Edwin Encarnacion's walk-off delivers dream rematch: Blue Jays vs. Rangers
TORONTO - This is the matchup most of America wanted, and yes, Canada, too.
The Toronto Blue Jays made sure everyone got their wish Tuesday, knocking out the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Edwin Encarnacion’s three-run, walk-off homer in the 11th inning off Ubaldo Jimenez in the American League wild-card game.
The Blue Jays are ready to step into the ring again for Round 2 against the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Texas.
Get ready for drama.
Just in case you need a reminder, these two teams hate each other.
To put it mildly.
Blue Jays beat Orioles in AL wild card on thrilling 11th-inning walk-off
It started two years ago with brushback pitches, ejections, suspensions and trash-talking homers, culminating in May when Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor threw the punch heard ’round baseball, into the jaw of Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista.
Now, here they are again, and we can’t wait.
“It'll be talked about a ton,’’ Rangers GM Jon Daniels said on his weekly radio show. “I think it'll dominate or at least be one of the top story lines nationally and locally. I think that the fan bases will be loud and the crowd. Beyond that, I don't expect much.
“I think this time of year everybody's so focused on what they want to do, everybody wants to win so badly. …I don't think you're going to see any silly stuff because teams have too much to lose this time of year. I expect our fans will boo their guys and their fans will boo our guys and the game will go on.’’
Well, let’s just see how long that really lasts.
The Blue Jays’ fans, who halted their game against the Rangers in Game 5 of last year’s Division Series by throwing beer cans and water bottles onto the field, got into postseason form with an ugly incident in the seventh inning. Blue Jays pinch-hitter Melvin Upton his a towering fly ball toward the warning track in left field, and as left fielder Hyun Soo Kim camped under it, someone threw a beer can that missed him by only a couple of feet, rattling the South Korean native.
Someone threw a can of beer at an Orioles outfielder in Toronto
Orioles center fielder Adam Jones ran over, gestured animatedly towards the stands, as Orioles manager Buck Showalter ran from the dugout into left field. He shooed the players back into the dugout, but huddled for several minutes with the entire umpiring crew, while stadium security hurriedly went to the section trying to find the culprit.
When the game resumed, the two bullpens continued their scoreless domination, with everyone wondering who would be the first hero of this year’s postseason, after the two teams traded homers in the early-going. There was Bautista’s solo homer, without the bat flip, in the second inning. Mark Trumbo’s two-run homer in the fourth, his 48th of the year. And a run-scoring single for Jays No. 9 hitter Ezequiel Carrera in the fifth.
The bullpens then took control over the game, with the Jays pitching four hitless innings and the Orioles giving up just one hit over five innings until the fateful 11th.
Really, no one even threatened until the ninth inning. Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson led off with a double, and Edwin Encarnacion was intentionally walked. That brought up Bautista, who homered in the second inning, and was poised to be the postseason hero once again. Brad Brach had different ideas, and struck him out.
Showalter then turned to Darren O’Day, instead of All-Star closer Zach Britton, who was perfect in 47 save situations this season. It took O’Day all of one pitch to escape the jam. Russell Martin hit a grounder to third baseman Manny Machado, who easily turned the double play, sending the game into the 10th inning, the second extra-inning game in the five-year wild-cardhistory.
The Blue Jays’ biggest cause of concern came when closer Roberto Osuna left the mound with an undisclosed injury in the 10th after retiring Chris Davis. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons called upon starter Francisco Liriano, who was an option to start the game, until they turned to Marcus Stroman. He was lights out in his stint, but when Showalter tried the same tactic with starter Ubaldo Jimenez, it backfired.
And onto Texas we go.
GALLERY: AL wild-card thriller
