PLAYOFFS!!!1! Threat: Cowboys From Hell, Blue Jays (0-0) @ Rangers (0-0)

Photo Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

It would be an oversimplification to say that this series will comedown to whether or not the Blue Jays’ strangely frustrating offence can put up runs against Rangers pitching stars Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish, but… um… I’m pretty sure that’s what we’re looking at.

Texas, for my money, isn’t such a great team. The Lucroy and Beltran additions at the trade deadline make them look more dangerous, as does Carlos Gomez coming back from the dead, but the difference between them being good and great is who is on the mound. Hamels and Darvish can make any offence look good by keeping their opponents in check, and so it’s not going to be an easy task for the Jays — who, of course, didn’t have to face Darvish in last year’s ALDS.

So… yeah! This Game Threat is late so that’s going to be it! YOU DON’T NEED ME TO TELL YOU HOW BIG AND GREAT AND IMPORTANT THIS ALL IS!

LET’S DO IT! GO JAYS!

The Blue Jays and the Rangers announced their ALDS rosters today, and in a slightly surprising move, the Jays opted to keep their designated pitcher-we-hope-to-fuck-we-never-have-to-use over their designated pinch runner, taking Corey Feldman (or whatever that guy’s name is) in place of Dalton Pompey.

That’s… unfortunate, but seems to be a byproduct of the fact that Roberto Osuna exited Tuesday’s Wild Card play-in game with some barking in his shoulder. The club felt they needed an extra arm in the bullpen just in case Dirty Bob couldn’t go. Asked who would take the ninth inning in that scenario, John Gibbons told reporters that it would depend on how they ended up getting there, but speculation on the Twitter Machine is that Francisco Liriano could get the call. Or, at the very least, it seems Liriano will be available out of the bullpen.

Russell Martin needed stitches to his left pinkie finger after some kind of a high five mishap during the celebration on Tuesday. It’s his least important finger, so… whatever.

There’s probably more scuttlebutt I should share, but the game is on!!!

TV: Sportsnet
Next Game: Tomorrow @ Rangers, 1:08 PM ET
And now, the lineups…

Devon Travis(R) 2B

Josh Donaldson(R) 3B

Edwin Encarnacion(R) 1B

Jose Bautista(R) DH

Russell Martin(R) C

Troy Tulowitzki(R) SS

Kevin Pillar(R) CF

Melvin Upton Jr.(R) LF

Ezequiel Carrera(L) RF

Marco Estrada RHP

Carlos Gomez(R) LF

Ian Desmond(R) CF

Carlos Beltran(S) DH

Adrian Beltre(R) 3B

Rougned Odor(L) 2B

Jonathan Lucroy(R) C

Mitch Moreland(L) 1B

Elvis Andrus(R) SS

Shin-Soo Choo(L) RF

Cole Hamels LHP