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The Texas Rangers announced Andrew Heaney as their starter against the Houston Astros for game 4 on Thursday, bemusing fans.
The Rangers need to bounce back from their game 3 ALCS loss against the Houston Astros. They fell 8-5 against the defending champions. who continued their dominant form at home.
Andrew Heaney started game 1 of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles on Oct. 7 but is yet to pitch since then. He turned in 3.2 innings of one-run ball as the Rangers took the game 3-2.
The starter was relegated to the bullpen after some trade acquisitions by the Rangers. However, he made a strong comeback in the rotation towards the later half of the season. In his final regular season start, Heaney pitched 4.1 scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners that saw the Rangers clinch the playoff spot.
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There's no doubt that there's some reliability attached to Heaney, but fans are still confused with the selection. The Rangers still haven't used Dane Dunning in a starting role in the postseason. He pitched two innings in relief against the Orioles.
Dunning started the season in the bullpen before being given a nod in the starting rotation, thanks to his strong performances. His sinker has worked wonders for him in this breakout season, as he posted a career best ERA of 3.70.
Fans took to Twitter to voice their questions about Dunning's absence from the rotation and general hesitancy about Heaney's selection. One tweeted:
"I don’t really understand why Dunning has disappeared. Most consistent starter all year, and he’s pitched 3 innings"
Here are some of the top reactions on X, formerly called Twitter:
Andrew Heaney has a strong regular season record against Astros in 2023
Andrew Heaney has faced the Astros four times during the regular season for a combined total of 19.2 innings.
He earned only six runs and 11 walks, striking out 16 batters. He definitely seems to have an advantage over them, with the Rangers needing to avoid losing two on the bounce at home.
Heaney will be up against Jose Urquidy who was announced as the starter by the Astros.
