The real MLB playoffs finally began with two ALDS games, as the Texas Rangers enjoy another David Price playoff implosion to take a 1-0 lead against the Toronto Blue Jays following a 5-3 win, while the Houston Astros, also playing on the road, had no problem with the rain delay and the Kansas City Royals fans, winning 5-2 to take the series lead.
Price has dropped to 1-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 11 postseason games and is 0-6 in six playoff starts. He did stay on for seven innings, but that’s more to do with the Blue Jays not having a very good bullpen. The Rangers hitting was the epitome of clinical. Every hit got them something, as Price allowed five hits and five runs while walking two before getting taken off. His offense kept bringing him back into the game, but Price kept throwing it away.
Yovani Gallardo on the other side didn’t put in too special of a performance. He pitched for five innings before leaving the mound. The best performance out of the relief group came from Jake Diekman, who didn’t give up a hit in two innings to set up the closing session by Sam Dyson, who did give up one hit but never let it get carried away. The Rangers didn’t score after Price came off, but they didn’t need to either.
Not everything is great for the Rangers, as Adrian Beltre is now injured, coming after his RBI single to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. If he’s out for more than one game, it’ll be Hanser Alberto that takes over for him, although Alberto didn’t do much in the two at bats he had in game 1.
Another disappointment for the home team was in Kansas City, as the Royals took off their ace Yordano Ventura before he completed three innings. The Astros took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but lost that momentum before and after the rain delay, as Kendrys Morales hit two single home runs off of Collin McHugh. The problem for the Royals was that they had no offense except for those homers, and after making it a one run game, the Astros fired back.
Things were going well for Chris Young in his relief appearance, but he was probably left in the game for a bit too long. George Springer took advantage of that with a home run, and Colby Rasmus finished the job in the 8th inning (Young was no longer on the mound by that point). The Royals got only six hits the entire game, but stranded runners in scoring positions every time, with Eric Hosmer especially disappointing in that regard.