Merrill Kelly has been the best pitcher for the Diamondbacks this postseason, and that didn’t change tonight.
Merrill Kelly went seven innings, the longest outing for any D-backs starter this postseason. He struck out nine, and his only mistake was a solo homer by Mitch Garver. He is in line for the win and has allowed only six runs in the postseason, with four coming in Game 2 versus the Phillies.
What a performance from Merrill Kelly pic.twitter.com/K4UcSWgtpb
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 29, 2023
He was brilliant tonight. He had Rangers hitters looking at many strike threes and only allowed three hits. One was on a bloop single. Kelly became the tenth pitcher in World Series history to strike out nine without walking a batter. He also became the third Diamondbacks pitcher with nine strikeouts in a World Series game. Kelly is the first pitcher to work seven innings in a World Series game since 2020.
Merrill Kelly is the first pitcher in the 2020s to work seven innings in a World Series game.
H/T @tylerkepner pic.twitter.com/RUD1buvbgE
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) October 29, 2023
What a massive performance by the ASU graduate. He gave the Diamondbacks everything they needed to win Game 2.
