Rangers at last

Corey Seager took a mighty hack and barely connected, sending a dribbler through an open area on the left side of the infield for his team's first hit in the seventh inning.

The Texas Rangers shortstop and World Series MVP provided plenty of power throughout a stellar October run. But it was a little good fortune that finally sparked the offense and sent the Rangers to their first title.

Considering the heartache this club went through 12 years ago in one of the all-time Fall Classic gut punches, Texas was certainly due.

Nathan Eovaldi pitched six gritty innings, Mitch Garver broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the seventh and the Rangers won the first World Series championship in their 63-season franchise history by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in game five.

Marcus Semien homered in a four-run ninth and the Rangers, held hitless for six innings by Zac Gallen, finished a record 11-0 on the road this postseason after capping the Fall Classic with three straight wins in the desert.

"Everything I've ever worked for is for this moment," Semien said. "Gallen was unbelievable tonight. But we came through. Once Corey got the first hit, everybody kind of woke up. Pitching was unbelievable."

In his first season with Texas, manager Bruce Bochy won his fourth title 13 years to the day after his first, which came in 2010 when the Giants beat the Rangers. He also won rings with San Francisco in 2012 and 2014.

It's the first title for the Rangers, whose history dates back to 1961 when they were the expansion Washington Senators. They moved to Texas in 1972.

Now, after five stadiums, roughly two dozen managers and 10,033 games, the Rangers are finally champions.

ASSOCIATED press