Rangers notes: Holland gets the nod if Game 4 needed
The Texas Rangers will go with left-hander Derek Holland on Monday if a Game 4 is needed in the American League Division Series.
The Rangers opted to go with Holland over right-hander Colby Lewis, who will work out of the bullpen for the remainder of the series.
“It was one of the more challenging decisions we’ve had to make,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “We felt like we definitely had a tough decision and we were in a good place because we had two candidates we felt really good about in Colby Lewis and Derek Holland. We really just felt like Derek was the fit for us this time around.”
Holland went 4-3 in 10 regular-season starts with a 4.91 ERA. He allowed four earned runs in an Aug. 25 start against Toronto but didn’t factor in the decision, a 6-5 loss.
It was one of the more challenging decisions we’ve had to make.
Rangers manager Jeff Banister
Lewis won 17 games for Texas but allowed 11 earned runs over 8 2/3 innings in his last two starts. The fly-ball pitcher lost his one start against the Blue Jays this season, giving up five runs in five innings in a 12-4 loss Aug. 26.
Kela moves past Game 2
A day after his 13th-inning dustup with Toronto slugger Josh Donaldson, Rangers reliever Keone Kela had no regrets about how he handled the incident.
“I just think with it being the playoffs, it’s a high-intensity game,” Kela said. “He’s a competitor. I’m a competitor. Tempers flared and we won and that’s pretty much it. That’s water under the bridge, and all I can focus on is Game 3, and that’s the new objective and that’s all that matters right now.”
Benches cleared after Donaldson and Kela exchanged words following a long foul ball in what was then a 4-4 game. Kela said he was getting a new ball when he heard someone yelling in his direction.
The Blue Jays were upset because they felt as though Kela tried to quick-pitch Donaldson. Kela said he all he was doing was trying to gain an advantage in the at-bat.
“That’s what this game is about, is mixing up timing,” Kela said. “I feel like it’s a way to be deceptive on the mound, and at that point that’s the way I felt like I could face Donaldson.”
Following the at-bat against Donaldson, Kela was visited on the mound by his teammates and Banister. The meeting was about focusing on the task at hand, which was getting the next two outs. Kela did that and ended up picking up the win in the 6-4 victory.
Kela has pitched in both games in the series. It’s the first time he’s pitched in back-to-back games since Sept.13-14 as the Rangers have tried to limit his workload and monitor a sore elbow. He said Saturday his arm felt good.
Briefly
▪ Rangers right-hander Tanner Scheppers, who isn’t on the ALDS roster, tried to play catch Saturday but still has soreness in his right index finger. Scheppers cut the finger in the celebration after the Rangers won the AL West.
▪ Brett Cecil, Toronto’s top lefty reliever who tore a calf muscle in Game 2, was removed from the roster and replaced by right-hander Ryan Tepera.
▪ Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams will throw out the first pitch before Game 3. Former Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez will catch the pitch.
▪ Approximately 500 reserved seats remain for a possible Game 4 of the ALDS. All tickets for Games 1 and 2 of a possible American League Championship Series have been sold.
This story was originally published October 10, 2015 at 8:28 PM with the headline "Rangers notes: Holland gets the nod if Game 4 needed."