In a game marked a weird event and a defensive collapse by their opponents, the Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers 6-3 in their quarter-final playoff round, officially known as the American League Division Series.
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Rougned Odor raced home from third, but was then sent back which prompted a protest from Rangers manager Jeff Banister before the umpires ruled the run stood.
Toronto Blue Jays fans were relentlessly obnoxious in Wednesday night’s whirlwind ALDS Game 5, but one young Jose Bautista worshipper made up for at least a few of their actions. The runner on third sprinted for home, and before he touched the plate, the home plate umpire threw his hands up to indicate a dead ball. “My boys have been taught to be humble and that to them is showboating”, she said. “We had an opportunity to win and I let everybody down”. The three-run missile launched the Blue Jays ahead, 6 to 3, and the rest is history.
The Royals, who will host the opener of the best-of-seven AL Championship Series on Friday, are striving to return to the World Series after ending a 29-year wait last year, while the Jays are determined to reach it for the first time in 22 years. It should be noted that in addition to fan support, a series of 7th inning errors from the opposing team can be a big help too.
Rangers leadoff batter Delino DeShields opened with a double, took third base on a Choo Shin-Soo ground out and scored when Prince Fielder grounded into a fielder’s choice.
“I knew I did something great for the team at the moment of impact because I knew I hit that ball pretty good”, Bautista said of his series-clinching shot. “It’s never happened in my life before”. “I gave us the lead in a crucial moment so I was happy to do that”. It was a freakish and controversial play, and emotions were running at an all time high for the hometown Blue Jays.
Fans littered the field with objects during the delay as umpires sorted out a play that is certain to rank up there with Derek Jeter’s Jeffrey Maier homer or Reggie Jackson’s hip block of a throw as one of the craziest in the postseason.
A classroom full of roughly 30 to 40 Martin Collegiate students watched the game on a projector screen.
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But police say Wednesday’s flare-up is “not indicative” of typical fan behaviour and they don’t expect a repeat of the incident that left a man facing a mischief charge. The throw came home and pinch runner Dalton Pompey’s slide kicked out the leg of Texas catcher Chris Gimenez. Meanwhile, Edwin Encarnacion, who was on deck, gestured to the crowd to stop littering the field, but Dyson misunderstood Encarnacion, leading to a verbal contretemps and the benches of both teams clearing.
