DBacks mauled Rangers in Game 2 of the World Series. I didn't trust it till the final out

Ever seen the movie “Tender Mercies?”

Probably not. But watching the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series makes me think of it. And I’ll explain.

Sure, Arizona won 9-1 Saturday over the Texas Rangers to tie the series at one game apiece as the teams head to Phoenix for Game 3 on Monday. It was an old-fashioned whipping.

But were you ever really comfortable, even when they were up by that score in the bottom of the ninth?

No. Because the absolutely devastating extra-innings, 6-5 loss in Game 1 on Friday ruined happiness and trust for Diamondbacks fans everywhere.

OK, that might be overstating it just a touch. But only a touch. Tell me you didn’t have a stomach ache in the bottom of the ninth.

Which brings us back to “Tender Mercies.”

Robert Duvall won an Oscar for playing Mac Sledge, a drunken, washed-up country singer who seemingly gets his life together. He has one of the all-time great quotes in any movie, which as far as I’m concerned is going to be my motto for watching the World Series from here on out.

"I don't trust happiness. I never did, I never will.”

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Joe Davis didn't help, with 'gut punch' and 'heartbreaking'

The Fox broadcast crew didn’t help.

Not that they rubbed it in or anything. They have gone out of their way to praise Arizona, to build up their reputation after the national media spent the entire playoffs talking them down.

Still. Joe Davis, the play-by-play announcer for Fox, even in praising the Diamondbacks’ resilience, kept using words like, “gut punch” and “heartbreaking.”

Ugh. You don’t say.

Now Arizona heads back to Chase Field having captured home-field advantage. Maybe it’ll be enough to put Diamondbacks fans at ease a little bit.

Some of them, anyway.

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Hey, look, the Diamondbacks are getting respect

Davis touched on the lack of respect the Diamondbacks and Rangers have faced so far. Yes, they’re two wild-card teams that no one expected to get here. Which you would think would make people excited. Instead, for the old-school seamheads in the media, it was the opposite.

“Who said Diamondbacks-Rangers wasn’t going to be any good?” Davis said while introducing Game 2. “How about that thriller of Game 1?”

“Thriller” is one way of putting it. “Soul-crushing collapse” is another, but why quibble?

A-Rod was impressed by Merrill Kelly

Alex Rodriguez, part of the Fox Sports studio crew (the studio in this case being the third-base line at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas), was impressed with Diamondbacks Merrill Kelly's pitching.

"It was a masterpiece," A-Rod said. And it was, with Kelly giving up only three hits in seven innings. It felt a little dicey when Davis, during the game, said, "Merrill Kelly pitching the game of his life tonight," possibly jinxing him. It felt the same when Davis, who in fairness was only doing his job, said, "The Diamondbacks score two massive insurance runs" in the seventh inning.

But it all worked out OK.

John Hook of Fox 10 said what?

We would be remiss if we didn’t highlight this gem of a comment from John Hook, an anchor for Fox 10 in Phoenix, after the Rangers’ walk-off, extra-inning win in Game 1: “This is why postseason baseball will rip your heart out and stomp on it in the living room. It will absolutely kill you.”

Now that's an attitude I can get behind.

Saturday, he was a little more positive. "If there was any hangover from all that," he said, "you could not see it tonight."

Hook evidently monitored Rangers sports media Saturday, and wasn't impressed.

"They were starting to hoist the trophy," he said. "I'm not kidding."

Maybe hold off on that for a little bit, Texas fans. We've got a ways to go.

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When do the Diamondbacks play again?

All games are on Fox.

• Game 3: Monday, Oct. 30, at 5:03 p.m. (Arizona time) in Phoenix.

• Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 5:03 p.m. (Arizona time) in Phoenix.

• Game 5: Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 5:03 p.m. (Arizona time) in Phoenix.

• Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Nov. 3, at 5:03 p.m. (Arizona time) in Arlington, Texas.

• Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 4, at 5:03 p.m. (Arizona time) in Arlington, Texas.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X, formerly known as Twitter: @goodyk.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DBacks crushed Rangers in World Series Game 2, but hold the champagne