The Blue Jays are Playing Meaningful October Baseball

No Jays fan wanted to believe that the Blue Jays would open the ALDS 0-2, with the chance to be eliminated and swept without forcing any extra games. With the day off, and the future of the Blue Jays coveted return to October in jeopardy we are left to reflect on the first two games. It has been a brutally long 48 hours for Jays fans. Especially this one, who lives in Dallas and has taken my share of grief for my preference in sports teams. That said, no one is dissatisfied with the baseball games. Granted, I would love to be up 2-0 going into game 3, but at no point in this series have the Jays demonstrated that they are not capable of playing meaningful playoff games.

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I have seen a lot of people on social media claiming that after two games the Blue Jays proved that they are ill equipped to handle the post season. That their arrogance has led them to be crushed in the post season, and that they are a proving what others believed all along. That they are not an October club. I believe the evidence points to the contrary. A meaningful playoff game should feel like one of the best baseball games you’ve ever watched. Both of these games have felt like that. They have ended in heartache on our end, but let’s not be so quick to forget just how well fought those games were. The Blue Jays have gone down fighting in spectacular fashion.

The brutal loss on Thursday where it looked like Donaldson and Bautista were going to go down. The October “Curse of Price” continued and he let 5 runs in the loss. The Rangers got the win after only surrendering 3 runs but that isn’t what I’d call a blowout. That’s what I’d call a ball game. The Blue Jays got to a pitcher that had been stone cold against them all year. Price’s start was certainly his worst in a Jays outfit, but it wasn’t a bad start. At no point in the game did it feel like the Jays were out until they were.

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Following the heartbreak that was game 1, we got the good news that both Donaldson and Bautista would be returning to the lineup. We saw the loss early as Stroman did his best to keep the Rangers at bay. The Rangers did the same. For 14 innings the two teams dueled it out. While the hope that a walk off would allow the Jays to tie the series up, it never came. Eventually the armor stalemate cracked and the Rangers once again prevailed. This however is not a story of loss. This is a story of how the Blue Jays refused to relent. If they were going to go out, they were going to do so with a bang. So far they have. They have played meaningful baseball games two days in a row, so much so that we should feel proud to have seen such incredible games, not ashamed at the loss.

There is always tomorrow. While many are quick to assume the worst, and it may happen, the Blue Jays are not out. I have every confidence that this team can pull it out, we’ve seen them do incredible things before, and I think we’ll see them again. if tomorrow is the nail in the coffin of the Blue Jays October campaign, you can bet they won’t go easy. Tomorrow will be a well fought game. No matter the result we should be proud of how our team plays tomorrow, and indeed how they have played the entire series. The Blue Jays are playing meaningful playoff Baseball at last, and it’s a wonderful thing.

Next: Blue Jays Must Play Better Baseball

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