#8: Bautista Flips Jays into ALCS,
2015
Texas Rangers (3) at Toronto Blue
Jays (6)
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
ALDS Game 5
Rogers Centre
In
the post season for the first time in 22 years, the ALDS didn’t get off to the
right start for the Blue Jays and their fans. With the first two games being at
home in the Rogers Centre, Toronto dropped both games to Texas by scores of 5-3
and 6-4 (in 11 innings). Facing elimination and being forced to survive on the
road in Arlington, the Jays were able to even the series, winning both games at
the Rangers’ home park by 5-1 and 8-4 scores.
That
forced a deciding Game 5 back in Toronto to see which team would be headed to
the ALCS. Having used their ace, David Price, in a relief role in the fourth
game, the Jays would have to pitch Marcus Stroman in only his sixth game back
after recovering from knee surgery before the season began. Texas would respond
with Cole Hamels, who had a World Series Championship under his belt (while
pitching with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008).
Stroman
gave up a lead off double to Delino DeShields, who scored on a Prince Fielder
ground out two batters later. Texas took the early 1-0 lead. They added to it
in the third when Shin-Soo Choo hit a one-out, solo home run to right field.
The Jays were down quickly, 2-0, but battling back had been what their entire
season had been about.
In
the bottom of the third with one out, left-fielder Ben Revere got on base with
an infield hit. He moved to second when third baseman Josh Donaldson grounded out
to short, and later scored Toronto’s first run on an RBI double by
right-fielder Jose Bautista. The Texas lead had been cut in half.
After
the early hiccups, Stroman would not allow another run to the Rangers and left
after completing the sixth inning, having allowed the two runs on six hits
while striking out four batters. But he was still on the hook to lose the game
when he departed.
That
is until the bottom of the sixth when, with one out, designated hitter Edwin
Encarnacion blasted the first pitch of the at-bat he saw from Hamels over the
left-field wall for a solo home run. The game was tied at two. In a tense,
drama-packed game, no one could possibly be prepared for what was about to
happen in the seventh inning.
First,
the top half. Texas scored a cheap, controversial run. With a runner on third
and two out, Toronto pitcher Aaron Sanchez fired a pitch that catcher Russell
Martin caught. As Martin threw the ball back to Sanchez, Texas batter Choo
inadvertently stuck his bat in the way. The ball hit Choo’s bat and rolled down
the third base line, allowing the Rangers’ runner on third (Rougned Odor) to
score. While there was controversy about the play—and online debate among fans
about whether the run should count or not—it stood and the Rangers took a
questionable 3-2 lead to the bottom of the seventh.
And
this is where the Rangers defense crumbled under the pressure of the moment.
Martin led off the inning and reached safely on an error to shortstop, Elvis
Andrus. Next to the plate for Toronto was centre-fielder Kevin Pillar. He
reached on a throwing error by first baseman Mitch Moreland when he attempted
to force Martin at second. The Rangers then made their third consecutive error
when Andrus dropped a throw for a force at third base after Jays’ second
baseman Ryan Goins had dropped down an attempted sacrifice bunt.
The
Jays had loaded the bases on three Rangers errors. After Revere grounded into a
fielder’s choice, forcing Martin at the plate, third baseman Josh Donaldson hit
a high pop fly to shallow right field over the head of Texas second baseman,
Odor, who almost ran it down and caught it. Revere, who had to hold at first in
case the ball was caught, was forced at second, but Pillar scored to tie the
game at three.
That
brought Batista to the plate and his at bat will go down as one of the all-time
clutch hits in Blue Jays’ postseason history. On the third pitch of the at bat,
Bautista launched a three-run home run to left-centre field giving the Blue
Jays a 6-3 lead. Overcome with the emotion of the moment—and after Texas had
scored that cheap run in the top half of the inning—Bautista flipped his bat
into the air and made his way around the bases.
The
Rangers, frustrated at their horrible defensive play possibly costing them the series,
decided to take it out on Bautista for his bat flip. The benches cleared a
couple of times in the inning but no fisticuffs happened. (For the record,
there was nothing wrong with the bat flip. Bautista wasn’t showing anyone up,
he was just celebrating the moment).
Neither
team scored in the eight and Toronto closer Roberto Osuna came on to pitch the
ninth. He retired the side in order, the last two via the strike out. The Jays
had won the game 6-3, and with it punched their ticket to the ALCS against the
Kansas City Royals. For a franchise that had suffered through a 22-year post
season drought, you couldn’t have asked for a more exciting game.
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