The Blue Jays were flying high at the time of the Tampa photo shoot, partying their way into the playoffs after a 22-year absence. The Rangers bats were silenced for most of the night, and the Blue Jays looked like a team that didn’t want their season to end tonight.
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Alberto, the seldom-used backup infielder, lined a tiebreaking single to center in the 14th inning, helping the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five American League Division Series.
If the Blue Jays are able to come back in this series, a much more doable task after Sunday night’s crucial win, they’ll likely be looking to Estrada to start one of the first two games of the ALCS.
The good news is that it is a very winnable game for Canada’s only team.
“We made eye contact and exchanged a few words”, Donaldson said“.
Cecil already made an appearance in this series during Game 1, when he threw a scoreless eighth inning against the Rangers. “He stepped up. You could tell early on, too-he was on”.
“I was just trying to keep them off-balance”.
Estrada and Navarro have had incredible chemistry together throughout the season, and that was no different against the Rangers, as Estrada rarely shook off his catcher. “It gave us a little breathing room”.
Shin-Soo Choo, Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland, who hit two through four for Texas, went 0-for-12.
“The guy just thinks unlike anybody else”, Estrada said. 230 opponents’ average. He went 8-2 over his last 16 starts with a 2.78 ERA. Then Tulowitzki hit his shot.
“He’s not the most experienced umpire, kind of young”, Martin said. “We felt like the best thing for him to do is rest and get the treatments as needed”. The Jays arrived in Arlington needing a win to stay alive in their first playoff in 22 years.
The veteran pitcher said he was confident that he will get a chance to make another start.
Texas will have Joey Gallo and Ed Lucas travel from its Arizona Fall League team in case Beltre needs to be removed from the roster, a decision that also would rule Beltre out of the AL Championship Series. It would also shift the momentum of the series in the Jays’ favour.
For Dickey, making the post-season in the majors is a career first. The franchise post-season record is five by Tony Fernandez in 1993.
At this stage the Blue Jays seem willing to do anything, with starter Marco Estrada tasked with getting them through Game 3. But Tulowitzki, 0-for-11 in the series up until then, slammed the ball 367 feet into right field for a 5-0 lead.
“We’ve got enough respect for Odor to know that he can burn you”, manager John Gibbons said of the pop in Odor’s bat.
Toronto put runners at first and second with two outs in the bottom of the 11th, but Troy Tulowitzki grounded out on the first pitch he saw from Sam Dyson. The Blue Jays escaped the jam when first baseman Chris Colabello turned an unassisted double play, tagging out Hamilton near the bag before sprinting across the diamond to retire Fielder, who was hung up between third and home plate.
Martin Perez started for the Rangers and pitched into the 6th inning before allowing the first two hitters to reach base on singles. Aaron Sanchez threw a 1-2-3 eighth for the Jays, while Roberto Osuna shut the door in a flawless ninth (despite David Price getting loose in the pen for Toronto).
A reminder that the result of this evening’s game will decide the starting time for Game 3 between the Cubs and Cardinals at Wrigley tomorrow.
But two runs in the sixth, courtesy of Lorenzo Cain’s double, brought the Royals level and then Ben Zobrist’s single RBI in the seventh ensured a win that ties the series. 500 and seven games out of first place August 3, seemingly far from any thoughts of the postseason.
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In the fourth, during Perez’s second time through the lineup, Toronto batters began to lay off the low, breaking pitches. “Period”, manager Mike Matheny said. They outplayed us both games. We know that Estrada can certainly do that.
