The Jordan Montgomery Game, The Evan Carter Catch, Texas Strikes First - ALCS Game 1 Recap!
The Rangers go into Houston and make the biggest statement possible...
After a two-day hiatus without any baseball, we were rewarded for our patience on Sunday night.
All eyes were on the Lone Star State for the first-ever postseason meeting between the Rangers and the Astros.
It did not disappoint.
Today’s recap will be a quick one given that we have both Game 2 of this series and the NLCS getting underway on Monday. And I want to really dive into what is just a fascinating matchup between the Diamondbacks and the Phillies.
Anyway, for now, let’s dive right into Game 1 of the ALCS…
ALCS GAME 1 RECAP
Texas Rangers (1-0) 2-0 Houston Astros (0-1)
What unfolded in Houston on Sunday night really could be a portent of what could come in the American League Championship Series.
At least that’s what I firmly believe anyway.
The Rangers went into Minute Maid Park and played as clean a baseball game as you will ever see. They executed the game plan to absolute perfection.
This Texas team is just a really sound fundamental baseball club. They have a deep lineup that can slug and put the ball in play. They boast a starting rotation full of horses, as well as a sure-fire Hall of Famer in Max Scherzer who is now available to pitch in this series. And the bullpen, as bad as it was during the regular season - they posted the seventh-worst ERA (4.77) and contributed to the Rangers going 14-22 in one-run games - has been unhittable when it really matters most.
Through the start of the AL Wild Card Series to now, Texas relievers have combined for a stellar 1.86 ERA over 19 1/3 innings. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the Rangers have now trailed at the end of only one full inning in its first six games, tying Cleveland (2016) for the best single-postseason mark.
Talk about an impressive turnaround.
And, hey, it just proves the point that it doesn’t matter how you start, but rather how you finish. October baseball is the be-all and end-all, and what this bullpen did throughout the regular season won’t be remembered if they play a sizable role in winning a World Series.
And, based on what we saw in Game 1 of the ALCS, it is actually feasible that this bunch of relievers could help carry Texas to ultimate glory. They were able to deal with a rowdy Astros home crowd, instead putting up the barricades to post 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. Armed with a 2-0 lead, this bullpen came in, did what they had to do in a no-thrills, no-flash kind of way and got the damn job done.
And that’s all you want out of your bullpen. Especially in the postseason.
This group of relievers elicited plenty of soft contact and some really awful-looking swings from what is a dangerous Astros lineup. And, trust me, there aren’t many bullpens out there who can do to Houston what Texas did on Sunday night. And, with Jon Gray set to return from the IL to pitch out of the bullpen, a group that is already pitching at the peak of its powers should get even better.
And that should strike fear into the heart of the Astros.
It is possible that the bullpen was inspired by what they saw from Jordan Montgomery on the mound. The veteran, who was acquired in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals at the Trade Deadline, has been money for the Rangers and he produced arguably one of his most impressive outings in Game 1.
Not fazed by a hostile home crowd that was up for the occasion, nor going up against a sure-fire future Hall of Famer in Justin Verlander, Montgomery instead proceeded to mow down a vaunted Astros lineup in workmanlike fashion. He tossed his second scoreless start of the postseason, going 6 1/3 innings while limiting the Astros to just five hits all night. He also struck out six while allowing just one walk.
Perhaps more impressive was the fact that Montgomery entered some rarified air by becoming just one of a handful of pitchers to make Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez look worse than average at the plate. Montgomery used filthy stuff to absolutely perplex Alvarez, who entered the night having hit four home runs this posteason, yet he finished Game 1 0-for-4 and he couldn’t get close to any of Montgomery’s pitches. Montgomery struck out Alvarez every single time he faced him. And he’s probably the only pitcher who can make that claim this postseason.
Again, the Rangers are just a really sound fundamental team and that was on display all night long. Montgomery pitched a gem and went long, easing the pressure on the bullpen who were then able to come in and finish off the job. They were aided by a stellar defensive play from breakout postseason star Evan Carter, who made a sensational leaping catch against the fence in left-center field, napping a Alex Bregman line drive before initiating a double play which saw Jose Altuve have a brain fart moment after failing to retouch second base while retreating back to first.
Aroldis Chapman owes Carter a couple of ice-cold Lone Star Original’s after that play.
Carter also made a difference on the other side of the ball, hitting a double and then scoring on a Jonah Heim single in the top of the second inning. Leody Taveras, hitting in the nine-hole, proved just how deep this lineup really is by going 2-for-2, including hitting a solo shot in the top of the fifth that proved to be the difference-maker. When you have your No. 9 hitter making such sizable contributions, you know you are in good shape. Taveras’ contributions were even more important given that Astros ace Justin Verlander was also locked in, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five.
In order to succeed in October baseball, you need quality starting pitching, a reliable bullpen and a consistent lineup that can both go deep and provide timely hits in big spots.
The Rangers ticked every single one of those boxes in Game 1.
And, in doing so, they improved to 6-0 in the playoffs, with five of those wins coming on the road. They have opened each of their three postseason series on the road, winning every Game 1, becoming just the fourth team to accomplish that feat. This pitching staff now boasts a sparkling 1.83 team ERA and four quality starts - two of which have come from Montgomery - which is the most of any team.
Also, the Rangers have also won each of their first five road games this postseason. The only two other teams in MLB history to have started the playoffs with a longer win streak on the road are:
The 1996 New York Yankees (8)
The 2005 Chicago White Sox (6)
But, more importantly, in doing what they did in Game 1 of the ALCS, the Texas Rangers proved that there is a perfect gameplan in which you can beat the Astros with in October. Teams that have won in Game 1 in all best-of-seven postseason series have gone on to win the series 121 of 188 times (64%).
If the Rangers can stick to what worked for them so well in Game 1, in addition to taking full advantage of the confidence boost they would have got from shutting out the Astros at home for the first time in the postseason since Game 6 of the 2021 World Series, then there is a pathway there for this team to go on, clinch this series and move on to the World Series.
I really do believe that Game 1 was a portent of things to come.
Coming Up
We have two games on Monday, with the National League Championship Series getting underway. Let’s get you set for both…
Texas Rangers (1-0) At Houston Astros (0-1) - 4:37 P.M. ET (FOX/FS1)
RHP Nate Eovaldi, Texas (2-0, 1.32 ERA) - LHP Framber Valdez, Houston (0-1, 10.38 ERA)
The Rangers entered the playoffs down two aces with both Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer on the shelf. Veteran starter Jon Gray also began the postseason on the IL. Being without three great arms would have crippled most other teams, but not Texas. No, this team has instead relied on the good-old next man-up mentality, and it has paid off handsomely so far. Jordan Montgomery tossed an absolute gem in Game 1 of the ALCS, and now the Rangers have the luxury of handing the ball to veteran starter Nate Eovaldi for Game 2. Eovaldi has been money so far this postseason, and the pitching matchup really favors Texas the rest of the way given that both Scherzer and Gray are now available to pitch in this series. That’s bad news for the Astros, who will need a much better outing from Framber Valdez in Game 2, who was beat up in his last start against the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS. Houston will also need its lineup to break out on Monday, or else it could be a long, long road back.
Arizona Diamondbacks (0-0) At Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) - 8:07 PM.M ET (TBS)
RHP Zac Gallen, Arizona (2-0, 3.18 ERA) - RHP Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia (1-0, 2.08 ERA)
Tone-setters are so important in baseball, especially when it comes to October baseball. Therefore, the fact that Zack Wheeler will be on the mound in Game 1 for the Phillies is huge. Their ace is their tone-setter and Wheeler has delivered when called upon so far in the playoffs. He gets slept on in regards to just how great he actually is, and he’ll have a frenzied, ear-popping loud Citizen Banks Park on his side. That in itself is a major advantage. For the D-Backs and Zac Gallen, getting through the first couple of innings will be key. Managing the deafening noise and that ultra-passionate Phillies crowd will go a long way to producing the desired outcome in Game 1. If Gallen gets shelled early, and this offense reverts back to type and is shut out by Wheeler, then I really do think that will be a portent of things to come in the NLCS.
After a two-day hiatus, we’re now being spoiled with two Championship Series matchups in one night!
I’ll be back later on Monday with an in-depth preview of the NLCS between the D-Backs and the Phillies, so stay tuned for that.
See you then…
