Bautista tries to keep Blue Jays humming
As the Rangers and Blue Jays prepare to lock horns in the playoffs for the second straight year, everybody’s wondering if the sequel can be better than the original.
These fierce rivals commence their rematch this afternoon, with a 4:38 p.m. ET first pitch at Globe Life Park. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives Texas odds of -135 to snare a 1-0 ALDS lead. John Gibbons’ crew, on the other hand, represents a +125 underdog. The over/under run total rests at nine.
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In 2015, Toronto needed five contests to dispatch Jeff Banister’s troops in the same round. We all recall how Jose Bautista‘s three-run blast off reliever Sam Dyson and ensuing bat flip nearly incited a full-blown fracas at Rogers Centre. The tension spilled over into May, when Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor clocked Bautista in the jaw.
Gibbons’ No. 4 hitter figures to command a lot of attention today, too. Having belted a solo homer in the Blue Jays’ wild-card triumph over Baltimore, Bautista is 9 for 31 with eight RBIs in his past 10 affairs. The pending free agent’s next mission: solving Cole Hamels (15-5, 3.52 ERA), who paced Banister’s staff in wins and strikeouts.
The visitors answer with Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.48). Since the beginning of last season, the changeup specialist has the lowest opponents’ batting average of any American League starter. Estrada’s 1-1 with a 0.95 WHIP in four career assignments vs. Texas.
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Coming off a phenomenal victory two nights ago, Toronto should feel emboldened about its chances here. Yet Hamels, a former World Series MVP, utterly embraces the October stage. Don’t expect an offensive explosion in Game 1.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: BLUE JAYS/RANGERS UNDER 9 RUNS