Game Recap: Blue Jays win ALDS in Craziest Game Ever

Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Advance or be eliminated. One team moves on elated and the other goes home deflated. It was the ideal scenario for a sports fan with no rooting interest. However, Blue Jays fans would likely have preferred a less stressful setup. The Blue Jays were hoping to become the 3rd team in baseball history to come back from an 0-2 deficit in a 5 game series. They would have to do so without the services of Brett Cecil (injury), Aaron Loup (family issues) and David Price (overuse in game 4. They would also have to figure out Ranger’s starter Cole Hamels.

Things didn’t begin the way Marcus Stroman would have wanted. He allowed a leadoff double in the first to DeShields who scored on two groundouts. Josh Hamilton led off the 2nd with a walk, the pesky Rougned Odor singled but Stroman escaped with the aid of a caught stealing. The play was challenged by the Rangers but the call stood. In the 3rd, the Rangers pulled ahead by another run on Choo’s home run. Marcus had a smooth 3 up, three down 4th inning. He allowed a single in the fifth but got two key strikeouts to end the inning. Stroman came back out for the 6th and let up a double but Ryan Goins made a great play on a grounder to end the frame.

Cole Hamels sat down the Jays in order in the 1st but in the second Edwin Encarnacion walked and Mr. BABIP, Chris Colabello poked a single into right field. Troy Tulowitzki was punched out on a questionable low strike call. Russell Martin flied out and Kevin Pillar struck out to end the promising inning. Ben Revere singled off Hamels’ glove in the third. Jose Bautista brought him home with a double to the left field corner. Encarnacion was intentionally walked but Colabello grounded out to end the inning. Hamels had a 1-2-3 5th. In the 6th, Edwin launched a no doubter to left to tie it. The Blue Jays loaded the bases with nobody out on three errors in the 7th. Ben Revere ground into a force out and pinch-runner Dalton Pompey toppled the catcher. Banister challenged the call and argued when the call was upheld. Somehow he wasn’t tossed. Hamels was pulled afterwards.

Sam Dyson came in and Josh Donaldson hit a bloop that just missed the second baseman’s glove and Kevin Pillar scored. Jose Bautista came up and hit the Blue Jays’ biggest home run since Carter’s in 1993. The game was delayed again as the benches cleared after the home run. The delirious fans also needed to be calmed down again. Two more Jays runners reached but Tulo popped out. And as a perfect ending to the craziest inning of baseball ever, the benches cleared once more for good measure.

Aaron Sanchez allowed Odor to reach. Odor advanced to third on two outs. Martin threw the ball back to Sanchez. It hit Choo’s bat. Odor ran home. Far before Odor reached the plate, Dale Scott ruled the play dead. The umpires convened and apparently decided that Scott’s original ruling was moot and permitted the run to count. Needless to say, the crowd and team went berserk. A lengthy delay followed and the crowd eventually settled down. Sanchez retired the next runner. Sanchez came back out for the 8th, got an out but put two on. Roberto Osuna was brought in to clean things up. He struck out Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus. Osuna sat down the Rangers 1-2-3 in the 9th for the save.

The game will go down in Blue Jays and baseball lore. It had absolutely everything and best of all, the good guys were victorious. Down 0-2 in the series. Victim of several poor calls. Nothing could stop this team from advancing. It was a “where were you” event. Onto the ALCS. This thing’s just getting started.

Game Notes:

– Stroman got ahead of batters but had trouble putting them away

– 4th inning. Pillar catch on Hamilton’s looper. Check it out

– Colabello had an eventful AB in the 3rd. He swung so hard that he fell down on a pitch for a GIF worthy moment. He then got away with a potential foul tip/checked swing that actually was a swing. He worked the count full but then ground out

– Tulowitzki was called out on a ball that would have loaded the bases with nobody out in the 2nd

– DeShields was hit in the finger attempting to bunt and then on the same at bat was hit by his own bat in the jaw trying to bunt

– It looked as if a riot was about to break out after Odor’s run was permitted to count.

– This game was far stranger than fiction

MVJ: Jose Bautista

Next: Blue Jays Without Aaron Loup

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