The Rangers eliminate the cold Orioles’ bats in the ALDS
For the first time in 19 years, the Baltimore Orioles hosted a playoff game. Despite the rain which delayed the start of their American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers, that didn’t delay the Rangers quickly eliminating the Orioles.
They took control of the best-of five-series with a 3-2 win in Game 1 that turned the bedlam of Baltimore into a funeral procession by the time the shadows took over the ballpark. The misery continued for the Orioles in Games 2 and 3, losing 11-8 and 7-1 respectively as the Rangers closed out Baltimore on Tuesday in their American League Division Series and advanced to the American League Championship Series in which they will meet the winner of the Houston Astros-Minnesota Twins matchup.
The Rangers, who went 90-72 during the regular season to finish second in the American League West behind the 90-72 Astros, dominated the Orioles, who at 101-61 had the second most wins in MLB (the Atlanta Braves were 104-58) to capture the AL East.
They did so without a typically strong performance from All-Star second baseman and leadoff hitter Marcus Semien, who was 1-4 in the series-clinching Game 3 and has just four hits in 23 at-bats in five games this postseason, including the Rangers wildcard series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
But Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who piloted the San Francisco Giants to three World Series titles (2010, 2012, 2014) received key contributions from players throughout his lineup that mitigated Siemen’s struggles.
Four-time All-Star Corey Seager led the charge. The shortstop, who was the 2020 World Series MVP as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a first-inning homer on Tuesday to kickstart the Rangers offense.
“That’s what he does. He’s done it before in the big moments,” Semien said of Seager. “He picks his game up in the playoffs. It’ll be really fun to see what he can do as we move on.”
The post The Rangers eliminate the cold Orioles’ bats in the ALDS appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.