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The Texas Rangers have their work cut out for them if they plan to win their American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. But as Game 3 shifts to Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sunday evening, Texas needs only to draw on their foes’ experience from last year for inspiration.
TBS will televise Game 3 at 7:38 p.m. ET on Sunday, with Brian Anderson, Dennis Eckersley, Joe Simpson, and Matt Winer on the call.
These two teams met in the 2015 ALDS, as well, but last year Toronto had home-field advantage, only to drop the first two games at home. Backs against the wall, the Blue Jays beat the Rangers twice in Texas to force a Game 5 back home, then eliminated the Rangers in the deciding game.
This year, the Rangers had home-field advantage, but lost both games at home. They will try to return the favor in Toronto, starting on Sunday.
For starters, Colby Lewis has to give Texas a better start than the Rangers got from Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish in the opening two games. Hamels allowed seven runs and couldn’t finish the fourth inning in Game 1, followed by Darvish allowing four home runs on his way to five runs in five innings and another loss.
Lewis was inconsistent in his September return after missing 2½ months with a strained right lat, putting up a 6.38 ERA in four starts down the stretch, with six home runs allowed, 12 strikeouts, and nine walks in 18⅓ innings. He was able to pitch into the seventh inning against the Rays in his final start of the year, and hopes to use that as a springboard for October.
“I felt like each start I've gone out, accomplished the things that I wanted to accomplish,” Lewis told reporters on Saturday. “The last one was going up over 100 pitches, and felt really, really good. The last two times I went out, everything was fresh. So, yeah, I wouldn't take it any other way. I feel like I made all the leaps and bounds that I needed to make to be ready.”
The Blue Jays will counter with Aaron Sanchez, trying to close out the series at home. The 23-year-old right-hander was 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 30 starts in 2016, with 161 strikeouts and 63 walks in 192 innings.
ALDS Game 3 info
When: 7:38 p.m. ET
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada
TV: TBS
Streaming: Watch TBS app or Postseason.tv
Radio: ESPN Radio