Texas Rangers Prepare For Game 1 of ALCS

The Texas Rangers are preparing for Saturday's Game 1 of the ALCS where they'll face the Detroit Tigers with a 7:05 first pitch from the Ball Park in Arlington.

Since the Rangers ended the Rays early, Texas had the luxury of sitting back at setting its pitching rotation as they saw fit, setting up the battle of ace’s Saturday night.

C.J. Wilson will go for the Rangers, while CY Young candidate Justin Verlander will go for Detroit. Wilson went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA, 206 strikeouts and 74 walks in 223 1/3 innings during the regular season. Meanwhile, Verlander went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA, 250 strikeouts and 57 walks in 251 innings. None of that really matters anymore as this is October baseball.

For example, the Rays knocked Wilson out after five innings at Rangers Ball Park, scoring eight runs in ALDS Game 1. Even Verlander struggled early against New York before settling down into his dominant form in their ALDS Game 3 match-up.

"C.J.'s been our best pitcher all season long," Rangers third baseman Michael Young said earlier this week. "One great thing about the postseason is we know how to turn the page. If something doesn't go our way, we turn the page. I'm sure C.J. was ready to go the second after Game 1, so he'll be motivated, he'll be ready to go. He's definitely been our guy all season."