One American League Division Series matchup is set, as the Toronto Blue Jays will be facing the Texas Rangers with a place in the American League Championship Series hanging in the balance.
Below, we'll take a look at the schedule and preview the matchup.
Schedule
Preview
The Rangers and Blue Jays played six times this season, with Toronto winning both series and holding an overall 4-2 advantage in the matchup. Game 1 is likely to see Toronto's David Price, who is the confirmed starter, face Texas' Yovani Gallardo, though the Rangers haven't officially announced a starter for the game, according to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
Blue Jays star Jose Bautista spoke about the matchup, via Chisholm:
We have an extra day to prepare, it's not that much of a difference, but it's still somewhat of a good feeling knowing that we played pretty well against Texas this year, and most of us do pretty well in that ballpark. It's one of those places we always put up a lot of runs. It's a hitter's park just like ours, and that's probably going to help us.
The Blue Jays tend to put up a lot of runs wherever they play, as the team led all of baseball in runs scored (891), home runs (232), RBI (852), on-base percentage (.340) and slugging percentage (.457). The power trio of Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion combined for 120 home runs, 348 RBI and 324 runs scored.
Oh, and they have Troy Tulowitzki, too. Not to mention a balanced lineup beyond their stars. This is a scary, scary team.
A pitching staff featuring Price, Marco Estrada, Marcus Stroman and R.A. Dickey, meanwhile, gives the team excellent balance. The Blue Jays are the real deal, and unless their bats go totally cold, they'll be a tough out this postseason.
The Rangers can also swing the bats, though they don't have Toronto's power. Still, Texas was third in the majors in runs scored (751) and RBI (707), so getting runners across the plate shouldn't be an issue. The lineup is balanced, too, with Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland providing the power, while Delino DeShields and Shin-Soo Choo have been an excellent combo atop the order.
Meanwhile, the one-two punch of Gallardo and Cole Hamels to lead the rotation gives the team solid starting pitching, while Shawn Tolleson's 35 saves in 37 opportunities solidified the back end of the bullpen.
Much of this series will come down to Toronto's bats against the Rangers' pitchers, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet noted:
Gallardo dominated the Blue Jays this season, keeping Toronto scoreless in two starts spanning 13.2 innings. Meanwhile, the Rangers won the last 10 games Hamels started. No matter how Texas sets it up, Blue Jays hitters are in for a challenge early on.
Beyond Gallardo and Hamels, however, the Rangers don’t have dominant options. The Blue Jays have mashed lefties like Derek Holland (4.91 ERA) and Martin Perez (4.46 ERA) all season long and don’t let Colby Lewis’ win total deceive you. Despite his 17-9 record, he has a 4.66 ERA and more than one hit allowed per inning.
Indeed, this series will probably be decided in the first two games. If the Blue Jays struggle against Texas' aces and drop the opening two games at home, Texas is going to win this series. If Toronto wins the first two games, they should absolutely bash the Rangers' other pitching options.
It's more than likely that the teams will split the games in Toronto and Texas, setting up an intriguing Game 5 with a berth in the ALCS hanging in the balance. Generally speaking, it's wise to take pitching over hitting, but while Texas arguably has the better one-two punch, the Blue Jays seem more balanced in their rotation.
Another major factor? Texas has the American League's best home record, as they went 53-28 in the Rogers Centre this year (Houston also went 53-28 at home). From top to bottom, considering all factors, the Blue Jays look like the better team. Look for them to win this one in five games.
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