The Toronto Blue Jays earned themselves a lifeline in the ALDS Game 3 clash against the Texas Rangers, winning 5-1 on Sunday Night to force a Game 4 showdown this Monday. The Rangers, 2-1 in the series, only need to win this Monday clash in order to advance to the next stage. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are looking to even the series, 2-2, and hopefully complete the turnaround in Toronto during Game 5. Which of these two teams will stand tallest in our MLB betting lines and odds? Read on, as we give a short preview of this all-important clash.
Taking a Look at the MLB Betting Preview Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers ALDS Game 4
Starting Pitchers: R.A. Dickey (11-11, 3.91) vs. Derek Holland (4-3, 4.91) Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington, Arlington, Texas When: Monday, October 12, 2015 Time: 4:07 PM ET TV: FS1
Derek Holland discusses getting the start for ALDS Game 4 & talks about his strategy. Watch http://t.co/XpQK5NLFRw pic.twitter.com/3rKHq2m88h
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 12, 2015
Staring at the dark hole of elimination and a possible sweep by the Rangers, the Blue Jays gave a memorable performance, riding hot on a spirited performance from starting pitcher Marco Estrada and a light-out display from hitman Troy Tulowitzki to claim a deserved 5-1 win in Texas on Sunday night.
That win will however not matter much if the Blue Jays cannot stop the Rangers from finishing up the series once and for all this Monday. Knuckleballer and former Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey will be the starter charged with the responsibility of leading the Blue Jays in this game. Even more notably, Toronto’s star pitchers David Price and Marcus Stroman may be available out of the bullpen, meaning the Jays will have a strong pitching unit to help their cause.
Having seen good glimpses of Toronto’s offense coming alive on Sunday after a slow start to the postseason, the Blue Jays fraternity can be hopeful that another good performance could be in the books from Tulowitzki and Co.
However, beating the Rangers won’t be that easy, as the home team will not want to repeat the mistakes that cost them Sunday’s clash. To lead the auspicious opportunity of helping the Rangers to march on to the next round, the home-favored Texas team will give the ball to veteran Derek Holland.
In his illustrious career in the Major Leagues, Holland has made 13 postseason appearances, four of which were starts, and none of them ended a loss. Given his pedigree as a solid pitcher in the postseason games, it wouldn’t be far from the truth to say that he’ll be real force to reckon with in tonight’s game.
Needless to say, the Rangers offense looked distraught and out-of-place in Sunday’s game, something that will need to change greatly if they are to win this clash. After outscoring the Blue Jays 11-7 in the first two wins of the series in Toronto, managing just one run in yesterday’s loss was certainly underwhelming. Fortunately, the Rangers entered the postseason games ranked No. 5 at home in offense, scoring 4.94 runs per game, so a bounce-back should be possible against Toronto’s No. 22-rated defense on the road that is allowing 4.62 runs per game.
