We're about to find out exactly how resilient Rangers are after Hamels unravels
And the Rangers would go all the way to Game 7 of the World Series in 2011 after that 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. If you're a big believer in history repeating itself, then what transpired Thursday at Globe Life Park wasn't so bad. In fact, it was eerily familiar.
On the other hand ...
Cole Hamels was supposed to be better than this, way better than what we saw in a 10-1 loss to Toronto. In his last five playoff starts -- three with Philadelphia going back to 2010 plus two against these same Blue Jays in 2015 as a Ranger -- he had five quality starts, and most of them were beyond quality. They were brilliant. That's what this team was counting on him delivering in Game 1. That's why manager Jeff Banister had Yu Darvish and Hamels exchange places in the rotation four weeks ago
Instead, the Rangers got more of what they saw from him in a puzzling September in which Hamels' earned-run average fell off the wagon. A man who was in contention for the Cy Young Award produced a 5.86 ERA in five September starts, a sign of trouble that continued right into the playoffs Thursday afternoon.
He threw 42 pitches in a five-run third inning, surrendering cheap hits before Troy Tulowitzki's three-run double put the game and command of this series in Toronto's grasp.
"Ten runs isn't pretty,'' Hamels said. "Thank God this isn't a wild-card game.''
How does someone so gifted in postseasons past come up this short on the biggest stage?
"We're all human,'' he said. "It's the game of baseball. When the ball leaves my hand and the hitter decides what to do, it's out of my jurisdiction.''
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