MLB teams
Tim Kurkjian, ESPN Senior Writer 7y

ALDS questions: Can Rangers-Blue Jays live up to the hype?

MLB, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays

It is difficult to imagine anything in this postseason topping the American League wild-card game, with its tremendous play, drama, storylines and stunning controversy. But this is the series that could top it. The Toronto Blue Jays, who somehow survived the Orioles in 11 innings Tuesday night, now play the Texas Rangers in a rematch of last year's ALDS.

That series featured the famous Jose Bautista bat flip, which eventually led to Bautista's being hit by a pitch at 95 mph, which led to his hard slide into Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor, which immediately led to Odor's infamous punch to Bautista's face. And now the two play each other again, with so much on the line for each team. This series will be contentious, it will be emotional, and it promises to be memorable.

Here are five questions.

What is the deal with the Rangers' run differential?

They won 95 games with a run differential of plus-8. Every other time a team has won 95 games -- that's 281 times -- it had a run differential of at least plus-66. What does that mean? It's hard to tell. Run differential can be a great indicator of the effectiveness of a team, but it can also be misleading. The bottom line is, the Rangers set a major league record for the highest winning percentage (.766, 36-11) in one-run games, breaking the record of the 2012 Orioles (.763). Success in one-run games rarely carries over from year to year, but it often continues into the same postseason. The 2016 Rangers know how to win close games. The Rangers are a veteran team, led by the great Adrian Beltre, that knows how to win. Period.

What is the status of the Blue Jays rotation?

It is set up perfectly. Remember, the Jays' rotation had a 2.08 ERA the last 21 games of the regular season, the lowest mark in the major leagues. And now they will have all of their best starters lined up and fully rested: Aaron Sanchez, the 2016 AL ERA champ at 3.00; J.A. Happ, a 20-game winner; and Marco Estrada, who at his best can confound any lineup with that great changeup. They also have Francisco Liriano, the winning pitcher in the wild-card game, and Marcus Stroman, who gave Toronto six good innings Tuesday. The Blue Jays did a marvelous job protecting Sanchez this year and limiting his innings, which allows him to be rested and at his best in October. No one can hit that guy right now. This rotation is stout.

Is there a starting twosome in the AL better than Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish?

When they are right and healthy, there is not. Hamels is a big-time postseason pitcher, and he was a big-time ace for most of this season, going 15-5 with a 3.32 ERA. But he has stumbled lately. In his past six starts, he has allowed 24 earned runs in 32 innings. Darvish is coming back from Tommy John surgery and in his past two starts he has looked like the ace he was before he got hurt -- 13 innings, one run allowed, two walks and 21 strikeouts. If those two are at their best, and Martin Perez and Colby Lewis are competent, the Rangers rotation can match up with any in the majors.

How healthy is the Toronto bullpen?

It is shaky. Setup man Joaquin Benoit, who was virtually unhittable for a month and the perfect bridge to closer Roberto Osuna, will not pitch in this series (and might be out for the most season) after tearing a calf muscle while running to join a brawl. Benoit will be greatly missed. And then Osuna, with his upper-90s fastball and viscous slider, had to come out of the wild-card game because of a shoulder issue. After the game, Osuna said his shoulder was fine and that he mostly came out because he was tired. The Jays are going to have to evaluate his health and availability. If Osuna isn't 100 percent, it will be interesting to see how the Jays get enough outs late in the game against a very good Rangers lineup. But it was the Toronto bullpen that essentially won the wild-card game, allowing only an infield single to Manny Machado from the sixth inning on and retiring the final 14 batters it faced.

How good is the Texas bullpen?

Really good. When it gave up a run on Sunday, it ended a streak of 35⅓ scoreless innings by the bullpen, the second-longest streak in club history. It is a difficult bullpen to handle because it comes at teams from so many angles. Closer Sam Dyson and primary setup man Jeremy Jeffress attack with a really hard sinker; lefty setup man Jake Diekman slings it from the side; former shortstop Matt Bush (the guy that hit Bautista in the ribs with a 95 mph heater earlier this season) throws really hard from straight over the top; Keone Kela has different looks; and Alex Claudio can help from the left side. The patchwork bullpen of last year cost the Rangers at times in the postseason. This one is better.

Rangers in five.

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