#5: Alexander pitches Jays to first
A.L. East title, 1985
New York Yankees (1) at Toronto Blue
Jays (5)
Saturday, October 5, 1985
Exhibition Stadium
After
being swept by Detroit in Tiger Stadium, the Jays headed back to Toronto for a
three-game series with the New York Yankees. Toronto had a three-game lead and
only needed to take one from New York to win the American League East. If the
Yanks swept the series, a one-game playoff would take place in Yankee Stadium
on Monday, October 7.
It
looked like the division would be clinched on the Friday night as Toronto took
a 3-2 lead into the top of the ninth. But the Yankees scored two to take a 4-3
lead, then held on in the bottom of the ninth to take the first game. The lead
was down to two games.
So
on a cloudy, Toronto afternoon at old Exhibition Stadium, the Jays turned to
Doyle Alexander, a Yankee castoff whom Toronto had picked up in 1983, to stop
the four-game losing streak and clinch the division. New York would have Joe
Cowley on the mound to try and close the gap down to one game.
After
Alexander retired the Yankees in the first, the Jays had the opportunity to
take the lead but after centre fielder Lloyd Moseby stole second and advanced
to third on a throwing error, he was stranded there as designated hitter Al
Oliver was unable to drive him home.
In
the bottom of the second, after New York had only managed a single off of
Alexander in the top half, Jays’ catcher Ernie Whitt put Toronto on the scoreboard
first with two-out home run to right field to make the score 1-0.
Toronto
added to their lead in the next inning when with one out, Moseby and first
baseman Willie Upshaw hit back-to-back home runs to increase the lead to 3-0.
Two batters later, left fielder George Bell hit a sacrifice fly to centre field
to score Oliver and it looked like the rout was on: 4-0.
The
Yankees scratched a run across in the top of the fourth when Dave Winfield
singled in Ken Griffey to make the score 4-1, but Toronto answered that run in
the bottom of the inning when shortstop Tony Fernandez doubled, and was driven
home on an RBI single by second baseman Damaso Garcia. The lead was 5-1.
From
that point on, Alexander was the story of the game. He allowed a single in the
fifth and another in the sixth but then retired the Yankees in order in both
the seventh and the eighth. The Jays meanwhile, seemed either content with
their lead or were getting a bit nervous about clinching the division as the
innings wilted away for New York.
As
the Yankees came to bat for their last chance in the top of the ninth,
Alexander returned to mound to finish what he had started. But he would have to
do so against New York’s three, four and five hitters. First up for New York
was Don Mattingly. Alexander got to ground a ball to Upshaw, who stepped on the
first base bag for the first out.
Then
it was Dave Winfield who hit a fly ball to left field where George Bell was
waiting to catch it for the second out. There was now one out to go. This was
the same position Toronto had been in the previous night. Only needing one out
then watching the victory slip away.
But
on this day, it felt different. The lead was four runs, not one. Alexander, the
former Yankee, had something to prove to his former teammates. The crowd of
44,608 could sense that this was finally their moment. After suffering through
six straight last place seasons to start the franchise—including three straight
100-loss campaigns in the late 1970s—and from being so close in 1983 and 1984,
everything was about to change.
Everyone
anticipated this as Yankee catcher Ron Hassey stepped into the box to face
Alexander. As the crowd roared in anticipation, Hassey swung at Alexander’s
pitch and lofted a fly ball to shallow left field. Bell moved into position,
caught the ball and then fell to his knees as the wind blew the cap off his
head. He threw his arms up in celebration and then accepted the high-five from
Fernandez.
The
infield was a mob scene. Alexander was hoisted onto his teammates shoulders as
fans spilled onto the field. He doffed his cap, a big smile forming beside the
cheek filled with the wad of chewing tobacco.
While
some may see this as only the first division title, this game set the
expectations high for the Blue Jays’ organization. Their failure in the
postseason aside, this victory proved Toronto was a legitimate threat and they
would be so for the next eight seasons, winning four more division titles, two
A.L. pennants and two World Series. In the four seasons they didn’t win the
East, they were only two games out of first place each of those years but one
(1986).
Although
the names would change over the next decade, the winning attitude didn’t.
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