The Texas Rangers will start left-hander Martin Perez against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of their ALDS, according to manager Jeff Banister.
Perez, 24, went 3-6 with a 4.46 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and three home runs allowed in 78.2 innings this season.
“The body of work and how he’s pitched lately were factors,” Banister told reporters before Game 1. “But we also like the ground ball rate. And it gives us a chance to go to one of those other two early in the game if we need to.”
He did not pitch against the Blue Jays in 2015 and has never thrown an inning against Toronto, according to Baseball Reference.
The Rangers are going with a lefty-heavy rotation early in the five-game series, with veteran Cole Hamels set to start Friday’s Game 2 and Perez dueling with Marco Estrada in Game 3 when the match-up shifts to Texas.
The ALDS begins Thursday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.
