American League Divisional Series
Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays
The Rangers and Blue Jays faced each other in a winner-takes-all Game 5 in the ALDS. The winner would advance to the American League Championship Series and the loser would go home. The pitching matchup was a rematch of Game 2 between Cole Hamels and Marcus Stroman. Both pitchers went seven innings and gave up four runs in a game that ended up going 14 innings, with the Rangers winning 6-4.
Delino DeShields led off the game with a double to left field. He went to third on a ground out by Shin-Soo Choo. Prince Fielder hit a ground ball to first and Chris Colabello threw home, but DeShields evaded the tag to put the Rangers on the board. Stroman got out of the inning with no further damage.
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In the third inning, Choo hit a one-out solo home run to put the Rangers up by two. Stroman gave up a two-out single to Adrian Beltre, but got Mitch Moreland to fly out to left to end the inning.
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The Blue Jays got on the board in the bottom of the third. Ben Revere got things started when he got a one-out infield single off the glove of Hamels. He moved up to second on a ground out by Josh Donaldson. Jose Bautista then ripped a double down the left field line to drive in Revere. Hamels intentionally walked Edwin Encarnacion to bring up Chris Colabello, who grounded out to end the inning. The Blue Jays had cut the deficit to 2-1.
Bautista opened the bottom of the sixth with a popup to shortstop for the first out. Encarnacion hit the next pitch into the upper deck in left field to tie the game at two. Hamels struck out Colabello and Troy Tulowitzki to end the inning.
Rougned Odor singled to lead off the top of the seventh inning. He advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Gimenez, then to third on a ground out by DeShields. Then one of the weirdest plays in postseason history occurred. After a pitch to Choo, Blue Jay catcher Russell Martin’s throw back to the pitcher hit Choo’s bat and bounded toward third base. Odor broke for home, but the home plate umpire ruled that it was a dead ball. After an umpire conference, it was ruled that Choo had not interfered with the throw and that it was a live ball, allowing Odor to score. Blue Jay fans responded by throwing beer cans and other trash on to the field.
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This led to a replay review, which upheld the call, and Odor scored. The Blue Jays then announced that they were going to play the game under protest. Play was delayed by 18 minutes. Choo ended up striking out to end the inning with the Rangers up 3-2.
Martin, Kevin Pillar, and Ryan Goins all reached on an error to open the bottom of the seventh. Revere then grounded into a fielder’s choice with Dalton Pompey, who came in to run for Martin, out at home. Donaldson popped the ball just over Odor’s head, allowing Pillar to score, but they were able to force Revere out at second. There were runners at first and third with two outs and Bautista up. Bautista then broke the tie with a three-run home run to deep left field.
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Blue Jay fans again started throwing trash on to the field. Encarnacion appeared to try to get the crowd to calm down, but Ranger pitcher Sam Dyson saw it as encouraging the fans, and he approached Encarnacion, prompting the benches to clear. The players were separated without incident, and Encarnacion ended up reaching on a squibber down the third base line. Colabello continued the inning with a single to right field. The inning finally ended when Tulowitzki popped out to the catcher. Dyson came up to Tulowitzki and patted him on the butt, which Tulowitzki took exception to. Once again, the benches cleared, and once again they were separated without incident.
Prince Fielder led of the eighth inning with a single. Beltre grounded into a fielder’s choice and Fielder was out at second. Moreland drew a walk and the Blue Jays brought Roberto Osuna in with runners at first and second with one out. Osuna got Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus to strike out swinging to end the inning.
Osuna came out for the ninth inning and started out by getting Odor to line out to Ryan Goins. Mike Napoli appeared to hit a double down the left field line, but it hit the minuscule amount of foul territory that there is in the left field corner. Napoli struck out on the next pitch. Will Venable came in to pinch hit and Osuna struck him out swinging to end the game and the series.
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Player of the Game: Jose Bautista
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Bautista was 2 for 4 with 4 RBI in Game 5. He doubled in Revere in the third inning to put the Blue Jays on the board, then hit a three-run home run to give them the lead. Bautista’s blast got the Jays over the incident in the top of the inning and propelled them to the Game 5 victory.
Next Up: American League Championship Series
The Blue Jays had won the series after falling behind two games to none in Toronto. They came back and beat the Rangers twice in Arlington, and again in Game 5 in Toronto. Now they await the winner of the Houston Astros – Kansas City Royals winner tonight. The ALCS starts on Friday. If the Astros win tonight, then Game 1 will be in Toronto, otherwise it will be in Kansas City.
