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Injuries

Rangers power tops Blue Jays, take 1-0 lead in ALDS

Joe Lemire
Special for USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO — Breaking down American League Division Series Game 1:

Rougned Odor (right) celebrates with shortstop Elvis Andrus (1) after hitting a solo home run.

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 3: Rangers take 1-0 lead

*State of the Series: Texas took the first game from heavily favored Toronto, which had been 9-2 in ace David Price’s 11 starts after the trade deadline. Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo shut out the Blue Jays for 13 2/3 regular-season innings and, while he allowed two runs today, he lasted five innings and received the win. And next up on the mound for Texas is Cole Hamels, with the Rangers having won each of his last 10 starts. Jose Bautista left left the game with cramping in the ninth inning, but should be cleared to play iin Game 2.

*Game 1 Pivot Point: Credit the Rangers running game for the rally in the second. Twice did Texas hit ground balls with a runner on first base and, while neither was sharply hit, the fact that Odor and DeShields were running on those pitches ruined Toronto’s double-play chances. DeShields’ single and Beltre’s single two batters later scored those runners from second base. That gave the Rangers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

*Man of the Moment: Rougned Odor scored three of Texas’ five runs, even if he only reached base once fully of his own volition. The young lefty second baseman was hit by two Price pitches, scoring the first time because of his aforementioned running, then striking a laser for a home run off Price in the seventh for a much-needed insurance run. Lefties had hit only four homers off Price this season. Odor also made a good defensive play on speedy Ezequiel Carrera to end the fifth inning and save a run.

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*What you missed on TV: Even the best-quality Dolby Digital sound system couldn’t convey the volume of the roar inside Rogers Centre. It first peaked when the 2015 AL East Champs banner was raised pre game and surged again — louder — in the fourth inning when Toronto put its first men on base and scored its first run.

*#KillTheBunt: With a runner on first and nobody out in the top of the fifth, Chirinos squared to bunt but pulled the bat back when the pitch sailed high. Price then threw another fastball, and this time the young catcher swung away — and parked a two-run homer.

*Ailing corner: Beltre left in the third inning with back stiffness, and Donaldson left in the fifth after taking an inadvertent knee to the head while sliding into second an inning earlier. Both are star players as hitters and fielders, although Donaldson — co-favorite for the AL MVP — is clearly the better player in 2015. Donaldson cleared concussion tests and will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

Adrian Beltre, Josh Donaldson leave Game 1 of ALDS with injuries

*Rusty start: Price made the start on 11 days’ rest and looked rusty after all the time off — for an inning. He walked the second and third hitters of the game, throwing only seven strikes among his 17 pitches in the frame. Price made a few long stares toward home-plate umpire James Hoye, but the Pitch F/X tracking system suggested the pitcher’s shaky command was more the issue. He escaped unscathed when Prince Fielder grounded into a double play.

Price appeared to rapidly settle down — he struck out the side in the second inning — but allowed two runs in the third, two more in the fifth and another in the seventh. It was the first time he allowed five earned runs since joining Toronto. Of his 90 pitches, 43 (i.e. nearly half) were classified as two- and four-seam fastballs by BrooksBaseball.net, and Price didn’t induce a single swing and miss among the 15 Texas swings even though his fastballs averaged 95 mph.

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