LIVE: Rangers-Orioles ALDS Game 1 FAQ (FS1)

October 7th, 2023

Before this season, neither the Orioles nor the Rangers had reached the postseason since 2016. They’ve been two of MLB’s top turnaround teams in 2023. But in order for either club to end the year with a World Series championship, they’ll need to get past the other.

Baltimore and Texas are facing off in the American League Division Series Game 1 at Camden Yards. It’s only the second time the teams have met in the postseason, and the first time in a multigame series. The O’s defeated the Rangers, 5-1, in the inaugural winner-take-all AL Wild Card Game in Arlington in 2012.

The Orioles haven’t played since Sunday, as they went 101-61 in the regular season, winning their first AL East title since 2014 and seizing the AL’s No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, the Rangers (90-72) fell short of a first-place finish in the AL West, falling to the No. 5 seed as the second AL Wild Card on the season’s final day.

Texas bounced back from the adversity, though, as it went to Tropicana Field and won a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series against Tampa Bay in convincing fashion. The Rangers swept the series, recording a 4-0 win in Tuesday’s Game 1 and a 7-1 victory in Wednesday’s Game 2.

“The key is these guys having the ability to put tough times, tough losses, streaks, whatever, behind them,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said, “and this club did an unbelievable job of doing that.”

Baltimore hasn’t played a multigame postseason series since 2014, which was also the most recent time that Camden Yards hosted a playoff contest.

“Everybody’s going to have big-time butterflies 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 is the game and how can I watch it?

The game is airing on FS1. The Orioles and Rangers are playing in the day’s earliest timeslot due to a scheduling conflict, as Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks are holding 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 U.S. on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games are available live internationally (except in Canada). Full game archives will be available approximately 90 minutes after the game ends.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Rangers: LHP Andrew Heaney
Texas' top two starters, Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery, are both unavailable after throwing a combined 13 2/3 innings of one-run ball in the sweep of the Rays, leaving limited options for Game 1 of the ALDS. Texas ended up going with Heaney, who opened the season in the rotation, but fell back to the bullpen after the Trade Deadline acquisitions of Max Scherzer and Montgomery. Heaney posted a 4.15 ERA this season, but the lefty pitched in the postseason last year, when he tossed three innings of relief as a member of the Dodgers.

Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish
Baltimore revealed its Game 1 starter on Friday, and it was no surprise it was Bradish. The 27-year-old right-hander emerged as the clear-cut leader of the rotation during the 2023 season, his second in the big leagues. Over 30 starts, Bradish had a 2.83 ERA, becoming the first qualified Orioles starter to post a sub-3.00 ERA since Mike Mussina had a 2.54 mark in 1992.

Bradish allowed one run over 8 1/3 innings in two starts vs. the Rangers during the regular season. He exited his April 3 outing at Texas (his 2023 debut) after 1 2/3 innings, after taking a liner off his right foot.

What are the starting lineups?

Rangers: Bruce Bochy shocked everybody when he switched up his usual lineup against right-handers in both games against the Rays in the Wild Card Series, going with Robbie Grossman (career .692 OPS against RHP) instead of Mitch Garver at the DH spot and in the three hole. Bochy noted pregame that he likes Grossman’s at-bats of late and likes his ability to see more pitches and draw walks, even if it’s against a right-hander.

Orioles: Here’s how the O’s will line up against the left-handed Heaney.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?

Rangers: The Rangers' bullpen should be relatively rested after two days off. José Leclerc has been the team's best reliever of late after finishing September/October with a 1.98 ERA across 13 2/3 innings. He tossed a scoreless inning in each of the Wild Card Series games. But the bullpen as a whole has been a weakness for Texas this season, as it finished the regular season 30-for-63 (47.6 percent) in save opportunities. Relievers with postseason experience, like Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith, are sure to be used, as are Josh Sborz and Brock Burke. Martín Pérez and Dane Dunning will continue to be available as the long relief options.

Orioles: Thanks to five days off, Baltimore’s bullpen is completely fresh. The O’s will likely have several converted starters to help cover the middle innings (if needed), a group that could include Jack Flaherty and one of the three who won’t be needed to start (Kyle Gibson, Dean Kremer or John Means). The Orioles no longer have All-Star closer Félix Bautista (partial right UCL tear), so they’ve been 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) factoring into the late-inning mix.

Any injuries of note?

Rangers: The Rangers’ new and improved rotation has been decimated by injuries all season, with Jacob deGrom (right elbow), Scherzer (right shoulder) and Jon Gray (right forearm) all on the IL heading into the postseason. Gray is unlikely to return before a possible ALCS, but Scherzer threw to live batters on Friday for the first time since a Sept. 12 start against the Blue Jays. Scherzer said he needs to see how he recovers Saturday morning before rosters are due, but he could be an option in the ALDS if he and the training staff feel he’s ready.

Thankfully, Texas’ group of All-Stars -- Seager, Eovaldi, Adolis García, Josh Jung and Jonah Heim -- have all returned from injuries they dealt with earlier in the season. The Rangers hope their potent lineup can help cancel out the lack of rotation arms.

Reliever Jonathan Hernández was left off the postseason roster due to a right lat strain, an injury that Bochy said was sustained during Game 162, when Hernández tossed one perfect inning with two strikeouts in Texas’ 1-0 loss to Seattle. It’s unclear whether he’ll be available in the ALDS just yet, but Bochy didn’t seem confident.

Orioles: Bautista is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery later this month and is expected to be sidelined until the start of the 2025 campaign. It’s a big loss for Baltimore, which navigated the final five weeks of the regular season without its All-Star closer.

The rest of the Orioles’ roster is healthy. Mountcastle missed two weeks in mid-September due to left AC joint inflammation, but the 26-year-old first baseman returned to play in the final four games of the regular season.

Who’s hot, who’s not?

Rangers: Rookie outfielder Carter has introduced himself to the broader baseball world with a phenomenal Wild Card Series, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three walks. To nobody’s shock, 2020 World Series MVP Seager also got off to a hot start in the postseason, going 4-for-8 against the Rays.

Lowe struggled to a .165/.305/.248 line over his last 30 games in the regular season, and went just 2-for-10 against the Rays.

Orioles: Over the final 10 games of the regular season, two of Baltimore’s hottest hitters were Rutschman (.400/.512/.629, five doubles, one homer, five RBIs) and Santander (.310/.341/.452, three doubles, one homer, 11 RBIs). Bradish ended on a 16-inning scoreless streak over his final three starts.

Several key O’s hitters ended the regular season in skids: Hays (3-for-27), O’Hearn (0-for-23) and Mullins (2-for-36).