American League Divisional Series
Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers
The Blue Jays and the Rangers took their best of five ALDS to Globe Life Ballpark in Arlington, TX for Game 3. The Blue Jays are on the ropes, down two games to none. They need to win the next three games in order to advance. The Rangers, on the other hand, only need to win one of the next three, and they are home for the next two.
The Blue Jays sent Marco Estrada to the mound to face Martin Perez of the Rangers. Estrada was 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA and 131 strikeouts. Perez only started 14 games this season, going 3-6 with a 4.46 ERA.
Perez got through the first inning on just 13 pitches. He got Ben Revere and Josh Donaldson to ground out before striking out Jose Bautista. Estrada matched that with a 14-pitch inning, getting Delino DeShields to fly out, Shin-Soo Choo to pop out in foul territory, and striking out Prince Fielder.
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Perez cruised through another 1-2-3 inning. Estrada got some help from Kevin Pillar, who made a great catch on a deep fly ball by Elvis Andrus for the second out. Estrada got Josh Hamilton to ground out to end the second inning.
Dioner Navarro doubled over the head of DeShields to lead off the third inning, becoming the first baserunner for either team. Pillar reached on an infield hit, advancing Navarro to third. Ryan Goins hit into a double play, but Navarro came in to score, giving the Jays a 1-0 lead. Ben Revere bounced it back to the pitcher for the third out.
Hanser Alberto hit a two-out ground rule double over Pillar’s head to become the first Ranger runner of the day. DeShields flied out to end the inning with the Blue Jays still leading, 1-0 going into the fourth.
Donaldson hit a double past DeShields to lead off the fourth inning. Donaldson moved over to third on a fly ball by Bautista. The Rangers intentionally walked Edwin Encarnacion to set up a double play. Chris Colabello drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with just one out. Perez could not find the strike zone, as he walked Troy Tulowitzki to drive in a run. Perez finally got Navarro to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Estrada struck out Choo, got Fielder to pop out, and Moreland flew out to left field to end the inning. The Blue Jays needed a shut down inning from Estrada, and they got it.
Pillar led off the fifth inning with a single that went under DeShields’ glove, allowing Pillar to reach second. Goins bunted Pillar over to third. Revere broke his bat as he lined into a double play to end the inning.
Josh Hamilton got his first hit in his last 31 postseason at-bats with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Estrada would get a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning without a threat.
Donaldson led off the sixth inning with an infield hit off the glove of Odor. Bautista hit a single to left field and Donaldson advanced to third, to give the Blue Jays runners on first and third with nobody out.
Chi Chi Gonzalez came in to pitch for Perez. He started by walking Encarnarcion to load the bases. Chris Colabello worked a full count before hitting a rocket to first base. Mitch Moreland fielded it on a hop, threw home, then took the throw at first for a double play. The Blue Jays still had runners at second and third, but now there were two outs. Tulowitzki worked a full count also, but his rocket would not be fielded. He hit it over the left field wall for a 3-run home run for his first hit of the series. Navarro flew out to center to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Blue Jays now led 5-0 in the middle of the sixth inning.
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DeShields hit a one-out single to left off the glove of Donaldson. Choo hit a ground ball to first to move DeShields over with Fielder coming up. Fielder grounded out to end the inning, and Estrada had another shut down inning.
Revere got an infield single with two outs and Donaldson drew a walk. Ross Ohlendorf came in to relieve Gonzalez. Ohlendorf got Bautista to pop out to end the inning.
Elvis Andrus hit a one-out single to give the Rangers some life. Hamilton followed with a base hit to right, and when Bautista booted the ball, both runners advanced. The Rangers had runners on second and third with one out, and the Blue Jays brought in Aaron Loup to relieve Estrada.
Loup only faced one batter, and he got Odor to ground out to short, driving in a run. Mark Lowe came in to replace Loup. Lowe got Robinson Chirinos looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.
Roberto Osuna came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and set the Rangers down in order. The Blue Jays live to see another game.
Player of the Game: Troy Tulowitzki
Tulowitzki went 2 for 3 with a 3-run home run and 4 RBI. He also made some good plays in the field. His bat allowed the Blue Jays to stay alive in the series.
ALDS Game 4 (Rangers lead 2-1)
The Blue Jays still face elimination as the Rangers host them for Game 4. R.A. Dickey will pitch for teh Blue Jays, while Derek Holland will take the mound for the Rangers. Dickey will be the oldest pitcher to make his postseason debut by starting a game. He was 11-11 with a 3.91 ERA. Holland was 4-3 with a 4.91 ERA.
