Blue Jays Podcast: ALDS Preview!
Episode #40 of the Jays’ Nest Podcast gets you set for the American League Divisional Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers. We begin our show with an interview with Brendan Kennedy of The Star and get his take on the playoffs and the season that was. We then look ahead to the first two games of this huge series. We take a look at the pitching matchups and the lineups to provide you with some analysis as this series is set to begin.
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We kicked off our postseason festivities with a chat with Brendan Kennedy of The Star. He covers the Blue Jays over there and does a fantastic job. We wanted to get his take on all of the madness that is taking over Toronto as the Blue Jays make their first appearance in the postseason in 22 years. We started off with a little chat about comparing this run to the ’92/’93 years. And, while he was young, he does have a funny little story about it.
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We asked him about his take on the mid-season moves the Blue Jays made as a follower of the club and as a reporter. And we got his take on how things have changed in Toronto since. He has some interesting thoughts about which of these moves will actually pay off for the Blue Jays in the playoffs. Yours probably align. He talked about the possible chip Josh Donaldson might be bringing to this postseason as well as the change in the clubhouse atmosphere with all of these recent moves. Finally, we got his take on just how far the Blue Jays could go in October.
From there, we get you set for games 1 & 2 of the ALDS. We take a look at the pitching matchups. And, in this series, the final results just might hinge on the performances of the starting pitchers. While David Price was brought to Toronto to fill the “Ace” role and give them a leg up in series’, Yovanni Gallardo has had some success against the Blue Jays this year. So, it isn’t an easy slam dunk for the boys in blue. We dive into their numbers a little bit to try and see if there is an edge for the Blue Jays.
Toronto Blue Jays
In game 2, the matchup might appear to favor the Blue Jays with Marcus Stroman taking the mound. The heart tells you that he gives this club a leg up with the excitement of his return and the performances he’s managed to put together. It would be easy to feel invincible. But, on the other side of the diamond sits Cole Hamels. The brain kicks in and looks at the consistency and success Hamels has had compared to the short resume of Stroman. It might not be popular, but realistically, Stroman is going to have to bring something special with him in game 2. The good news is, that’s what he’s done all along. Can he do it again?
This series is going to be exciting and we do our part to get you ready for it. We get you started with the first two games and we’ll be back as the series progresses. Get, ready! This is going to be fun.
Next: Get the Other POV with an Interview with the Texas Rangers Site, Nolan Writin