On Verge of ALDS Elimination by Texas Rangers, Austin Hays Promises Baltimore Orioles 'Win Three in a Row'

The odds of winning the American League Division Series are with the Texas Rangers, but teams have come back from 2-0 deficit in the past.

The Texas Rangers are on the verge of their first trip to the American League Championship Series since 2011, holding a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five ALDS over the Baltimore Orioles.

And the Rangers are back to Arlington for the next two games of the series – if necessary – at Globe Life Field. Tuesday’s Game 3 is 7 p.m. with Nathan Eovaldi scheduled to start.

The Orioles are hardly conceding the series. No, they expect to win it.

Orioles outfielder Austin Hays isn't giving up on the season despite a 2-0 ALDS hole / © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

“There is no tomorrow. I feel like that’s how our team played all year, honestly,” Baltimore outfielder Austin Hays said, according to ESPN. “We’re just going to play with our hair on fire and win three in a row.”

That’s a mighty task, though not unprecedented. The odds are still firmly with Texas, as teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five format have won the series 78 of 88 times (89%) previously. Clubs that won the first two on the road have won 28 of 31 (90%). Apply that to the Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format and it’s 14 of 16 (88%), with 10 sweeps.

But neither of those scenarios is 100%, so the possibility exists for a Baltimore comeback. And what was the last team to win the first two on the road and lose the series? The Rangers in the 2015 ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles won’t go away quietly. They won an AL-high 101 during the regular season, had an MLB-best 48 comeback victories and haven’t been swept in their last 91 series going back to 2022.

But Baltimore doesn’t need just one win. The Orioles need three without a loss – two at Globe Life Field where the Rangers went 50-31 during the season.

“We’re heading home,” manager Bruce Bochy said after the 11-8 win Sunday. “It seems like we’ve been on the road for a month. We’ll be off [Monday], and looking forward to the games there at home.”

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