Orioles manager Brandon Hyde doesn’t see his team shrinking right now, though. They hit hard and pitched well, but when the O’s needed them most, the bats weren’t there.
“No, I thought we were beaten 3-2,” Hyde said. “I thought they shot the ball well. We couldn’t create enough offensively. We threw the ball away well. I thought the environment was unbelievable. Once the game started, the atmosphere was electric. Thank you to the fans. ‘s appearance. It was a special game situation for our guys. We just got outplayed.”
The Rangers struck out 16, so this wasn’t their best offensive moment either. However, they managed to rack up eight hits and three doubles, which was more than enough for a game in which both teams used six arms. Texas has one of the best lineups in baseball all season, led by the duo of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien — and they seem destined to finish in the top five in the AL MVP voting Names — but it was a pair of rookies, Josh Jung and Evan Carter, who stole the show Saturday.
“Now, no matter what it looks like, a win is a win,” Carter said. “It’s a big thing to achieve this result in the first game away from home. It’s good for the club. The future is good. We will continue to give our best tomorrow.”
When does the game take place and how to watch it?
The first game is scheduled for Sunday at 4:07 pm ET/3:07 pm CT and will be televised in the United States on FS1.
All series are available in the United States on MLB.TV and are subject to verification by participating pay TV providers. Games are available for instant viewing worldwide (except Canada). The complete game archive will be available approximately 90 minutes after the game ends.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Rangers: LHP Jordan Montgomery
Montgomery was outstanding in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, pitching seven scoreless innings in a win over Tampa Bay. The left-hander has been the Rangers’ most consistent pitcher since joining the team at the trade , posting a 2.79 ERA in 11 regular-season starts in Texas. He only had 6 2/3 innings of postseason experience before facing the Rays, but he has proven he can compete on the biggest stage while putting the Rangers in a winning position.
Orioles: RHP Grayson Rodriguez
The 23-year-old right-hander will continue his memorable rookie season with his playoff debut. Rodriguez, a 2018 first-round draft pick who entered the year as Baltimore’s top pitching prospect, broke out in the second half, pitching to a 2.58 ERA over his final 13 games. After a challenging first half, Rodriguez posted a 7.35 ERA in 10 starts before being sent to Triple-A Norfolk, where Rodriguez faced Texas twice. He made his major league debut on April 5 at Globe Life Field, allowing two runs in five innings. He allowed nine runs (8 ERA) in 3 1/3 innings at Camden Yards on May 26 before being drafted the next day.
Who is the projected starting lineup?
Rangers: It seems that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Rangers head coach Bruce Bochy changed his usual right-hander lineup in two games of the Wild Card Series against the Rays, replacing him with Robbie Grossman (career .692 OPS against RHP) Mitch Garver took over the DH position, which shocked everyone. On the third hole. Bochy noted before the game that he likes Grossman’s recent hitters, and he likes his ability to see more pitches and get on base, even against right-handers. Grossman went 1-for-5 with four strikeouts in his first game of the ALDS. In a three-hole carousel for the final month of the season, Boch still seems to like this lineup:
Huang Ying: Facing lefties for the second straight day, Baltimore should roll out a similar lineup. However, the team could elect to start Jorge Mateo, as the 28-year-old shortstop’s speed could help jump-start an offense that allowed just two runs on five hits in Game 1.
How will the bullpen line up after the start?
Rangers: Boch used more relievers in his first ALDS game than he did in two games against Tampa Bay: Dane Dunning, Will Smith, Josh Sbo Z, Aroldis Chapman and José Leclerc. Chapman struggled with pitching on consecutive days, as did Leclerc, so both may be unavailable for Game 2. Dunning saw action in multiple innings and likely won’t be used.
That leaves Brock Burke, Matt Busch and Chris Stratton as tomorrow’s options, with Martin Perez and Cody Bradford as potential long-term relievers if needed choose.
Huang Ying: Baltimore used five relievers in Game 1, but the team has five days off between the end of the regular season and the start of the ALDS, so many of them should be available again in Game 2. Expect to see the All-Star — pass rusher Yennier Cano is in a potential power-shifting position down the stretch since he didn’t throw in the series opener.
Rangers: The Rangers’ new and improved rotation has been decimated by injuries throughout the season, with Jacob deGrom (right elbow), Max Scherzer (right shoulder) and Jon Gray (right forearm ) were both at Illinois heading into the playoffs. Gray is unlikely to return before a possible ALCS, and Scherzer threw to live hitters on Friday for the first time since Sept. 12 against the Blue Jays. Scherzer did not make the original ALDS roster, but he could become an option if Texas advances.
Thankfully, Texas’ All-Stars — Seager, Eovaldi, Adolis Garcia, Jung and Jonah Haim — have all moved on from earlier this season. Recovering from injury. The Rangers hope their strong roster can help make up for the shortcomings of their rotation.
Reliever Jonathan Hernandez has been ruled out of the ALDS roster with a strained right lat muscle, an injury Boch said was sustained in Game 162 when Hernandez was in Germany. Texas pitched a perfect inning in a 1-0 loss to Seattle, striking out two. It’s unclear whether he will be able to play after the ALDS.
Huang Ying: Right-hander Felix Bautista is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery later this month and is expected to miss until the start of the 2025 season. This is a huge loss for Baltimore, who also did not make the All-Star Game in the final five weeks of the regular season.
The rest of the Orioles roster is healthy.
Who is hot and who is not?
Rangers: Rookies Carter and Jung continued to lead the Rangers offense in the postseason, each recording four extra-base hits in three games. Center fielder Leody Taveras also hit baseball’s quietest .333, while Seager hit .455/.600/ in the postseason. Line 727.
Leading hitter Semien has yet to translate his regular season performance to the October stage with just one hit and one walk-on in three postseason games.
Huang Ying: Santander’s hot rod swing late in the regular season carried over into Game 1 of the ALDS, when he went 2-for-3 with three runs, scored two runs and scored in his first playoff game. Home run career. Rodriguez also has positive momentum heading into the postseason, with the right-hander posting a 1.80 ERA in his previous six games.
Ryan O’Hearn, who finished the regular season 0-for-23, struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning of Game 1. He will start again as a reliever in Game 2 as a lefty. mound. Mullins finished the regular season with a sluggish 2-for-36 shooting performance, but went 0-for-3 in the ALDS opener.
