Tonight kicks off a massive three-game series for the Jays against the Rangers, with both teams sitting just two games back of the Guardians for that final Wild Card spot. This is it. The Jays *have* to win this series to even think about the playoffs. The Guardians are currently tied with the White Sox for the top of the AL West, and while the White Sox hold the tiebreaker over the Jays, the Jays do have the tiebreaker over the Guardians. But forget all that for a second, the Jays’ first hurdle is they gotta finish ahead of these Rangers. No getting around it.
Pitching Matchups That Will Make Or Break It
This series is gonna be a grinder from the mound. Tonight at 8:00 Eastern, the Jays are throwing Dylan Cease, who’s been solid with an 11-5 record and a nasty 2.38 ERA. He’s facing Kumar Rocker for the Rangers, who’s 5-11 with a 4.54 ERA. That’s a good matchup for the Jays to grab game one. Saturday, 7:00 Eastern, it’s José Soriano for the Jays (12-7, 3.56 ERA) against Cal Quantrill (9-5, 2.90 ERA). That’s a much tighter game, and Quantrill’s ERA for the Rangers is no joke. Then Sunday at 2:30 Eastern, the Jays are doing a bullpen day with Spencer Arrighetti (8-9, 4.91 ERA) likely getting significant innings, up against Jacob deGrom (11-9, 3.79 ERA). A bullpen day in a must-win series? Seriously? I’m already not a fan of those on a normal Tuesday, let alone when your whole season is on the line.
Rangers Offense Is Sneakily Dangerous
The Rangers might be 11th in the AL for runs per game at 4.17, but their lineup still has some pop you gotta respect. Ezequiel Durán has been a utility monster, playing everywhere but catcher and hitting .268 with 17 homers and a 4.4 bWAR. Corey Seager is a threat at short with 18 dingers, even with a .234 average. Jake Burger and Joc Pederson both have 26 home runs each, and Josh Jung is hitting a solid .298 from third. Their bullpen has a couple of strong arms too, with Jacob Latz sporting a ridiculous 2.11 ERA and 30 saves, and Jakob Junis adding 18 holds with a 3.66 ERA. However, Robby Ahlstrom, a lefty, has a 6.08 ERA, so maybe the Jays can get to him if they’re smart. The Rangers are 8-7 in September, but they just snapped a four-game win streak yesterday. Their 76-77 record is actually better than what their Pythagorean record (72-81) says it should be, which tells you they’ve been pulling out some wins they probably shouldn’t have.
This is it for the Jays. Three games. Win the series, or you’re pretty much done. Every single pitch matters, starting tonight. Let’s see if that last-place offense (they’re last in the AL for runs per game at 4.05, remember?) can step up and deliver when it counts most.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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