4 October 2023
The Orioles have known for almost a week that they would have home-field advantage in the American League Division Series. Now, they know who’s coming to visit.
Baltimore will face the Texas Rangers in the best-of-five ALDS, which begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at Camden Yards. Game 2 and, if necessary, the winner-take-all Game 5 will also be at Oriole Park, but first-pitch times have not yet been announced.
After coming short of the AL West title on a tiebreaker with the Houston Astros, the Rangers (90-72) swept the Tampa Bay Rays (99-63) in the best-of-three wild-card series, which finished Wednesday afternoon. The Rays led the Orioles (101-61) in the AL East into late July but never recaptured sole possession of first place as Baltimore won the division for the first time since 2014, winning its most games since 1979.
The Orioles and Rangers split their six regular-season meetings, all of which came before the end of May. Baltimore closed its first road trip of the season with a series win at Globe Life Field, which will host Games 3 and 4, the latter if needed. The Orioles fell in the first two games when they met in Baltimore in late May but managed to capture the finale, with the team now having gone an AL-record 91 straight multigame series without being swept.
The ALDS will mark the teams’ first postseason meeting since the inaugural AL wild-card game in 2012, which Baltimore won, 5-1, in Arlington, Texas, for its first playoff victory since 1997.
Hitter to watch
If not for two-way Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani, Rangers shortstop Corey Seager might have the AL Most Valuable Player award coming his way, pacing an offense that led the AL in runs, home runs, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.
In the second season of a 10-year, $325 million contract, the 29-year-old’s 1.013 OPS trailed only Ohtani’s 1.066 among qualified hitters, and despite playing in only 119 games, Seager led the AL with 42 doubles to go with 33 home runs and 96 RBIs. Two rookie Orioles infielders have acknowledged modeling aspects of their game after Seager, with Gunnar Henderson noting his aptitude as a taller shortstop and Jordan Westburg hoping to mimic his quiet approach to success.
Marcus Semien (162 games played, 29 home runs, 100 RBIs) and Adolis García (39 home runs, 107 RBIs, .508 slugging percentage) also play key roles in a lineup littered with above-average hitters.
Pitcher to watch
During the offseason and at the trade deadline, the Rangers added a starter with multiple Cy Young Awards to their pitching staff. But neither Jacob deGrom (Tommy John elbow reconstruction) nor Max Scherzer (teres major strain) is expected to be available in the ALDS. Instead, a less noteworthy trade acquisition is fronting their rotation.
After Texas added left-hander Jordan Montgomery from the St. Louis Cardinals, the 30-year-old posted a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts, then pitched seven scoreless innings to open the series with the Rays. A former member of the New York Yankees, Montgomery has faced the Orioles more than any other team, with a 3.04 ERA in 16 career starts; he allowed two or fewer earned runs in 12 of those outings.
Nathan Eovaldi, another high-priced offseason addition, had a 2.69 ERA before going on the injured list with a right forearm strain in July; he put up a 9.30 ERA in six September starts, though he allowed just one run on six hits while striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings Wednesday against the Rays. Texas’ bullpen is a clear weakness, with its 4.77 ERA the worst of the league’s 12 playoff teams.
Orioles connections
Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was Baltimore’s fourth-round draft pick in 2013 before being traded to the Rays for Steve Pearce in 2016; Heim beat out Baltimore star Adley Rutschman in a fan vote to be the AL’s starting backstop in this year’s All-Star Game. Dr. Keith Meister, the Rangers’ head team physician, performed Orioles left-hander John Means’ Tommy John surgery and will do the same procedure on Baltimore closer Félix Bautista sometime this month.
Veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson, one of the few Orioles with playoff experience, made 31 starts for Texas across 2020 and 2021, earning his only career All-Star selection in the latter season. Orioles infielder Ramón Urías began his professional career with two seasons for Texas’ Dominican Summer League team in 2011 and 2012.
ALDS, Game 1
Rangers at Orioles
Saturday, 1 p.m.
TV: Fox or FS1
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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