1) Can you touch on the late season push the Rangers pulled off to take the division and how they managed to do it? How will that carry over to the playoffs?
The Rangers have been hot in the back end of the season, and there are many factors that go into that. I think the first thing has been the moves that GM Jon Daniels made at the deadline. Going out and getting Cole Hamels has been absolutely huge, as it gives them an ace to trout out there every fifth day. They also got Southpaw Jake Diekman in the deal, a bullpen arm that often gets overlooked.
Daniels also went out and got some minor pieces, pieces that have paid big dividends in the second half. Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli have combined to be quite the platoon in left field, stretching …show more content…
Derek Holland and Martin Perez have come back and provided a boost to the ball club, brining some much-needed stability to the rotation. Even though their numbers might not seem to impressive this year, their presence and leadership in the clubhouse has been invaluable.
2) It looks like, in game 1, the Blue Jays will have to deal with a guy who has owned them this season- Yovanni Gallardo. What can we expect to see from him? How will he keep these Blue Jays bats at bay?
Yovanni Gallardo will pitch in game one, and I think it is a great move by Jeff Banister. Banister knows that he has had some recent success against the Blue Jays, and I think that has to do with his ability to keep hitters off balance.
Gallardo is a pitcher who doesn’t rely on one pitch, and will actually throw his slider more than anything else. So far this season, he has thrown the fastball 27% of the time, the two seam fastball 23.8% of the time, and the slider a staggering 31.8% of the time. He will also feature a cutter and changeup every once in a while, but he is mainly a three-pitch pitcher. I think his success against the best offense in baseball has everything to do with not giving in, as he is willing to throw his slider in any given situation, as he is most comfortable with that pitch than anything
The Rangers have been hot in the back end of the season, and there are many factors that go into that. I think the first thing has been the moves that GM Jon Daniels made at the deadline. Going out and getting Cole Hamels has been absolutely huge, as it gives them an ace to trout out there every fifth day. They also got Southpaw Jake Diekman in the deal, a bullpen arm that often gets overlooked.
Daniels also went out and got some minor pieces, pieces that have paid big dividends in the second half. Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli have combined to be quite the platoon in left field, stretching …show more content…
Derek Holland and Martin Perez have come back and provided a boost to the ball club, brining some much-needed stability to the rotation. Even though their numbers might not seem to impressive this year, their presence and leadership in the clubhouse has been invaluable.
2) It looks like, in game 1, the Blue Jays will have to deal with a guy who has owned them this season- Yovanni Gallardo. What can we expect to see from him? How will he keep these Blue Jays bats at bay?
Yovanni Gallardo will pitch in game one, and I think it is a great move by Jeff Banister. Banister knows that he has had some recent success against the Blue Jays, and I think that has to do with his ability to keep hitters off balance.
Gallardo is a pitcher who doesn’t rely on one pitch, and will actually throw his slider more than anything else. So far this season, he has thrown the fastball 27% of the time, the two seam fastball 23.8% of the time, and the slider a staggering 31.8% of the time. He will also feature a cutter and changeup every once in a while, but he is mainly a three-pitch pitcher. I think his success against the best offense in baseball has everything to do with not giving in, as he is willing to throw his slider in any given situation, as he is most comfortable with that pitch than anything