The 2015 MLB playoffs started off a bit unconventional, and it has continued to be that way. The Toronto Blue Jays lost their second straight game at home against the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals narrowly avoided another home loss to the Houston Astros.
Toronto and Texas went into extra innings on Friday after Rangers' first baseman Mike Napoli tied the game in the top of the eighth with a pinch-hit RBI single. The 4-4 carried into the 14th inning and an unlikely hero stepped up for Texas.
Third baseman Hanser Alberto, who started at third base for the injured Adrian Beltre, delivered a clutch two-out RBI single in the top of 14th to put the Rangers up 5-4, making up for his error earlier in the game. Outfielder Delino DeShields added an infield RBI single in the next at-bat to really crush the Jays' hope.
Ross Ohlendorf closed out the game by striking out Troy Tulowitzki, Justin Smoak and Kevin Pillar. The Rangers were victorious by a score of 6-4 and defeated the Toronto by two runs for the second straight day despite being big underdogs.
The Blue Jays had countless chances following the wacky first couple of innings, which saw six totals runs scored. Toronto took the lead on a Ben Revere RBI single in the fifth, but manager John Gibbons opted to keep in left-handed reliever Brett Cecil to face Napoli in the eighth with a runner on second instead of bringing in a right-hander. Napoli's RBI single forced extras.
Both Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion came mere feet away from hitting walk off home runs in the bottom of the 13th when facing Keone Kela, and during Donaldson's at-bat the benches cleared when he and Kela exchanged words.
Despite a solid outing from Marcus Stroman, the Blue Jays have dropped the first two games of the ALDS at home and will now look to avoid the sweep in Texas on Sunday night at 8:10 p.m. ET.
In Kansas City, the Royals dodged what the Blue Jays fell victim to. The Royals were already down one game to the Astros after losing Game 1 of the ALDS at home on Thursday, but they staged a late-inning comeback on Friday to even up the series.
After Johnny Cueto surrendered four earned runs in the first three innings, the Royals were down 4-1 and it seemed as if they were about to fall into a 2-0 hole as well. Astros' outfielder Colby Rasmus continued his surge going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.
However, the Royals scored a run in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead and the bullpen took care of the rest.
Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Wade Davis combined for three scoreless innings in relief of Cueto (6 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 BB).
Ben Zobrist, Salvador Perez and Eric Hosmer brought home all of the team's runs and shifted the momentum in Kansas City's favor.
They'll now head to Houston for Game 3, which will take place on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. ET, when Astros' left-hander Dallas Keuchel takes the mound to face Royals' right-hander Edinson Volquez.