Rangers blast Astros to clinch first World Series berth since 2011

With the win, the Rangers advance to their first World Series since 2011 when they lost a heartbreaker to the Cardinals in seven games. Texas was one strike away from winning its first championship in Game 6 before David Freese etched his name into MLB lore.

If those Rangers were as good on the road as these Rangers, that wouldn't have been an issue. Texas improved to a stunning 8-0 on the road during the playoffs after going 40-41 away from home during the regular season.

Right fielder Adolis Garcia, one of the Rangers best players all season, made a name for himself on the national stage during the ALCS after a Game 5 sequence in which he hit a massive three-run home run and then got hit by a pitch during his next at-bat, causing a dugout-clearing scuffle.

He was phenomenal in Game 7, hitting two home runs and driving in five runs in five at-bats. 

Garcia's ALCS is arguably the most impressive individual performance against the Astros in the playoffs since Albert Pujols in the 2004 NLCS, which also happened to be the last time both LCS went to a seventh game.  

That year, Pujols batted .500 with four home runs and nine runs batted in. Garcia finished the series with a .357 average, five home runs and 15 runs batted in.

He achieved multiple firsts with his dominant series, per ESPN and OptaStats. He also set the record for most RBI before the World Series in a postseason, as noted by Sarah Langs. 

The Rangers will have home-field advantage in the World Series no matter who wins the NLCS. They won six more games than the Diamondbacks during the regular season and hold the tiebreaker over the Phillies after sweeping a series against them from March 30-April 2.

The way they've played on the road, homefield advantage might not be the best thing for them in the World Series. However, the Rangers have Garcia. With the pace he's on, Texas should like its chances anywhere.