Hamels tabbed Rangers starter for ALDS opener vs Blue Jays

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) All-Star left-hander Cole Hamels will start the AL Division Series opener for the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays on

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) All-Star left-hander Cole Hamels will start the AL Division Series opener for the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

Hamels (15-5, 3.32) didn't pitch against the Blue Jays during the regular season but faced them twice in last year's ALDS. He threw seven innings in the Rangers' 14-inning win in the second game and lost the Game 5 clincher when three of the five runs against him in 6 1/3 innings were unearned.

Yu Darvish (7-5, 3.41) goes in Game 2 on Friday, his first career ALDS start.

Hamels is 1-1 with a 7.31 ERA over his last six starts. The victory was six scoreless innings at Oakland on Sept. 23, when he won the team's AL West Division title-clinching game for the second year in a row.