BALTIMORE – Fresh off an upset on the road in the wild card round, the Texas Rangers corralled another victory away from home, taking Game 1 of their ALDS against the Orioles by a score of 3-2.
Rookie Josh Jung’s solo homer in the sixth inning proved to be the difference as the shaky Texas bullpen kept the Orioles from mounting one of their trademark comebacks.
After starting pitchers Andrew Heaney of Texas and Kyle Bradish matched zeroes for the first three innings, the Rangers finally broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth on an RBI double by rookie Evan Carter and a run-scoring single by catcher Jonah Heim.
The Orioles chipped away with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but couldn’t pull even against a Rangers bullpen that had a 4.77 ERA this season, seventh-worst in the majors and last among the eight remaining playoff teams.
Baltimore’s best chance came in the eighth, when Aroldis Chapman walked Austin Hays and Adley Rutchman to start the inning. But Anthony Santander hit into a double play and Chapman fanned Ryan Mountcastle with a 101 mph fastball to end the threat.
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Game 2 will be tomorrow at Camden Yards with rookie right-hander Grayson Rodriguez on the mound for Baltimore against veteran lefty Jordan Montgomery of Texas.
Meanwhile, three other matchups will be played today. The Minnesota Twins visit the Houston Astros in the best-of-five series. In the National League, the Atlanta Braves will host the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The winners of the LDS advance to the best-of-seven league championship series. − Steve Gardner
Keep it here Saturday for live coverage, highlights and scores from the quadruple header:
MLB playoffs schedule: Division Series game times
Astros take early 3-0 lead behind two homers
Yordon Alvarez’s postseason success continues.
The slugger took a changeup from Twins’ Bailey Ober deep to right field for a two-run homer in the bottom of the third inning. The Astros storm out front to a 3-0 lead in front of a raucous crowd at Minute Maid Park.
Astros’ Jose Altuve hits first pitch for a home run
Jose Altuve’s October magic continues.
The Astros second baseman led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run off Twins starter Bailey Ober to give Houston a 1-0 lead. It was his eighth career postseason home run in the 1st inning, two more than Albert Pujols, and 24th of his career.
Twins-Astros Game 1 underway
With the Rangers-Orioles still in progress, the Twins-Astros game is also underway. Bailey Ober for the Twins goes up against former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander of the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Orioles home run cuts into Rangers lead
BALTIMORE − Anthony Santander energized a sellout crowd of 46,450 at Camden Yards with a booming 420-foot home run to right center field to cut the Rangers’ lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The switch-hitting DH scored the Orioles’ first run of the game in the fourth when he walked and scored on Ryan Mountcastle’s double.
The homer was the only run allowed by Texas right-hander Dane Dunning, who took over for starter Andrew Heaney in the fourth. Veteran lefty Will Smith came on to get the final out of the sixth, retiring Gunnar Henderson on strikes. − Steve Gardner
Rangers home run extends Texas lead
BALTIMORE − Josh Jung hammered Orioles reliever Jacob Webb’s third pitch 403 feet over the center field wall to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
Webb had just entered the game in relief of lefty Danny Coulombe, who got the final out of the fifth. The veteran has pitched well since being picked up on waivers from the Angels, posting a 3.27 ERA in 22 innings. The home run was the first he has allowed as a member of the Orioles. − Steve Gardner
Orioles respond in bottom of fourth inning
BALTIMORE − Never ones to fret this season after falling behind, the Orioles responded to a Rangers rally in the top of the fourth with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Trailing 2-0, Anthony Santander drew a one-out walk and came around to score on Ryan Mountcastle’s double off Texas lefty Andrew Heaney. Mountcastle was the O’s most potent hitter against southpaws this season with a 1.052 OPS in 161 plate appearances.
After Gunnar Henderson popped up to short, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy pulled his starter in favor of right-hander Dane Dunning, who was able to get pinch-hitter Adam Frazier on a popup to end the inning and preserve a 2-1 Texas lead.
The Orioles had 48 come-from-behind victories this season, tied for the most in the majors. − Steve Gardner
Rangers take early lead on Orioles
BALTIMORE − Jonah Heim’s RBI single capped a two-run fourth inning as the Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the homestanding Orioles.
The Rangers broke up a pitcher’s duel between Kyle Bradish and Andrew Heaney when Adolis Garcia ripped a one-out double into the left field corner and came home on rookie Evan Carter’s double to right. The hit was Carter’s eighth in 10 at-bats this postseason. All eight hits have been doubles.
Up until that point in the game, Bradish had only allowed two baserunners through the first three innings.
The Rangers could have padded their lead even more but left the bases loaded when Bradish struck out leadoff man Marcus Semien to end the inning. − Steve Gardner
Orioles-Rangers off to scoreless start
The Orioles-Rangers were scoreless after two innings. Starting pitchers Kyle Bradish and Andrew Heaney are both off to clean starts. The sun is out and rain is no longer in the forecast.
‘Dancing On My Own’ singer ready to perform for Phillies if they win World Series
The British singer with the pop hit about loneliness and heartbreak — one that includes the lyric, “Does she love you better than I can?” — is as amazed as anyone the song has improbably bloomed into a postseason anthem for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Calum Scott, though, sounds these days like any guy from south Philly.
“Ring the bell,” he says, laughing.
Should Bryce Harper and the Phillies win the World Series, save a spot at the end of the Broad Street parade route for Scott. Scott insists he’s coming to Philly and wearing the jersey the team sent him last season as a thank-you for his part in making “ Dancing On My Own ” a staple of the postseason soundtrack at Citizens Bank Park.
“They win the World Series, I’m there, man,” Scott said. “I think at that point, you’ll have to hold me back.” − Associated Press
Orioles-Rangers Game 1 delayed
BALTIMORE – With a light drizzle blanketing Camden Yards throughout the morning, the opening game of today’s MLB playoff quadrupleheader will be delayed for a little over an hour past its scheduled starting time.
MLB announced that the Orioles and Rangers are now scheduled to get underway at 2:15 p.m. ET.
The tarp has been on the field all morning, but a few minutes before the original 1:03 p.m. start time the rain stopped and the grounds crew began to get to work raking the infield dirt.
The forecast for the rest of the afternoon calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60s. − Steve Gardner
Playoff pitching matchups: MLB’s improv season
BALTIMORE — As the eight remaining participants in baseball’s playoffs take the field in the Division Series round beginning Saturday, their best-laid pitching plans are as bright and orderly as the chalk lines painting the infields.
For the next five weeks, they’ll be turned into fingerpaintings a toddler could have concocted.
With a five-game Division Series and best-of-seven League Championship and World Series to follow, even the heartiest and deepest staffs in a typical year look nothing like the groups that began this journey.
And this year, even the greatest clubs going in are going to rely often on baseball’s new best friend – “TBA” – to get through this month. — Gabe Lacques
MLB World Series predictions
After four sweeps in the wild-card round, Major League Baseball’s playoffs resume Saturday with the best-of-five Division Series getting underway.
The LDS winners advance to their respective best-of-seven League Championship Series, with the 2023 World Series scheduled to begin on Oct. 27 at the home ballpark of the team with the better record.
Here’s who USA TODAY Sports’ baseball writers and editors think are going to win the World Series:
- Bob Nightengale: Atlanta
- Gabe Lacques: Phillies
- Steve Gardner: Atlanta
- Jesse Yomtov: Orioles
- Scott Boeck: Atlanta
- Steve Borelli: Dodgers
Read USA TODAY Sports’ full MLB playoff predictions here
Injured Max Scherzer left off Rangers’ ALDS roster
BALTIMORE – Still recovering from a shoulder injury that’s kept him sidelined since mid-September, Max Scherzer will not be on the Texas Rangers’ roster for the American League Division Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The two teams finalized their 26-man rosters before the start of their best-of-five series that begins today at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer “threw well” in his bullpen session yesterday, as he faced live hitters for the first time since suffering the teres major strain several weeks ago.
“But still we didn’t feel like we had enough information where we could put him on the roster right now,” Bochy said. “He was not going to be available the first two games, so we decided not to put him on for that reason.” However, Bochy said the three-time Cy Young award winner could potentially be available if the Rangers advance to the next round.
Scherzer, 39, was acquired from the New York Mets at the Aug. 1 deadline. He posted a 4-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts with the Rangers prior to his injury.
– Steve Gardner
Ranking MLB’s eight remaining playoff teams
And the clearest path to a pennant and the World Series that follows looks much more cluttered.
Nonetheless, USA TODAY Sports will take aim at ranking the remaining playoff pool, based on the best path to the World Series as the four Division Series tip off Saturday:
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Minnesota Twins
- Baltimore Orioles
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Atlanta Braves
- Texas Rangers
- Houston Astros
- Arizona Diamondbacks
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