The Toronto Blue Jays waited 22 years to get back in the postseason. The last time they sneaked past the regular season, the Blue Jays emerged as world champions. With the Texas Rangers coming to town for Game 1 of their American League Division Series, will the Blue Jays showcase their soul-crushing offense? Or will the Rangers draw first blood?
For more baseball, you can also read our preview of Game 1 of the NLDS series between the Mets vs. Dodgers.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays Preview
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto
When: Wednesday, October 8, 2015, 3:37 PM ET
Line: Texas Rangers (+200) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (-240); total: 8.0– view all MLB lines
Broadcast: Fox Sports 1
Betting on the Texas Rangers
[sc:MLB240banner ]Facing the Blue Jays are always a challenge for pitchers, though Yovani Gallardo (13-11, 3.43 ERA) has made it look like a walk in the park this year. Gallardo will once again try to hush Toronto’s big bats later today, when he brings his stuff to Rogers Centre for Game 1 of this series.
Gallardo isn’t exactly the best choice for Texas, but with Cole Hamels going nine innings on Sunday, Texas has to hope that Gallardo would have a great performance in Game 1. That means Gallardo will have to bounce back from back-to-back shaky starts, in which he’s allowed four runs on 17 hits across 10 total innings. Gallardo also hasn’t gone past five innings over his last seven starts, which should be a telltale sign that folks at the Rangers’ bullpen are likely to warm up earlier than usual. Good thing for the Rangers that their relievers have been on fire of late, as their backend pitching ranks first in the majors with a 2.52 ERA since September.
Going back to Gallardo, the righty has a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA (not typo) in two starts against the Blue Jays last season. That includes a 4-0 win on June 27, wherein he allowed zero runs and just three hits in eight-plus innings of work.
The Rangers’ offense, meanwhile, isn’t that far apart from Toronto’s when it comes to production. Texas pumped out an average of 4.64 runs per game back in the regular season, third overall in the MLB.
Buddies Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre are among Texas’ best hitters opposite David Price. Andrus is 10-for-25 (.400) lifetime against Price, while Beltre is 10-for-33 (.303), including two homers.
Texas is 4-0 in Gallardo’s last four road starts.
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Betting on the Toronto Blue Jays
There’s no better pitcher to start for Toronto in Game 1 than David Price.
Price (18-5, 2.45 ERA) is coming off an uncharacteristic start, wherein he gave up four earned runs in five innings of a 10-8 win over Tampa Bay on September 26. That, however, was the only dicey outing in Price’s last five starts, in which he went 5-0 with a 2.32 ERA. As shown in the win over the Rays, Price (like any other Toronto starter) enjoys a terrific run support even on off nights—not that he has lots of them. In fact, Price is being provided a dizzying average of 8.60 RS/9 since being acquired by Toronto from Detroit at the trade deadline.
In his only meeting with Texas thus far this year, Price yielded three runs on six hits in seven frames of a Toronto 12-4 road win on August 26.
It would be very tough for the Rangers to overcome Toronto if Price and Toronto’s offense play to its potential. Toronto is an offensive juggernaut, as it ranked first in runs per game (5.50), homers (232), and slugging percentage (.457) in the regular season.
Toronto’s leadoff hitter Ben Revere is heating up just in time for the postseason, as he’s batting .330 (36-for-109) over his last 25 games. Behind Revere is the deadly triumvirate of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion, who are all excellent hitters when runners are in scoring position. The three have combined for 348 of the Blue Jays’ majors-leading 597 RBIs prior to the postseason.
Price enters tonight’s game brandishing a sparking 11-1 record along with a 3.34 ERA in 15 career starts at Rogers Centre.
Toronto is 4-1 in its last five home games against the Rangers.
Writer’s Prediction
Toronto (-240) wins, 5-4.
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