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 will face off in the American League Division Series, with Game 1 set for Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards. It’ll be 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.
“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?
First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET/noon CT on Saturday on either FOX or 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 US 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: To be announced
The top two starters in Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery are both down after throwing a combined 13 2/3 innings of one-run ball in the sweep over the Rays, leaving limited options for the injured rotation in Game 1 of the ALDS. The most likely options are Dane Dunning and Andrew Heaney, who threw games 161 and 162, respectively, in the regular season with Max Scherzer and Jon Gray both on the IL.
Dunning has taken a huge step forward this season, opening the year in the bullpen and transitioning back to the rotation when Jacob deGrom went down. He posted a 3.70 ERA in 35 games (26 starts) and has been the MVP of the pitching staff down the stretch with his ability to eat innings. On the opposite end, Heaney opened the season in the rotation, but fell back to the bullpen after the Trade Deadline acquisitions of Scherzer and Montgomery. Heaney posted a 4.15 ERA this season, but pitched in the postseason as recently as last year.
Orioles: Likely RHP Kyle Bradish
Baltimore hasn’t yet revealed its Game 1 starter, but it would be a surprise if it’s not 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 projected starting lineups?
Rangers: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, it seems. 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.
Bochy likes this lineup, despite Grossman going just 1-for-9 with a walk against Tampa.
Orioles: Here’s how the O’s could line up if they face the right-handed Dunning. (If they instead face a left-hander, their lineup will likely look quite different.)
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 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 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 will continue to be available as the long man.
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.
Rangers: The Rangers’ new and improved rotation has been decimated 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 is continuing to throw, though any return is still to be determined. Thankfully, Texas’ group of All-Stars — Seager, Eovaldi, García, Jung and Heim — have all returned from IL over the past week to try to balance out the lack of rotation arms with a powerful lineup.
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 if he’ll be available in the ALDS, 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).
