Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays: ALDS Tied, 2-2 LHP Cole Hamels (0-0, 2.57) Vs
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Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays: ALDS tied, 2-2 LHP Cole Hamels (0-0, 2.57) vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, 3.86) ALDS Game 5 • Wednesday, October 14, 2015 • Rogers Centre • 3:07 p.m. (CDT) • FS1 / 105.3 FM / 1540 AM ALDS VS. TORONTO: Texas lost 8-4 to Toronto in Game 4 on Monday, HAMELS FOR THE WIN: Game 5 will be the 1st start of Cole Hamels’ as this best-of-5 American League Division Series is tied at 2-2 entering career in a winner-take-all game, and his 1st time pitching in a potential today’s decisive 5th game…this series marks just the 3rd time the Rangers elimination contest…Hamels has, however, made 4 starts in a potential have ever won the 1st 2 games of a postseason series, and club has won clinch game for his club, all with Philadelphia…each of the 4 starts resulted each of the 2 previous series…the others were: 2011 ALCS vs. DET, taking in Phillies wins to end a series, with Hamels earning the victory in 2 of the Games 1-2 in Arlington and winning the series in 6 games; and 2010 ALDS 4…those 4 games: 2010 NLDS G3 at CIN (Hamels win), 2009 NLCS G5 vs. Tampa Bay, winning the 1st 2 games at Tropicana Field before dropping vs. LAD, 2008 WS G5 vs. TB, and 2008 NLCS G5 vs. LAD (Hamels win, Games 3-4 in Arlington to push it to Game 5, then winning Game 5 in St. CG SHO). Pete. WINNING WITH COLE: Since the Rangers lost in Cole Hamels’ 1st 2 HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?: There will be 3 LDS Game 5’s in MLB this starts with the club on 8/1 vs. SF and 8/7 at SEA, Texas won in each of year, with the 2 ALDS Game 5’s scheduled for today…entering today, road his last 11 outings, including ALDS Game 2 on Friday at Rogers Centre teams have gone 14-9 all-time in LDS Game 5’s (since 1995), winning 7 and a complete game in Rangers’ game no. 162 to clinch the A.L. West of last 10 and 12 of 16 beginning 2002…in ALDS play, road teams are 8-6 title…Hamels went 7-0, 3.16 (27 ER/77.0 IP) in those 11 starts, opponents all-time, winning 4 of the last 5 beginning with the Rangers’ win in 2010 .233/.291/.354/.645…quality starts in 9 of those 11 outings, with 71 SO to ALDS G5 at TB. 20 BB in that span…according to STATS Inc., the 11 straight team wins are most in any starter’s outings for Texas since the club won 14 consecutive ROAD RULES: The road team has won each of the 1st 4 games of this Bobby Witt starts from June 28-Sept. 6, 1990…after last night, the Cubs ALDS…Texas is looking to repeat history, as the Rangers were involved in have won 15 straight Jake Arrieta starts. one of the 2 postseason series in MLB history in which the road team won each game…Rangers won the 1st such series, taking the 2010 ALDS vs. In order to win this series, the Rangers will need to TB by winning all 3 games at Tropicana Field…the Giants also did it in the IT’S ALL BEEN DONE: win a 3rd consecutive game here at Rogers Centre, something done by 2 2012 NLCS vs. CIN…that year, the LDS series had a 2-3 format, as San other visiting clubs in 2015…the longest win streak by a visiting club here Francisco won the final 3 games, all at Great American Ball Park, after los- was 3 games, done by both Baltimore (6/20-9/4) and Boston (5/10-6/30)… ing the 1st 2 games at home. last time the Rangers had a single-season win streak of 3+ games here in • Elias Sports Bureau notes there have been just 2 teams in MLB postsea- Toronto came in 2002, a 3-game sweep of the Jays from 4/30-5/2. son history to lose a best-of-5 series after winning the 1st 2 games on the road: the 2001 A’s (lost to NYY) and 2012 Reds (lost to SF). ALDS OF LATE: The Texas losses in Games 3-4 snapped the Rangers’ WIN OR GO HOME: Game 5 in Toronto will be just the 3rd winner-take- 5-game win streak in Division Series games…since the start of 2010, Texas all postseason game in Rangers franchise history (excluding Wild Card is 8-5 in ALDS games, and the only other time the club has lost 2 straight Game)…club is 1-1 in previous 2 such contests: losing 2011 World Series ALDS games in that span came in 2010 ALDS Games 3-4 vs. TB in Arling- Game 7 at STL (6-2) and winning in 2010 ALDS Game 5 at TB (5-1). ton. • Texas is 1-5 all-time in multi-game series when playing an elimination game, the lone win in that 2010 ALDS G5 at TB…in each of the other 5 all- ALDS HOME/ROAD: With the Game 4 loss, the Rangers dropped to 1-9 time postseason series when facing elimination, the opposition has won on (.100) all-time in LDS home contests, the 2nd-lowest winning pct. ever by a the 1st opportunity every time. team to appear in multiple LDS series…only team with a lower mark is Min- nesota, which is 1-10 (.091) in home LDS contests…Rangers’ lone ALDS CHANCE TO END IT: Rangers are now 4-7 all-time with a chance to clinch home win was 2011 ALDS Game 2 vs. Tampa Bay. a multi-game postseason series, including 2-4 at home after losing Games 3-4 of this ALDS…before this ALDS, club had clinched in 2 consecutive Rangers are, however, 8-5 (.615) all-time in ALDS road games, winning 7 opportunities to finish off a series in Arlington, doing so in Game 6 of both in a row (see chart in left column)…only A.L. clubs to have played multiple the 2010 ALCS vs. NYY and 2011 ALCS vs. DET…club has now lost all 4 LDS series with a higher away win pct. are Kansas City (3-1, .750 in 2014- chances to clinch an ALDS in Arlington: Games 3-4 of this series, and 2010 15) and Baltimore (5-3, .625). ALDS Games 3-4 vs. TB. OFFENSE BEHIND THE PLATE: Robinson Chirinos had 2 hits in Game GAME 5: Rangers are 2-3 all-time in Game 5’s, winning last such contest in 4, homered in Game 1, and has a team-high 3 RBI in this ALDS…Texas 2011 World Series Game 5 vs. St. Louis…only other time to win a Game 5 catchers have an all-time postseason average of .309 (51-165), the highest was 2010 ALDS Game 5 at Tampa Bay. by any team in the Wild Card era (since 1995). • The Rangers are trying to become just the 5th team to win multiple deci- sive LDS Game 5’s on the road, just the 3rd in the A.L…other teams to do THE TEXAS BULLPEN has a 1.64 ERA (4 ER/22.0 IP) over this series’ 1st it multiple times?: DET (3x-2011 at NYY; 2012 at OAK; 2013 at OAK), BOS 4 games, allowing 2 R-ER in 7.0 IP in Game 4…Jays are batting .182 (14- (2x-1999 at CLE; 2003 at OAK), SF (2x, 2002 at ATL; 2012 at CIN), and STL 77) against the Rangers bullpen. (2x, 2011 at PHI; 2012 at WAS). • Jake Diekman, Sam Dyson, Keone Kela, and Shawn Tolleson will all enter Game 5 having pitched once in a span of 4 days. THREE IN A ROW?: Texas is seeking to win a 3rd consecutive LDS series (won in 2010-11 vs. TB)…while several N.L. teams have won 3 straight LDS • Sam Dyson and Ross Ohlendorf recorded the saves for Texas in Games since they were introduced in 1995, including active streaks for the Cardi- 1-2…beginning 5/20, just 4 of the Rangers’ final 39 regular season saves nals (4) and Giants (3), the only A.L. clubs to win 3 consecutive ALDS are came from pitchers other than Shawn Tolleson (35 saves): Sam Dyson (2), the Yankees (4, 1998-99-2000-01), Red Sox (3, 1999, 2003-04), and Tigers Ross Ohlendorf (1), Keone Kela (1)…in the Rangers’ 1st 44 all-time post- (4, 2006-11-12-13)…Rangers lost each of the club’s 1st 3 ALDS before the season games entering 2015, just 2 pitchers recorded saves: Neftali Feliz current run. (6) and Darren Oliver (1). • In each of the previous 2 instances when Texas has won an ALDS, the • Dyson’s save in his 1st career postseason appearance in Game 1 made team has also won the ALCS and advanced to the World Series. him just the 3rd pitcher in postseason history with a save in his postseason debut after 2-or-fewer career reg. season saves…the other 2 pitchers: Don WINNING ON THE ROAD: Texas enters today’s Game 5 having won 7 Robinson with the 1979 Pirates (one save) and Mark Thompson with the consecutive road games in the ALDS, T2nd-longest all-time in LDS play 1995 Rockies (0 saves).