Rangers put opener in past, focus on drawing even
Texas drops Game 1, falls to 1-10 at home in ALDS games
ARLINGTON -- Third baseman Adrián Beltré went to the heart of the matter in the Rangers' clubhouse after a 10-1 loss to the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the American League Division Series at Globe Life Park on Thursday.
"We definitely got our tails whipped today," Beltre said. "They kicked our tails, but we still have four games left. We've got to find a way to win tomorrow."
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The Rangers will have a quick turnaround. Game 2 is scheduled for noon CT on Friday at Globe Life Park (TBS in the U.S./Sportsnet (English) and TVA (French) in Canada).
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"We've lost just one," designated hitter Carlos Beltrán said. "Tomorrow we have to even it up and then go to Toronto and continue the series. That's how you have to see it. They played better than us today. Tomorrow we have to be better than them."
Texas is now 1-10 at home in seven appearances in the ALDS in club history. The one win might give the team a bit of comfort.
The Rangers lost to the Rays, 9-0, in Game 1 of the 2011 ALDS at Globe Life Park, but they came back with an 8-6 victory in Game 2 the next day. Texas ended up winning Games 3 and 4 at Tropicana Field to advance to the AL Championship Series.
"That's the reason it's a five-game series, if needed," first baseman Mitch Moreland said. "Obviously it didn't go our way today. They got us pretty good, but we'll come back tomorrow and try to even it up."
Last year, the Rangers won the first two games in Toronto, only to have the Blue Jays win the next three. Overall, teams that have won the first game on the road in the 2-2-1 ALDS format have ended up winning in 24 of 34 previous such series. Texas has been involved in two of the 10 exceptions.
"Given how our club has played well all year long, we've come back and played well after these types of games," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "With a veteran group we have in there, I don't worry about collateral damage in a game like this."
The Rangers couldn't take advantage of a sellout crowd of 47,434 that gave the Blue Jays the anticipated hostile greeting, given the recent history between the two teams. That seemed to dissipate after Toronto scored five runs in the third and two in the fourth off Texas starter Cole Hamels.
"It wasn't another day at the office," Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar said. "We thrive on their negativity toward us, and it's nice to get out to an early lead and keep them out of it. They're a passionate group, too, so to go up five runs pretty early kept them quiet, for the most part."
The Rangers led the Major Leagues with 49 comeback wins in 2016, but Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada eliminated any chance of that on Thursday. Estrada held Texas to four hits and didn't allow a runner in scoring position until Elvis Andrus tripled to lead off the ninth. Andrus scored on Shin-Soo Choo's grounder to keep the Rangers from being shut out.
"They just outplayed us in every facet today," catcher Jonathan Lucroy said.