The Texas Rangers will take on the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Divisional round in the 2023 MLB playoffs.
Baltimore earned a bye straight to the ALDS by winning a tough AL East and finishing the regular season with the best record in the American League. Its 101-win campaign was the highest win total for the franchise since 1979. Meanwhile, Texas got here by dominating Tampa Bay for a two-game sweep in the Wild Card round. The Rangers shut out the Rays 4-0 in Game 1 before housing them 7-1 in Game 2.
Let’s take a look at the starting pitchers for this best-of-5 series.
Rangers vs. Orioles starting pitchers
Rangers
Game 1: Dane Dunning (12-7, 3.70 ERA)
Game 2: TBD (possibly Jordan Montgomery — 10-11, 3.20)
Game 3: TBD (possibly Nathan Eovaldi — 12-5, 3.63)
Game 4: TBD (possibly Max Scherzer — 13-6, 3.77)
Game 5: Dane Dunning
Montgomery and Eovaldi handled business for the Texas in the Wild Card round, so Dunning looks set to get his first crack at postseason action in Game 1 while they rest up. The righty took a huge step forward in his fourth year in the Majors, posting his first career double-digit win season. Monty and Eovaldi would then most likely step back on the mound for Games 2 and 3, looking to put forth dominant quality starts like they did against Tampa Bay in the Wild Card round. The questions come in Game 4, with Dunning on short rest — though Texas did use him in that capacity during the final weekend of the regular season — and options like Andrew Heaney and Martin Perez not inspiring a ton of confidence. Of course, the Rangers could be getting one heck of a reinforcement that renders this moot: Max Schezer threw a bullpen on Thursday and is slated to face live hitters on Friday in an attempt to make it on to the ALDS roster. If all goes well, he could lineup for a Game 4 start, or he could piggyback, or he could even get the ball in a do-or-die Game 5.
Orioles
Game 1: Kyle Bradish (12-7, 2.83 ERA)
Game 2: Grayson Rodriguez (7-4, 4.35)
Game 3: John Means (1-2, 2.66)
Game 4: TBD (possibly Dean Kremer — 13-5, 4.12)
Game 5: Kyle Bradish
Bradish has been the table-setter for Baltimore’s rotation all season long and he’ll most likely get the ball for Game 1 at home. The righty made two starts against the Rangers this season — an April 3 outing where he suffered a bruised foot in the second inning and a quality start on May 28 where he yielded just one earned run in 6.2 innings. Manager Brandon Hyde announced on Friday afternoon that it would be the rookie Rodriguez — who’s been sensational in the second half of the season — starting in Game 2, lining the lefty Means up for Game 3. It seems unlikely that Baltmiore would throw Bradish on short rest in Game 4, especially with solid options like Kremer or Kyle Gibson (possibly in a piggyback situation?) available. It this goes the full five, though, Bradish would on full rest for a do-or-die start back home.