Prior to this season, neither the Orioles nor the Rangers had reached the postseason since 2016. They were two of MLB’s top turnaround teams in 2023. But for one of the clubs to finish the year with a World Series championship, it will require getting past the other.
Baltimore and Texas will face off in the American League Division Series, with Game 1 scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards. It will be only the second time the teams have met in the postseason and the first time in a multi-game series. The O’s defeated the Rangers 5-1 in the first AL Wild Card Game of 2012 in Arlington.
The Orioles haven’t played since Sunday as they posted a 101-61 regular-season record, won their first AL East title since 2014 and secured the AL’s No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, the Rangers (90-72) fell short of first place in the AL West and fell to No. 5 as the second AL Wild Card on the final day of the season.
“The key is that these guys have the ability to put behind them tough times, tough losses, streaks, whatever,” Texas coach Bruce Bochy said, “and this club has done that incredibly well.”
Baltimore hasn’t played a multi-game postseason series since 2014, which was also the last time Camden Yards hosted a playoff contest.
“Everyone is going to have a lot of fear that day and it’s going to be about being able to control your emotions,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “I think our guys are made for the moment.”
When does the game take place and how can I watch it?
First pitch is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT on FOX or FS1. The Orioles and Rangers play in the earliest time slot of the day due to a scheduling conflict, as Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks perform a concert at 7 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium, which shares a parking lot with Camden Yards.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication from a participating pay-TV provider. Games are available live internationally (except Canada). Full game archives will be available approximately 90 minutes after the game ends.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Rangers: To be announced
The top two starters, Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery, are both down after throwing one-run ball for a total of 13 2/3 innings in the game over the Rays, which limited the injured rotation in Game 1 of the ALDS possibilities. The most likely options are Dane Dunning and Andrew Heaney, who pitched games 161 and 162, respectively, in the regular season, while Max Scherzer and Jon Gray both played on the IL.
Dunning took a big step forward this season, opening the year in the bullpen and moving back into the rotation after Jacob deGrom went down. He posted a 3.70 ERA in 35 games (26 starts) and was the pitching team’s MVP with his ability to eat up innings. On the other hand, Heaney opened the season in the rotation but fell back to the bullpen after the trade deadline acquisition of Scherzer and Montgomery. Heaney posted a 4.15 ERA this season but didn’t pitch in the postseason until last year.
Orioles: Probably RHP Kyle Bradish
Baltimore hasn’t announced its Game 1 starter yet, but it would be a surprise if it wasn’t Bradish. The 27-year-old right-hander emerged as the clear leader of the rotation in the 2023 season, his second season in the big leagues. In over 30 starts, Bradish had a 2.83 ERA, becoming the first qualified Orioles starter to post an ERA below 3.00 since Mike Mussina posted a 2.54 mark in 1992.
Bradish allowed one run over 8 1/3 innings in two starts against the Rangers during the regular season. He exited his April 3 game at Texas (his 2023 debut) after 1 2/3 innings after pulling a liner off his right foot.
What are the expected starting lineups?
Ranger: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, it seems. Bruce Bochy shocked everyone when he changed his usual lineup against right-handers in both games against the Rays in the Wild Card Series, using Robbie Grossman (career .692 OPS vs. RHP) in place of Mitch Garver at the DH spot and in the DH spot three hole. Bochy noted before the game that he likes Grossman’s offense lately and that he likes his ability to see more throws and draw walks even when playing against a right-handed hitter.
Bochy likes this lineup, even though Grossman went just 1-for-9 with a walk against Tampa.
Oriole: Here’s how the O’s could line up when facing right-hander Dunning. (If they face a left-handed hitter instead, their lineup will likely look very different.)
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Ranger: The Rangers bullpen should be relatively rested after two days off. José Leclerc has been the team’s best reliever of late, having finished September-October with a 1.98 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. He pitched a scoreless inning in each of the wild card games. But the bullpen as a whole has been a weakness for Texas this season, as they finished the regular season 30-for-63 (47.6 percent) in saves. Relievers with postseason experience like Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith will certainly be used, as will Josh Sborz and Brock Burke. Martín Pérez will continue to be available as long man.
Oriole: Thanks to five days off, Baltimore’s bullpen is completely fresh. The O’s will likely have several converted starters to cover the middle innings (if needed), a group that could include Jack Flaherty and one of the three not needed to start (Kyle Gibson, Dean Kremer or John Means) . The Orioles no longer have All-Star closer Félix Bautista (partial tear in right UCL), so they’re closing by committee, with All-Star right-hander Yennier Cano, converted starter Tyler Wells and a trio of lefties ( Danny Coulombe, DL Hall and Cionel Pérez) taking into account the late inning mix.
Ranger: The Rangers’ new and improved rotation has been marred by injuries all season, with deGrom (right elbow), Scherzer (right shoulder) and Gray (right forearm) all on the IL heading into the postseason. Gray could return but is still day-to-day, and Scherzer continues to throw, although a return has not yet been decided. Luckily, Texas’ All-Star group – Seager, Eovaldi, García, Jung and Heim – all returned from IL last week to try to make up for the lack of rotation weapons with a strong lineup.
Reliever Jonathan Hernández was left off the postseason roster because of a right lat strain, an injury Bochy said he suffered in Game 162 when Hernández pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts in Texas’ 1-0 loss to Seattle threw. It’s unclear if he’ll be available in the ALDS, but Bochy didn’t seem confident.
Oriole: Bautista is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery later this month and is expected to be sidelined until the start of the 2025 season. It’s a huge loss for Baltimore, which went through the final five weeks of the regular season without its All-Star selection.
The rest of the Orioles’ roster is healthy. Mountcastle missed two weeks in mid-September with left ACL inflammation, but the 26-year-old first baseman returned to play in the final four games of the regular season.
Who’s hot and who’s not?
Ranger: Rookie outfielder Carter introduced himself to the broader baseball world with a phenomenal Wild Card Series, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three walks. To the surprise of no one, Seager, the 2020 World Series MVP, also had a good start to the postseason, going 4-for-8 against the Rays.
Lowe struggled to post a .165/.305/.248 line in his final 30 regular-season games, going just 2-for-10 against the Rays.
Oriole: In the final ten games of the regular season,rutschman (.400/.512/.629, five doubles, one home run, five RBIs) and Santander (.310/.341/.452, three doubles) were two of Baltimore’s best hitters, one homer, 11 RBIs). Bradish ended his last three starts with a scoreless streak of 16 innings.
Several key O’s hitters finished the regular season with defeats: Hays (3 of 27), O’Hearn (0 of 23) and Mullins (2 of 36).