The Toronto Blue Jays have advanced to the American League Championship Series by virtue of a 6-3 win in Game 5 of the ALDS over the Texas Rangers. It was a wild one, that’s for sure.
Let’s break it down, Things To Know style.
1. The seventh inning was bat(expletive) crazy
It started harmlessly, with a 2-2 score. Rougned Odor found his way to third base and then scored on a controversial, though correct, call. The Blue Jays protested and then some fans peppered the field with trash.
Even with a correct call, it felt ridiculous that the Blue Jays’ season might end on such a play. And then the Rangers opened the door.
Elvis Andrus made an error to let Russell Martin on base. Then Kevin Pillar got on base thanks to a fielder’s choice while Martin was allowed to stay on second thanks to another error. And then the bases were loaded thanks to Andrus dropping a throw on a potential force at third base.
One out was recorded at home plate with the bases loaded, but then a Josh Donaldson fielder’s choice plated the tying run.
And then, bedlam.
Jose Bautista crushed a monster home run, stood at home plate for upwards of three seconds, then came with one of the biggest bat flips we’ve ever seen in North America.
Throwing it all the way to the #ALCS: http://t.co/NBTKKkJoS5 #ComeTogether pic.twitter.com/f2kjDcAuiV
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 14, 2015
Edwin Encarnacion appeared to be trying to get the crowd to stop throwing things and somehow a shouting match started at home plate with Rangers pitcher Sam Dyson.
At the end of the inning, Dyson said something to Troy Tulowitzki and patted him on the butt and Tulo took exception to it. The benches cleared again.
Insanity in one inning. An inning that took 53 minutes.
2. The Blue Jays won playing their game: Power
It took the Jays six innings to do it, but Encarnacion’s homer in the sixth tied it and Bautista’s three-run homer was the difference. That’s what they do. They led the majors in home runs in the regular season.
3. Marcus Stroman proved to be a good choice
Stroman instead of Price didn’t seem like a ridiculous choice, but burning Price in a blowout in Game 4 — leaving him unavailable for Game 5 — did.
No matter. Stroman went out and gave the Blue Jays what they needed: six innings with just two earned runs allowed.
He really only made two mistakes. Delino DeShields‘ first-inning double was followed by two grounders to score him. Then Shin-Soo Choo hit a solo homer. Otherwise Stroman was very good.
4. The Rangers’ defense cost them the game
That Bautista homer should have never happened, at least not with two men on base. Three errors in one inning with only nine outs to go to the ALCS is simply unacceptable, especially from a defender the caliber of Andrus who is making $15 million this season.
5. Adrian Beltre was outstanding this series with a badly injured back
The future Hall of Famer (yes, seriously) could barely even move early in the series and was obviously fighting through back pain throughout. Still, he went 4 for 9 in the series and even made an barehand do-or-die play on defense in Game 5. You can’t say enough about Beltre the competitor or player. He’s sensational.
6. The Blue Jays joined an exclusive group
The teams to lose the first two games at home in the divisional round and still win the series? The 2001 Yankees, 2012 Giants and 2015 Blue Jays. Both of those other teams made the World Series, with the Giants winning it.
7. Delino DeShields Jr. had a huge series
A first-inning double gave DeShields seven hits in the series, including three doubles. Given that he’s a rookie, this put him in select company.
Only 2 rookies have had more hits in a Division Series than @Rangers‘ Delino Deshields’ 7 in #ALDS – Ichiro & Puig. pic.twitter.com/rG7BbUnmC8
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 14, 2015
Quality work for the Rule-5 pick.
8. Edwin Encarnacion’s game-tying homer was rare
Probably a little cherry-picked here, but according to SportsCenter, Encarnacion’s game-tying blast was the first in a winner-take-all game (Wild Card, Game 5 in LDS round, Game 7 in LCS or World Series) to tie the game in the sixth inning or later since Jason Varitek’s homer for Boston in the 2003 ALDS.
9. Rookie closer Roberto Osuna was nails
Osuna was summoned with two men on base and only one out in the eighth. He’d strike out both Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus. He then got a soft lineout and two strikeouts in the ninth to shut the door.
He’s only 20 years old and hadn’t played higher than high Class-A prior to this season. In fact, in seven outings in high Class-A last season, he had a 6.55 ERA and 1.68 WHIP.
And now he just closed down a playoff game by striking out four of the five hitters he faced. It bears repeating: Nails.
10. This marks the first Blue Jays series win since 1993
This is buried here because we’ve beaten it to death, but in case anyone didn’t know by now, we’ll say it again: The last time the Blue Jays were in the playoffs was 1993, so this is their first series win since then, too.
The Blue Jays are going to the ALCS for the first time since 1993. (USATSI)
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