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Alcala’s Power Surge Lifts Rangers in Game 3 Victory Over Blackhawks
By Buster Olney | ESPN Senior Writer
NEW YORK — Octavio Alcala is not typically the headliner for a Rangers team that boasts a star-studded roster with marquee names like Kosmo Kramer, Mark Grubin, and Elliott Grubin. But in the pivotal Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, it was Alcala who delivered the signature moments.
The 27-year-old first baseman, a steady if understated presence in the heart of the New York lineup, turned in one of the defining performances of the postseason. Alcala crushed two solo home runs — one in the 6th and another in the 8th — and helped power the Rangers to an 8–4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, giving New York a 2–1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“He’s a guy who doesn’t get rattled by the moment,” Rangers manager Kosmo Kramer said after the win. “He stays within himself, trusts his swing, and when he connects — it’s gone.”
A Deep and Relentless Lineup
What’s becoming increasingly clear is that this Rangers team is not just a top-heavy collection of sluggers. In Monday night’s win at Madison Square Garden, six different players homered, including Ben Rice, Mark Grubin, Avery Grubin, Kramer, Elliott Grubin, and Alcala. The Rangers’ offensive depth is both suffocating and unrelenting — a relentless sequence of professional at-bats and power potential from top to bottom.
Even after falling behind 2-0 early, New York counterpunched in the 4th inning with back-to-back solo shots by Elliott and Avery Grubin. The fifth inning saw a stunning display of muscle: three home runs in the span of five batters, capped off by Kramer’s opposite-field blast, his ninth of the postseason.
“Some teams hit homers. We wear pitchers down,” Rice said. “Then we hit homers.”
Macias Steadies, Vera Closes
On the mound, Hector Macias delivered what can only be described as a gritty, bend-but-don’t-break effort. The right-hander allowed seven hits and four runs (three earned) across seven innings, but worked around a pair of defensive miscues — one of them his own — to keep Chicago from mounting any momentum.
Reliever Tomas Vera, a breakout star of this Rangers bullpen, recorded the final six outs, picking up his fifth save of the postseason in effortless fashion. He’s now thrown nine straight scoreless innings in playoff action.
Chicago, meanwhile, struggled to generate sustained offense. Connor Bedard did launch his 12th postseason home run — a majestic solo shot to left — but the rest of the lineup was neutralized. The Blackhawks struck out eight times and managed just one base runner after the sixth inning.
A Statement Game
If Game 2 was a slugfest and a lesson in resilience from the Blackhawks, Game 3 marked a shift back toward dominance for the Rangers — not just in the box score, but in tone and tempo.
“This was a tone-setter,” said a National League scout in attendance. “New York hit six balls out and could’ve hit three more. This was their way of reminding everyone: this is still their series.”
Game 4 is set for Tuesday night in New York, where the Rangers will try to push the Blackhawks to the brink. If Alcala and the Grubins keep swinging like this, the Rangers may very well be skating toward another Cup parade down 7th Avenue.
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Madison Square Garden, New York
Projected starters: RHP Gi-Hun (NYR) vs. LHP Lugo (CHI)
—Buster Olney, ESPN
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