The Toronto Blue Jays won a thrilling, wacky, emotional Game 5 over the Texas Rangers 6-3, climbing out of an 0-2 series hole to win the ALDS 3-2 and advance to the ALCS.
It’s going to be tough to describe this one in words, but I’ll try.
Texas took a quick 1-0 lead in the first. Delino DeShields Jr. led off with a double for the Rangers, moved up to third on a Shin-Soo Choo groundout, and scored on a fielder’s choice by Prince Fielder. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the first, Marcus Stroman walked Josh Hamilton to led off the second. Hamilton was thrown out at second on a bunt attempt by Elvis Andrus, who moved to second on a single by Rougned Odor. Andrus was then thrown out trying to steal third after a Chris Gimenez strikeout to end the inning.
The Jays also threatened in the second. Cole Hamels walked Edwin Encarnacion to lead off the inning, and Chris Colabello singled to put two on with none out. But Hamels retired Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin, and Kevin Pillar in order to end the inning with no damage. He got some help in the third when Choo homered over the right field fence, doubling the Rangers’ lead to 2-0.
In the third, it was finally Toronto’s turn to put a run up on the board. Ben Revere hit an infield single with one out, moved to second on a groundout by Josh Donaldson, and scored on a double by Jose Bautista to cut the Texas lead in half.
Both starters began to settle in. Each team went 1-2-3 in the fourth, and the only runner who reached in the fifth for either side was Gimenez on an infield single. Hamilton doubled with two outs in the sixth, but was stranded. In the bottom of that frame, Toronto tied the game at two when Encarnacion tomahawked a homer to left field.
And then, things got crazy.
Odor led off the seventh with a single. Gimenez and DeShields moved him up to third with two outs, and then something weird happen. After receiving a 1-2 pitch from Aaron Sanchez, Russell Martin’s throw back to the mound hit Choo’s bat and harmlessly rolled into foul territory. Odor scampered home, but home plate umpire Dale Scott called time after contact was made. After a conference between the umpires, Odor’s run was allowed to stand, and Texas took a 3-2 lead. The Blue Jays fans lost their minds, pelting the field with debris. The feelings intensified when a replay review upheld the call. Injured Jays pitcher Brett Cecil was ejected during the fracas.
But the Rangers…well, they handed the game to the Jays in the bottom of the seventh. First, Martin led off the inning by reaching on an error by Andrus. Then, Pillar grounded into a fielder’s choice that would result in at least one out, but a wide throw to second from Mitch Moreland let everyone reach safely. Dalton Pompey came in to run for Martin, and Ryan Goins attempted to advance him to third. Adrian Beltre fielded and threw to Andrus at third…and he dropped the ball. Everyone’s safe, nobody’s out, and chaos is ensuring. Revere grounded into a fielder’s choice that eliminated Pompey at the plate, and *that* play was reviewed to determine whether or not Pompey slide out of the baseline to take out Gimenez. The call stood, and Hamels was replaced by Sam Dyson. Donaldson tied the game with a jamshot blooper over Odor, resulting in Revere being thrown out at second.
And then, Jose Bautista came up, and obliterated a Dyson pitch to give Toronto a 6-3 lead.
It wasn’t academic after that. In the eighth, the Rangers put men on second and third with one out against Sanchez, but Roberto Osuna relieved him and struck out Hamilton and Andrus to end the inning. In the ninth, Osuna retired Odor, Mike Napoli, and Will Venable in order, giving the Blue Jays their first Postseason series win since the 1993 World Series and moving the team on to the ALCS.
This game was the stuff dreams are made out of. It was simply incredible, featuring good starting pitching from both sides, an insane, nonsensical play that only happens in baseball, a pair of dramatic home runs, and a dominant finish to the game by a flamethrowing young reliever. Toronto, have some fun tonight.
