Arizona Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly Lives on Edges, Stymies Texas Rangers in World Series Game 2

The Texas Rangers had just three hits off Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly in a 9-1 loss in Game 2 of the World Series.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers had hoped they would leave for Phoenix with a 2-0 lead in the World Series.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly saw to it that didn’t happen.

The Rangers’ 9-1 loss in Game 2 at Globe Life Field was primarily a function of Kelly, who gave they a shutdown performance a night after the heroics of Texas hitters Corey Seager and Adolis García.

Kelly frustrated the Rangers all night, as he allowed just three hits.

“Hitting is the hardest thing in the world,” Rangers rookie Evan Carter said. “If a pitcher does his job, he should get outs a majority of the time.”

Well, Kelly (3-1) did his job. He pitched seven innings and the only damage he allowed to the Diamondbacks was a solo home run by designated hitter Mitch Garver.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly reacts in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the World Series / © Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

That came after Kelly retired the first 11 Rangers he faced. Carter managed a single with two outs in the fourth to break up a budding no-hit bid, while Garver’s shot led off the fifth. At the time, it was only a 2-1 Arizona lead.

“He could put the ball where he wanted it today,” Garver said. “I saw it pretty good, it was just getting (the ball) off the barrel.”

But as Arizona generated offense off Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery and the bullpen, Josh Jung’s fifth-inning single was the last Texas hit until Marcus Semien singled in the ninth.

Kelly’s pitch mix proved essential. He threw more than 20 cutters and changeups, but he also used three other pitches at least 10 times — a four-seam fastball, sinker and slider. He only went to his curveball four times. Statcast also showed that his pitch velocity was up across the board on his season averages.

He also lived on the edges. The Rangers ended up with a lot of weak contact all night as a result of location.

“He has a lot to his arsenal,” Seager said. “But no matter what pitch he’s throwing, if he’s putting it on the edges in his spots, then he’s doing what he wants to with it.”

Kelly left after seven innings having thrown just 89 pitches. He struck out nine and walked none. Manager Torey Lovullo said that he sensed a bit of fatigue out of Kelly as he went to the bullpen.

But, by then, Kelly had done his job — and then some — as the Diamondbacks led, 4-1, at the time.

“He's a balance-feel guy,” Lovullo said. “When he gets his alignment it's really good and that's what you did see. I did notice the strike outs, I noticed there were no walks. And I felt like, probably between pitch 16 and 20, I think he was at 20 after two, that it was going real good for him.”

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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