The Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers square off in Game 3 of the Fall Classic at Chase Field on Monday night, kicking up the 2023 World Series. In Game 1, the Rangers prevailed in extra innings, and in Game 2, the Diamondbacks won handily. With the setting changed to Arizona, the best-of-seven series is tied 1-1 and effectively becomes a best-of-five series.

In the past, teams in best-of-seven series that take a 2-1 lead have won over 70% of those series. Put another way, it would be accurate to characterize this competition as “pivotal.”

Here is the 2023 playoff bracket, and by clicking here, you can see the entire postseason schedule. Let’s now discuss the crucial aspects of the World Series.

How to observe Level 3
Date: October 30, Monday Time: 8:03 p.m. ET
Chase Field is located in Phoenix, Arizona.
TV station: Fox; live stream available for free on Facebook
Starting pitchers: RHP Brandon Pfaadt (3-9, 5.72 ERA) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (13-6, 3.77 ERA)
Odds: O/U: 9.0 | TEX -110 | ARI -110
Real-time updates: Pay attention

After sustaining a major strain in his throwing shoulder back in September, Scherzer will be making his third start. In his first two appearances, he showed indications of rust, giving up seven runs in six and a third inning on nine hits and three walks. The nasty seasonal ERA is not an illusion. With a 2.70 ERA and a 7.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first four postseason games, Pfaadt has been an excellent pitcher.

Expectation
This one is more intriguing than the regular season statistics would have you believe because of Scherzer’s rustiness and Pfaadt’s recent rise. In fact, there’s a good chance that the Diamondbacks are winning this one. As compensation, we’ll support them in the first World Series match at Chase Field since 2001. Selection: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 4.