Blue Jays pitchers Price, Stroman to open 1st 2 games of ALDS
Series with Rangers begins in Toronto on Thursday
Toronto Blue Jays ace David Price will face Texas Rangers pitcher Yovani Gallardo in Game 1 of the American League Division Series while Marcus Stroman takes on Cole Hamels in Game 2.
Rangers manager Jeff Banister announced only his first two starters.
Toronto manager John Gibbons had already confirmed Price would start Game 1 at the Rogers Centre on Thursday. Stroman used social media to fill in the gap for Game 2.
Tore my ACL, finished my degree from <a href="https://twitter.com/DukeU">@DukeU</a>, rehabbed my knee in 5 months, and now pitching in Game 2 of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ALDS?src=hash">#ALDS</a>. Crazy excited! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HDMH?src=hash">#HDMH</a>
—@MStrooo6According to reports, Marco Estrada will start Game 3 on the road in Texas and R.A. Dickey would follow in Game 4, if necessary.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi">@ShiDavidi</a> reports Marco Estrada will start Game 3 against the Rangers, and RA Dickey will start Game 4. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a>
—@FAN590Hamels, the Rangers' marquee pitcher, threw a complete game Sunday in Texas' regular-season finale, a 9-2 win over the Angels that clinched the AL West title.
The Rangers have won their past 10 games started by Hamels, who is 7-1 in 12 starts since being acquired from Philadelphia in late July.
The two Texas pitchers have fared differently against the Jays in a limited number of meetings
Gallardo (13-11, 3.42 ERA) won both of his starts this season against Toronto, pitching 13 2/3 scoreless innings. Toronto managed just six hits while batting 136 against him.
Gallardo is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA all-time against the Jays.
Hamels is 0-2 with a career 6.97 ERA in four starts against the Jays. On the plus side, his post-season ERA is 3.09 against all-teams.
With files from CBC Sports