Rangers to start Montgomery in Game 1, Eovaldi in Game 2

HOUSTON -- If it ain’t broke, Bruce Bochy doesn’t feel the need to try to fix it.

As ace Max Scherzer prepares to return for the American League Championship Series, Bochy handed the ball to left-hander Jordan Montgomery for the Game 1 start against the Astros on Sunday, with Nathan Eovaldi taking Game 2 on Monday.

“I'm excited for the opportunity,” Montgomery said. “It's a big game, a big series, and I'm excited to go out there and do my best for the team. … You've got to bring your A game [against this lineup]. Yordan [Alvarez] and [Kyle] Tucker are really good players, and up and down that lineup everybody is pretty talented. So you've really just got to attack and execute as many as you can.”

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Scherzer and fellow right-hander Jon Gray were both added to the Rangers' roster for the ALCS round, but Bochy has not committed to any starters beyond Games 1 and 2. Scherzer and Gray, who will likely be used as a reliever, both threw bullpens at Globe Life Field on Wednesday to test their preparedness going into the ALCS.

Montgomery and Eovaldi started the two games in the Wild Card Series sweep over the Rays and the last two games of the ALDS sweep over the Orioles. The Rangers piggybacked Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning to start Game 1 in Baltimore, where the two combined for 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run each in Texas’ 3-2 win.

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Montgomery, whom the Rangers acquired from the Cardinals at the Trade Deadline, tossed seven scoreless innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Rays, but he then allowed five runs in four innings during Game 2 of the ALDS against the O's.

“Everything was a little unsynced up [against Baltimore], so I’ve just got to find my timing and execute more pitches,” Montgomery said.

That start was one of the few times Montgomery struggled since joining Texas. As injuries ravaged the Rangers' rotation, he was steady down the stretch, posting a 2.79 ERA in 11 regular-season starts.

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Montgomery posted a 0.67 ERA over his final four starts of the regular season, with 22 strikeouts against just five walks. Opponents hit just .196 against him during that stretch.

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Pitching coach Mike Maddux, who also worked with Montgomery with St. Louis in 2022, said he’s a more refined pitcher this year.

“He's all about taking in the information,” Maddux said. “I would say his execution is what makes him good. When he's on top of his game, he's executing. He's got good stuff, let's not deny that, but it comes from that way-up-top angle, and he's got something for every hitter.”