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ALDS 2016: Texas-Toronto pitching matchups

By Joshua Sadlock

Sep 28, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) delivers to the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) delivers to the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays have finalized the pitching matchups for the first two games of the ALDS.

The pitching matchups have been set for the first two games of the ALDS between the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers. The Jays will send out Marco Estrada and J.A. Happ for Games 1 and 2, while the Rangers will counter with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. Toronto has also announced Aaron Sanchez as their Game 3 starter, while Texas has not.

The Blue Jays elected to keep their rotation in turn and go with Estrada even though he was shaky in the second half of the season. The slight right-hander pitched to a 4.27 ERA after the break, and was affected by a herniated disk in his back. Estrada did make three starts in the playoffs last year, and went 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA over 19.1 innings. He made two starts against the Rangers this season, and did not record a decision.

The Rangers turn to Cole Hamels to start Game 1, and he has the most postseason pedigree of any pitcher in the series. While a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, Hamels won the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP awards. He is 7-5 in the postseason with a 3.03 ERA across 95.0 innings. Hamels started two games against the Blue Jays in last year’s ALDS, and pitched effectively.

Game 2 will pit two relatively untested playoff pitchers. Darvish started the 2012 AL Wild Card Game, but missed last year’s postseason while recovering from Tommy John. Darvish recovered well from the surgery, and remains one of the best strikeout artists in the game. Happ pitched in eight games for the Phillies in the 2008 and 2009 playoffs, but only made one start. He is in the midst of the best season of his career, and won 20 games.

Toronto will start AL ERA champ Aaron Sanchez in Game 3. The decision to push the youngster all the way back to the third game of the series will ensure that he will make only one start. The Jays have been careful with Sanchez’s innings all season, and that approach carries into the postseason. Texas will likely oppose Sanchez with Martin Perez in what appears to be a gigantic mismatch on paper.

The pitching picture gets a little unclear heading into the “if necessary” games, but the Jays are expected to start Marcus Stroman. Would Texas really start Colby Lewis or A.J. Griffin in a potential must-win game? Hard to say, and Hamels should be more than up to the task of pitching on shortened rest.

Game 1 of the series is set for 4:30 PM ET in Arlington Texas on Tuesday afternoon.

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