Here are six players to watch as the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series.
Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista
Finally. This will be Jose Bautista’s first trip to the playoffs after 12 years and 1,403 games, and we’ve seen enough of him now to know he has a knack of coming through under pressure or when challenged – think: Darren O’Day.
Bautista’s average in the last two months of the season was significantly better than his career number, and he hit 19 of his 40 home runs during that time. A cautionary note, he doesn’t often go deep in the heart of Texas, with a .198 career average at Globe Life Park in Arlington and three homers in 26 games.
Blue Jays LHP Brett Cecil
Manager John Gibbons can’t be clearer: “Brett Cecil might end up being our most over-worked guy,” if the Blue Jays make it deep into the post-season.
Cecil has been almost unhittable for two months, holding the opposition to a .117 average since July 25, with even splits against right-handed hitters (.198) and left-handed hitters (195.)
Deploying him will be the trick. He could be the bridge to closer Robert Osuna, a closer-in-waiting should the rookie hit a wall or the best left-handed option against a lineup loaded with lefty hitters such as Prince Fielder, Josh Hamilton, Shin-Soo Choo and Mitch Moreland.
Rangers LHP Jake Diekman/RHP Sam Dyson
Can’t separate these guys, as Blue Jays fans and hitters will find out.
Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies along with Cole Hamels, Diekman has a big arm and has increased his fastball usage against right-handed batters to hold them to a .212 average.
Sinker-baller Dyson, a former fourth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2010 who was claimed on waivers by the Miami Marlins in 2013 and traded to the Rangers at the trade deadline, induced the third-highest percentage of ground balls among all qualified major league relievers (68.8 per cent.)
With the Rangers rotation left-handed after Game 1 starter Yovani Gallardo, middle relief could be the battleground upon which this series is decided. The Rangers bullpen earned run average in September was the best in the majors (2.52).
Rangers RHP Yovani Gallardo
The one right-handed starter run out by manager Jeff Banister against the predominantly right-hand heavy Jays lineup gets a chance to put the Rangers in the driver’s seat in Game 1.
Gallardo pitched 13.2 scoreless innings in two starts against the Blue Jays, giving up six hits, three of which came in an 8 1/3-inning outing at the Rogers Centre in a 4-0 win on June 20, but he also failed to go six innings in any of his last seven starts, including a 5.1-inning outing against the Blue Jays on Aug. 27 when he threw 101 pitches.
Edwin Encarnacion has hit him, so has Ben Revere (6-for-17, .353, with three of those hits coming on Aug. 27) and Troy Tulowitzki (11-for-27, .407 with four doubles and a home run.)
Rangers LF Josh Hamilton
Every series needs an “X factor.” Why not Hamilton, whose minor knee surgery in the middle of September will be tested by the Rogers Centre’s artificial turf?
Hamilton, who has hit .292 with a pair of home runs in 65 at-bats at Rogers Centre, has managed to play full games in four of his last six starts and is 6-for-24 with a couple of homers, including a 3-for-8 finish in the final two games of the regular season.
One matchup to keep an eye on: Hamilton is 4-for-8 lifetime against Mark Lowe. Small sample size, for sure, but notable given the way bullpens are aggressively used in the post-season.
Blue Jays LHP David Price
I mean, I’d like to be a little more original here, but let’s face it, the post-season is why the Blue Jays tapped into their minor-league system to bring in David Price, the ace the organization hasn’t had since Roy Halladay left town.
There is concern about Price’s spotty post-season record and the fact he is starting on 11 days rest in Game 1 but remember, he is a different pitcher than in 2010 and 2011 when the Rangers beat him in he post-season, doubling the use of his change-up and featuring a difficult grip on his curve. Plus, he’s older and pitching for a big contract.
THE CALL
Blue Jays in five games.