end of the day you know you have to trust your work, and that's something that I do,” the 42-year-old Pujols said. “I come out here, no matter where I'm playing, and continue to do my work for 22 years.” Pujols matched Barry Bonds’ major league record by homering off his 449th different pitcher. It was Pujols' 940th multihit game, snapping a tie with Paul Waner for 10th on the career list. Smyly (5-7) called it a tough way to lose, given the pitch was way out of the strike zone. “I was thinking just change his eye level and like, you know, don't let him hit it obviously was my thought,” Smyly said. “But he's ‘The Machine’ for a reason. He's back.” That one run was all Montgomery (7-3) needed. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none in his first career complete game, improving to 4-0 with a sparkling 0.35 ERA in four starts since he was acquired in an Aug. 2 trade with the New York Yankees. “Every bullpen I'm working on something and then when I get to take the ball, I'm competing and just trying to make pitches,” he said. Rookie Christopher Morel doubled with two out in the third for Chicago's only hit. Morel hustled into third when shortstop Paul DeJong mishandled the relay from left fielder Tyler O'Neill. But Montgomery retired Nick Madrigal on a grounder to DeJong, ending the inning. Montgomery threw 99 pitches for the NL Central leaders in the opener of a five-game series, 65 for strikes. “That's a pretty special outing,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. Chicago wasted a sharp performance by Smyly (5-7) in its second straight loss after a five-game win streak. The lefty allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two in seven innings. “He's throwing the ball really well for us,” manager David Ross said. “That was a really impressive night from both starters, obviously.” WORTH NOTING Yadier Molina went 0 for 3 for St. Louis after missing the previous two games so he could be with his basketball team in Puerto Rico for the end of its championship run. The 40-year-old Molina owns the Vaqueros de Bayamуn, who beat San Germбn 75-61 on Saturday to clinch their 16th Baloncesto Superior Nacional title. TRAINER'S ROOM Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (left MCL tear) is slated to throw another side session on Wednesday. ... Marmol said he got a positive report on Jack Flaherty's third rehab start on Sunday. Flaherty, who is coming back from a strained right shoulder, threw four innings of one-run ball for Double-A Springfield. Flaherty will make another rehab start with Triple-A Memphis on Friday, going up to about 80 pitches. “Once we go through that, we'll sit down ... and figure out what's next,” Marmol said. Cubs: 3B Patrick Wisdom (injured ring finger on this left hand) was out of the staring lineup, but manager David Ross said he was available off the bench. ... RHP Kyle Hendricks will not return this season. Hendricks is recovering from a capsular tear in his shoulder. ... RHP Adbert Alzolay (right shoulder strain) was slated to begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Monday night. Montgomery injures hamstring in final start before All-Star break Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (47) stands on the mound before exiting with a hamstring injury against the Chicago White Sox on Friday in Chicago. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, July 11, 2023 6:00 am CHICAGO (AP) - Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery abruptly left Friday night's 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox in the fifth inning with an apparent right hamstring injury. With St. Louis holding a 5-1 lead and with one out and a 2-1 count on White Sox hitter Elvis Andrus, Montgomery tapped the back of his right leg with his glove. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and trainers went to the mound, and Montgomery left the game, walking slowly to the dugout. "Hamstring grabbed at him," Marmol said. "Kind of his foot slipped as he was coming down the mound. We didn't want him to pitch through it." The former South Carolina standout was checked by doctors again on Sunday, but is still waiting for a clearer timeline for his return. "I just kind of slipped on the mound and I guess my body just tried to catch myself," the 6-foot-6 lefty said. "It's just kind of a freak thing." JoJo Romero replaced Montgomery and got the final two outs of the inning. Then Chicago went on to rally against Romero and three other Cardinals relievers. Montgomery (6-7) was looking for his fifth straight win after seven consecutive losses. The 30-year-old allowed one run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings. He had allowed just a single and a walk though the first four innings. Jake Burger hit a solo shot of Montgomery in the fifth, then Zach Remillard doubled off Nolan Arenado's glove and down the left field line. Remillard was at second when Montgomery exited. Montgomery strong again as Arenado's walk-off HR lifts Cards over Marlins Former Sumter High star and current St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday in St. Louis. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Wednesday, July 19, 2023 2:09 pm By JOE HARRIS Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Nolan Arenado’s three-run homer in the 10th inning lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-2 win over the slumping Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. Arenado’s homer off A.J. Puk (4-4) was his first game-ending homer since Aug. 14, 2019 and the fourth of his career. “We’re just playing good baseball right now,” Arenado said. “It was something that we expected from ourselves early on, but, you know, we’re playing good ball right now and that’s a good team over there with some really good arms and good players and we just found a way to battle today and get a win.” Arenado is hitting .333 (6 for 18) with two homers in his last five games. “Right now, he’s doing whatever he wants at the plate and it’s impressive,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “But to have him up right there, you have a pretty good feeling that the game is going to be over.” JoJo Romero (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th for the Cardinals, who have won four straight games. The Marlins have lost five straight, matching a season high from May 2-6. “I don’t think it’s a mental thing,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I think that they go about their routine and their work the same way. We were winning games that we’re losing now. I mean, it’s just kind of that part of the season where you know, you have winning streaks, you have losing streaks. It’s just kind of how you bounce back and how you get out of these things.” Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery threw 92 pitches in his first appearance since a July 7 start was cut short by right hamstring tightness. The former Sumter High and South Carolina star allowed one run and six hits, struck out five and walked two. Marlins starter Edward Cabrera was dominant in his return from the 15-day injured list as he recovered from a right shoulder impingement felt at Seattle on June 13. Cabrera, who was on a pitch count, went five-plus innings, allowed just one run on two hits. He struck out five and walked three. “For him to get five was impressive just coming off the injury,” Schumaker said. “He had 85 or so pitches to work with and was doing really good.” Jon Berti had three hits and scored twice for the Marlins. Cabrera didn’t allow a hit through our innings before Alec Burleson led off the fifth with an infield single and the only hard hit ball he allowed came on his last pitch of the night on Brendan Donovan’s 388-foot homer to lead off the sixth. “It’s always tough when you face a guy coming right back from the (injured list) because you know they’re really fresh,” Arenado said. “I’ve never had experience facing him except in spring training one time, but he was really good today so we’re a little lucky to get that win.” Berti led off the fifth with a triple and scored on Luis Arraez’s sacrifice fly. Donovan tied it 1-1 with his career-high 11th homer. Berti led off the seventh with a single and scored on a Jorge Soler single. Nolan Gorman’s double in the bottom half scored Dylan Carlson from first to tie the game at 2-all. Montgomery was able to pitch out of a two-on jam in the second, aided by a diving catch by centerfielder Lars Nootbaar to rob Dane Myers of a potential run scoring hit. “He’s super talented out there,” Montgomery said of Nootbaar. “They made a bunch of good catches. A lot of good plays, defense was incredible tonight.” Nootbaar’s hitting streak ended at 11 games, but he walked in the first to reach safely in 15 straight, which ties a career best set last season. ROSTER MOVE The Marlins optioned LHP Robert Garcia to Triple-A Jacksonville to make room for Cabrera on the roster. TRAINER’S ROOM Marlins: OF Avisaнl Garcнa (left back tightness) began a rehab assignment at Double-A Pensacola on Tuesday. Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (right shoulder irritation) and RHP Ryan Helsley (forearm strain) threw off a mound Tuesday. UTL Tommy Edman (right wrist inflammation) will swing the bat on Wednesday. MLB trade deadline analysis: AL West leaders loaded up on starting pitchers The St. Louis Cardinals traded former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers on Sunday. He was part of a major influx of pitching to the AL West. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Thursday, August 3, 2023 6:00 am By NOAH TRISTER Associated Press The arms race in the AL West began with Lucas Giolito and quickly escalated. After the Los Angeles Angels acquired Giolito and signaled their intentions to make a bid for the postseason, division rivals Texas and Houston answered with some big moves of their own, acquiring Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander before Tuesday's trade deadline. That should set up quite a race down the stretch. Scherzer and Verlander, who were previously teammates with both the Tigers and Mets, were dealt by New York to two AL West rivals. Verlander returns to Houston less than a year after winning the Cy Young Award with the Astros. That was the third of his career, matching Scherzer's total. Here's a look at the biggest buyers and sellers at this year's deadline, and how they've reshaped their futures: Texas Rangers (61-46, first place in AL West) Acquired: C Austin Hedges, LHP Jordan Montgomery, C Kevin Plawecki, RHP Max Scherzer and RHP Chris Stratton. Traded: SS Luisangel Acuсa, RHP Spencer Howard, LHP John King, RHP Tekoah Roby and SS Thomas Saggese. Analysis: After losing Jacob deGrom and now Nathan Eovaldi to injuries, the Rangers will have to hope Scherzer and Montgomery can keep their rotation afloat. Their spot atop the division is precarious, but they've not giving it up without a fight. Houston Astros (61-47, second place in AL West) Acquired: RHP Kendall Graveman and RHP Justin Verlander. Traded: OF Ryan Clifford, OF Drew Gilbert and C Korey Lee. Analysis: The Astros lost Verlander to the Mets via free agency last offseason, only for him to return with New York covering the majority of the $57.5 million the right-hander is still guaranteed through the end of next season. No wonder Houston didn't feel the need to do much else. Los Angeles Angels (56-52, third place in AL West) Acquired: 1B C.J. Cron, RHP Lucas Giolito, RF Randal Grichuk, RHP Dominic Leone and RHP Reynaldo Lуpez. Traded: LHP Mason Albright, LHP Ky Bush, LHP Tucker Davidson, SS Jeremiah Jackson, RHP Jake Madden and C Edgar Quero. Analysis: This is what you do when you don't even want to think about what happens if you miss the playoffs again this year. The Angels, who are closer to fourth in the division than second, decided to hold onto Shohei Ohtani and make a run at the postseason. They acquired Giolito and Lуpez - both of whom can leave via free agency this offseason - and gave up Quero, the game's No. 65 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Los Angeles Dodgers (60-45, first place in NL West) Acquired: RHP Joe Kelly, RHP Lance Lynn, SS Amed Rosario and LHP Ryan Yarbrough. Traded: RHP Phil Bickford, LHP Justin Bruihl, SS Derlin Figueroa, LHP Adam Kolarek, RHP Jordan Leasure, 2B Devin Mann, RHP Nick Nastrini, RHP Noah Syndergaard and RF Trayce Thompson. Analysis: The Dodgers seemed like a realistic landing spot for someone like Verlander or Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease, but none of that came to fruition. They reached a deal to acquire Eduardo Rodriguez from Detroit, but that fell through because of his no-trade clause. Tampa Bay Rays (66-44, second place in AL East) Acquired: RHP Aaron Civale, C Alex Jackson, RHP Manuel Rodrнguez and RHP Adrian Sampson. Traded: 1B Kyle Manzardo, RHP Evan McKendry, RHP Luis Patiсo and RHP Josh Roberson. Analysis: After slugging their way to a 13-0 start, Tampa Bay has ceded first place to Baltimore. The Rays made an interesting deal with Cleveland, acquiring Civale, who is under contract through 2025. They gave up a top-50 prospect in Manzardo to do it. SELLERS Chicago White Sox (43-65, fourth place in AL Central) Acquired: LHP Ky Bush, RHP Juan Carela, LHP Jake Eder, RHP Jordan Leasure, C Korey Lee, RHP Nick Nastrini, RHP Luis Patiсo, C Edgar Quero and RF Trayce Thompson. Traded: 3B Jake Burger, RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Kendall Graveman, RHP Joe Kelly, RHP Reynaldo Lуpez, RHP Lance Lynn and RHP Keynan Middleton. Analysis: This was an impressive haul for the White Sox, considering they ended up holding onto ace Dylan Cease. Quero immediately becomes the No. 2 prospect in their system, with Eder, Nastrini and Bush slotting into their top seven. New York Mets (50-56, fourth place in NL East) Acquired: SS Luisangel Acuсa, RHP Phil Bickford, OF Ryan Clifford, OF Drew Gilbert, C Ronald Hernandez, SS Jeremiah Jackson, RHP Justin Jarvis, LHP Adam Kolarek, SS Jeremy Rodriguez and 2B Marco Vargas. Traded: LF Mark Canha, RHP Dominic Leone, CF Tommy Pham, RHP David Robertson, RHP Max Scherzer and RHP Justin Verlander. Analysis: The Mets continued to throw their financial weight around, even when selling off star players. Their willingness to cover some of Verlander and Scherzer's huge salaries helped facilitate those deals, and New York netted a top-50 prospect in Acuсa. However, Scherzer's comments about what the New York front office told him suggest the Mets may take a more patient approach to free agency this coming offseason. St. Louis Cardinals (47-61, last place in NL Central) Acquired: LHP John King, RHP Adam Kloffenstein, 2B Cйsar Prieto, RHP Sem Robberse, RHP Tekoah Roby, LHP Drew Rom, SS Thomas Saggese, RHP Zack Showalter and RHP Matt Svanson. Traded: SS Paul DeJong, RHP Jack Flaherty, RHP Jordan Hicks, LHP Jordan Montgomery and RHP Chris Stratton. Analysis: It's unusual to see the Cardinals in this position. Although they couldn't touch the very best prospects in Baltimore's loaded system, they did acquire Prieto, who has hit .349 across Double-A and Triple-A this year. Detroit Tigers (47-60, third place in AL Central) Acquired: 2B Hao-Yu Lee and SS Eddys Leonard. Traded: RHP Michael Lorenzen. Analysis: A quieter deadline than Detroit would have liked after its failed attempt to trade Rodriguez to the Dodgers. The Tigers did manage to flip Lorenzen to Philadelphia after signing him to a one-year contract before the season. Montgomery, Rangers fall to A's as Texas offense falls flat Former Sumter High star and current Texas Rangers pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday in Oakland, California. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Thursday, August 10, 2023 4:39 pm MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. — Freddy Tarnok threw four scoreless innings of relief for his first MLB win and five Oakland pitchers combined for a four-hitter as the Athletics beat AL West-leading Texas 2-0 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep and snap the Rangers’ eight-game winning streak. Zack Gelof hit his sixth homer of the season and rookie Esteury Riuiz singled, stole two bases to raise his season total to 46 and scored the A’s first run. Oakland, which has the worst record in the majors at 33-82, won for just the eighth time in 23 games since the All-Star break. In the A’s clubhouse after the game, Tarnok was treated to a celebration by his teammates, who doused him in the shower area. “Happy to finally get that win, throw up a zero, get a good outing in,” said Tarnok, who missed the first two months of the season with a strained pitching shoulder. “Got a little shower of multiple liquids in the shower, so it was slick.” The Rangers entered the game with their longest winning streak since 2017 and leading their division by three games over the Houston Astros. Texas, however, couldn’t manage much offense off an A’s pitching staff that entered the game with the highest ERA (5.83) in the majors. “That’s the story of the game,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “The bats were quiet. We just couldn’t mount anything hardly offensively.” Tarnok (1-1) anchored the A’s on the mound in relief of opener Austin Pruitt with his longest and most efficient outing of his career. The 24-year-old rookie right-hander had four strikeouts and two walks, gave up two hits and allowed one runner past first base. “This kid’s been grinding through the rehab process and put a lot of work into getting back here,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “Today was a reflection of that work.” Pruitt pitched two scoreless innings as Oakland’s opener. Бngel Felipe followed Tarnok and retired four batters before Kirby Snead set down two. Trevor May allowed a pair of two-out singles in the ninth and then got Josh Smith to line out to shortstop for his 12th save. Ruiz, the A’s speedy outfielder who leads the American League in steals, singled leading off the third against former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery. Ruiz quickly stole second and then swiped third on the next pitch before scoring on Jonah Bride’s sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. Ruiz had studied videos of Montgomery before the game and noticed something he thought could help, although he wouldn’t reveal exactly what he saw. “I saw it before the game, studied it and when I saw it I just took it,” Ruiz said through a translator. “I wasn’t expecting to try to go for third, but once it was there I just went for it.” Gelof, another of the A’s promising rookies, made it 2-0 with a solo homer leading off the sixth. It was Gelof’s fifth home run in his last 11 games and marked his sixth in 22 career games, making him the fastest player in franchise history to reach that mark. “It’s not something I focus on, but it’s something that’s pretty cool, especially if you’re driving in runs and helping the team win,” Gelof said. “When you hit the ball hard, good things happen.” Josh Smith doubled in the third and Travis Jankowski had an infield single in the sixth to account for two of the Rangers’ four hits. Montgomery (7-10) allowed seven hits and two runs in six innings in his second start with the Rangers since being acquired in a trade from the Cardinals on July 30. He narrowly missed pitching against another Sumter native, as former Wilson Hall star JP Sears pitched for the A's on Tuesday. Montgomery sparkles, Rangers beat sloppy Rays 4-0 in AL Wild Card Series opener Former Sumter High star and current Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Florida. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Wednesday, October 4, 2023 6:00 am By FRED GOODALL Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery was exceptional against the Tampa Bay Rays, even better when he lumbered off the mound to make a diving catch that helped the Texas Rangers to a 4-0 victory in their AL Wild Card Series opener. “It's good to do your job and help the team win,” Montgomery said after scattering six hits over seven innings on Tuesday to move the Rangers within a victory of an AL Division Series matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. Texas rebounded from a weekend collapse that cost the Rangers the AL West title and a first-round playoff bye. The Rays dropped a club-record sixth straight postseason game dating to Game 2 of the 2021 AL Division Series against Boston. Montgomery's pitching set the tone as the best-of-three series began. The Rangers also drew inspiration from the 6-foot-6 left-hander's defensive gem on a bunt that Jose Siri popped into the air along the first-base line with runners at the corners. Montgomery dove to make the catch and landed awkwardly. “I saw it high enough in the air, kind of made two quick steps at it, and then just blacked out and went for it,” Montgomery said. “That was electric. I was fired up,” said rookie left fielder Evan Carter, who doubled twice and drew a pair of walks in his postseason debut. “It wasn't a soft landing was it? He's a big fellow,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Great catch by him. We were in a tight situation there. ... Just shows you how competitive he is to go out there and dive for that ball.” Bochy and Rangers athletic trainers went to the mound to check on Montgomery, who was not injured. “I think I was just as shocked as everybody in the stands. I had to backhand it. ... It just was something I've never done before,” the pitcher said. “I don't know if I've done that since I was 12. Just kind of a heat-of-the-moment competitive thing.” Corey Seager and Josh Jung drove in runs and the Rangers benefitted from four errors by the Rays, who also fizzled offensively before a crowd of just 19,704 — roughly 5,300 below listed capacity — at Tropicana Field. “We didn't hit, pitch or defend,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “When you're up against a good team, they're going to capitalize, and they eventually really did.” Tampa Bay, wearing throwback Devil Rays jerseys in the style of 1998-2000, has reached the postseason for the fifth straight season but has one run in its last three playoff defeats, hitting .133. Montgomery, a 30-year-old left-hander acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, retired 14 of his last 16 batters. He fanned pinch-hitter Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay's top minor league prospect, to end his outing with five strikeouts and no walks. Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect eighth and Josй Leclerc worked around a walk in the ninth to finish a six-hitter, the Rangers' first postseason shutout since the 2011 World Series. “We're not going to alter our approach. This team has scored a lot of runs this year. It's a good hitting lineup,” Cash said. “We got shut down today. I'm very confident that we're going to bounce back and have some good at-bats.” Tyler Glasnow (0-1) yielded a sacrifice fly to Jung in the second inning, and the right-hander's wild pitch allowed Texas to score its second run after the Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth. Texas, 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position while stranding nine baserunners through five innings, opened a 4-0 lead in the sixth with additional help from the normally sure-handed Rays, who committed four errors — Tampa Bay's most in a postseason game since 2008. Glasnow walked the first two batters in the sixth and Seager greeted Chris Devenski with a run-scoring single. A second run scored on the play when centerfielder Jose Siri threw wildly past third base. Montgomery, who is eligible for free agency after the World Series, was 2-0 with a 0.67 ERA over his final four starts. Glasnow allowed four runs and six hits in five-plus innings with eight strikeouts and five walks. FAMILY AFFAIR The mother of Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena joined her son on the field to throw a ceremonial first pitch before the game. Sandra Gonzalez made the trip to Tropicana Field from Mexico to watch Arozarena play in person for the first time as a major leaguer. She only recently obtained a visa and arrived in Florida on Monday. Gonzalez played catch with the All-Star outfielder near the home dugout before taking the mound and tossing a strike to Arozarena, who was squatting in a catcher’s position behind the plate. The Rays-Rangers series is a family affair in more ways than one, with brothers Josh Lowe of Tampa Bay and Nathaniel Lowe of Texas facing off in October for the first time. Their mother, Wendy, was unable to attend because she is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. “It hurts her that she’s not going to be here today. She’s entering her third week of chemo and radiation, and she’s got brain cancer, so yeah, it’s a lot to go through,” Nathaniel said before the game. “It’s a pretty heavy toll,” the Texas first baseman added. “I know Josh has done a pretty good job of putting it aside and compartmentalizing it and performing. But it’s something that we’re all learning to deal with and go forward with.” UP NEXT Texas right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (12-5, 3.63 ERA) starts Wednesday, and the Rays will counter with AL wins co-leader Zach Eflin (16-8). Montgomery shines in relief as Rangers advance to 1st World Series since 2011 with 11-4 rout of Astros Former Sumter High star and current Texas Rangers pitcher Jordan Montgomery delivers against the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday in Houston. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Tuesday, October 24, 2023 10:57 am By KRISTIE RIEKEN Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Adolis Garcнa and these road-happy Rangers are not only tops in Texas, they're best in the American League. Garcнa homered twice and drove in five runs as the Texas Rangers reached their first World Series in 12 years with an 11-4 blowout of the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series on Monday night. Corey Seager got the Rangers started with a long homer in a three-run first inning. Nathaniel Lowe also went deep to give Texas — one of six major league teams without a World Series title — its first berth in the Fall Classic since consecutive trips in 2010 and 2011. Garcнa homered for the fourth straight game and set a record for RBIs in a postseason series with 15. He had four hits, scored three times and was the obvious choice for ALCS MVP in a series that saw the road team win every game. “He’s a bad man, isn’t he?” Seager said. “To be able to come into this atmosphere and get booed every at-bat and do what he did was really special. It was really fun to watch.” After winning their Lone Star State showdown with rival Houston, the resilient Rangers open an all-wild card World Series at home Friday night against Arizona or Philadelphia, who play the decisive Game 7 of their NLCS on Tuesday night. Bruce Bochy, who came out of retirement this season to manage the Rangers, became the first skipper to win a League Championship Series with three different teams, after leading San Diego and San Francisco to NL pennants. He and general manager Chris Young have spearheaded a swift turnaround with Texas, making its first playoff appearance since 2016 after losing 102 games in 2021 and going 68-94 last year. “I didn’t know if I’d get back in it. And here I am. I know how blessed I am,” Bochy said. “We’ve had our streaks. We’ve had our injuries. They keep getting up. To come in here and beat such a great team like Houston — and congrats on their year. But it’s great to be wearing the horns in Texas.” Meanwhile, the defending World Series champion Astros were finally dethroned. Fittingly, it came at home, where they went 40-47 this year and 0-4 in this series. They won all three games at Texas and returned to Minute Maid Park a win shy of their third straight pennant, but Houston's pitching staff got pounded for 20 runs in the final two games of the team's seventh consecutive ALCS. “That finished our season — not being able to win at home,” said outfielder Chas McCormick, who sat stone-faced in the dugout long after the last out. “That came and bit us.” No club has repeated as World Series champion since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. “I don’t like tipping my cap to anybody,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “But when someone beats the hell out of you, what are you going to do? “We have been spoiled around here as far as winning and winning and winning. And heck, I’ve been here four years, and we’ve been to two World Series and two Championship Series. We have nothing to be ashamed of or nothing to hold our head down about. We’re down, but we’re not out. And every team in baseball would trade to have had the last four years that we’ve had.” Texas led the AL West for most of the year, only to squander the division crown to Houston with a loss at Seattle on the final day of the regular season that sent the streaky Rangers on the road to begin the playoffs. Turns out, that was no problem. They have gone 8-0 away from home in these playoffs, joining the 1996 Yankees as the only teams to win their first eight road games in one postseason. Garcнa, part of those clubs that lost nearly 200 games over the past two seasons, is savoring October success. “More than anything, it’s not even about beating the Astros or that particular opponent,” he said through a translator. “It’s how proud I feel about the journey we’ve been on and how we’ve been able to improve to get to this point right now where we’re celebrating this victory.” Jordan Montgomery, normally a starter, came out of the bullpen on two days' rest and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. The big left-hander from Sumter, acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, improved to 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA this postseason. Texas starter Max Scherzer, acquired from the Mets in July, allowed four hits and two runs with two walks in 2 2/3 innings. But the Rangers took advantage of an early flop by Cristian Javier. Texas jumped on Javier immediately and tagged him for three runs, highlighted by Seager’s second-deck shot, before he was lifted with just one out in the first. The right-hander entered 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA in four career postseason starts. Seager, in his second season with Texas after signing a $325 million, 10-year contract, had three hits after starting the series 5 for 26. Garcнa slugged his sixth home run this postseason to make it 4-1 in the third before the Astros cut it to two on a solo homer by Alex Bregman in the bottom of the inning. Texas broke things open with a four-run fourth that featured a two-run double by rookie Evan Carter and a two-run single by Garcнa. After hitting a grand slam to punctuate a 9-2 win in Game 6, Garcнa led the charge Monday. He had 15 RBIs in the series to break the record set by Nelson Cruz with 13 for Texas in the 2011 ALCS. The slugger was booed throughout the game for a second straight night after being at the center of a bench-clearing scuffle in Game 5 after being hit by a pitch from Astros reliever Bryan Abreu. Garcнa seemed to delight in playing the road villain. When he opened the third inning with his shot to right field, he watched as the ball sailed over the fence before slowly taking a few steps toward first base. He then dropped his bat, turned around and skipped backward for a few feet while smiling broadly at his cheering dugout before trotting around the bases. “When there’s a lot of emotions, the fans out there, they are rallying for their team, it fuels me,” Garcнa said. “It’s motivation that helps me out when I’m playing.” The Cuban outfielder added a solo shot in the eighth to give him seven homers and 20 RBIs this postseason, passing Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez (six) for the most home runs in the playoffs this year. Garcнa's home run streak is tied for fourth-longest in postseason history. It was only the second time the road team won every game in a best-of-seven postseason series. The Astros were also on the wrong end of the other one, dropping four home games in a loss to Washington in the 2019 World Series, when Scherzer also pitched Game 7 in Houston for the Nationals. Texas and Houston had identical regular-season records (90-72), with the AL West title going to the Astros on a head-to-head tiebreaker. Tied once again entering this game, the Rangers came out on top when it mattered most. Texas’ win guaranteed a third all-wild card World Series, the first since Bochy’s Giants beat Kansas City in 2014. Jose Altuve hit his 27th career postseason homer in the ninth for Houston, two behind Manny Ramirez for most all-time. Rangers' Eovaldi, Arizona's Gallen to start Game 1 of World Series Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. ASSOCIATED PRESS Posted Friday, October 27, 2023 6:00 am By STEPHEN HAWKINS Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas - Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 1 of the World Series for the Texas Rangers on Friday night against Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Eovaldi, a Texas native who signed with the Rangers last offseason, will make his first career World Series start. The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts this postseason, including the AL Wild Card Series and AL Division Series clinchers, and the must-win Game 6 of the AL Championship Series at Houston on Sunday night. "Nate's had plenty of rest; he's ready to go," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday. The Diamondbacks, who traveled to Texas a day after clinching the NL pennant in Philadelphia, will start Gallen, an All-Star right-hander who is 2-2 with a 5.24 ERA in his first postseason. The 28-year-old started Arizona's openers in the NLDS and NLCS after winning 17 games during the regular season. Bochy didn't say who will start Game 2, though Eovaldi and former Sumter High star Jordan Montgomery have been the key starters for Texas this postseason. Montgomery is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA, including the Game 7 victory in Houston with 2 1/3 innings in relief on Monday night. The 33-year-old Eovaldi is 8-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 15 career postseason games, including 10 starts. His only previous World Series experience came with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, when he made relief appearances in each of the first three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Eovaldi pitched the final six innings of Game 3, which went 18 innings. Max Muncy led off the bottom of the 18th for the Dodgers with the game-ending homer.
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  [S31334] Montgomery shines in relief as Rangers advance to 1st World Series since 2011 with 11-4 rout of Astros. [S31351] Rangers’ Eovaldi, Arizona’s Gallen to start Game 1 of World Series. [S31358] Sumter High to induct first athletic hall of fame class since 2012. [S29801] Making it to the Big Apple. [S29960] Montgomery dominant as Yankees thrump Angels. [S30170] Montgomery comes up big again as Cardinals beat Brewers 3-1. [S30182] Former Gamecock Montgomery throws 1-hitter, Pujols homers in win over Cubs. [S31069] Montgomery injures hamstring in final start before All-Star break. [S31070] Montgomery strong again as Arenado’s walk-off HR lifts Cards over Marlins. [S31102] MLB trade deadling analyusis: AL West leaders loaded up on starting pitchers. [S31122] Montgomery, Rangers fall to A’s as Texas offense falls flat. [S31253] Montgomery sparkles, Rangers beat sloppy Rays 44-0 in AL Wild Card Series opeer.