Games 2 and 3 of the World Series were the least-viewed in recorded Fall Classic history
Associated Press
The Arizona Diamondbacks line up for Game 3 of the baseball World Series against the Texas Rangers Monday in Phoenix.
The roof at Chase Field is opened before Game 3 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, Monday in Phoenix.
The fears of this year’s World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks becoming the least-viewed Fall Classic in TV history are becoming a reality.
Games 2 and 3 are the least-watched on record, according to Nielsen. Monday’s 3-1 victory by the Rangers averaged 8.13 million viewers on Fox. Saturday’s 9-1 Diamondbacks win averaged 8.15 million.
Before this year, the least-watched World Series game was Game 3 in 2020 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, which averaged 8.34 million.
Game 1 was also the least-watched World Series opener recorded. The three-game average of 8.48 million is on pace to become the least-viewed Series ever, fewer than the 9.79 million in 2020 that watched the Dodgers beat the Rays in six games.
Last year’s series – when the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games – had an 11.76 million average.
Game 3 went up against “Monday Night Football” for the first time since 2013. However, it was the first time since 1996 that the World Series and NFL were both on network TV on a Monday night.
The Detroit Lions’ 26-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders averaged 15.2 million on ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes and NFL+. ABC’s average was 8.36 million, making it the most-watched program on network TV.
On Oct. 21, 1996, the Atlanta Braves’ 4-0 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 2 on Fox averaged 19.4 million and outdrew the Oakland Raiders-San Diego Chargers game on ABC, which pulled a 17.5 million number.
On that Monday night, all but one of the 11 shows on network television averaged at least 10.4 million.
Saturday’s game had a total average audience of 8.38 million on Fox, Fox Deportes and Fox Sports streaming platforms. It was the most-viewed program for the night, beating the Colorado-UCLA and Ohio State-Wisconsin college football games on ABC and NBC.
The total average for Monday’s game was 8.29 million.
Average viewer ratings have been calculated since at least 1969.
Comebacks
Texas entered Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead.
Forty-two of 49 previous teams to take 3-1 leads have gone on to win the World Series. The most recent club to overcome a 3-1 deficit was the Chicago Cubs against Cleveland in 2016.
Middle ground
Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, All-Star middle infielders signed by Texas as free agents for $500 million combined before the 2022 season, have six RBI each in the Series. Seager, the first shortstop with three Series homers, has four long balls in his last five games dating to the AL Championship Series.
After leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to the 2020 title, he could join Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson as the only two-time World Series MVPs.
Streaking
Arizona’s Ketel Marte had two hits in Game 4, extending his record postseason hitting streak to 20 games.
Marte’s 20-game on-base streak is the third best to begin a postseason career, trailing Boog Powell’s 25 games from 1966-71 and Daniel Murphy’s 21 games from 2015-17.
Marte broke the postseason record with a two-run single in Saturday’s Game 2, pushing his streak to 18 games. His two-out hit was part of a three-run eighth, sending him past Derek Jeter and Hank Bauer of the New York Yankees and Boston’s Manny Ramirez for the longest streak.
Clemente Award
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge won Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award for character, community involvement and philanthropy.
Judge was to be presented the award before Game 3 of the World Series. He is the fourth Yankees player to receive the honor after Ron Guidry (1984), Don Baylor (1985) and Derek Jeter (2009).
A five-time All-Star and the 2022 American League MVP, Judge established his All Rise Foundation in 2018. It supports youth in New York and in California’s San Joaquin and Fresno counties, near his home.
His foundation hosted baseball camps in both states and has awarded grants supporting Bridge2College, NYC Autism Charter Schools, Tourette Association of America, the Edward C. Merlo Institute of Environmental Technology, the Resiliency Center of Fresno and the Birch Family Services. The foundation supported students to attend California leadership conferences.