It took a little while for the Toronto Blue Jays to get the bats going, but starting pitcher Marco Estrada allowed them to work out the kinks in the first six innings.
Estrada shut down the Royals a day after they scored 14 runs in Game 4 and Troy Tulowitzki smacked a bases-clearing three-run double in the bottom of the sixth to propel the Blue Jays to a 7-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 5 of the ALCS. Toronto is not yet dead in the 2015 MLB playoffs.
Estrada hurled 7 2/3 innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits and a walk
It was a pitcher's duel up until the Blue Jays erupted for four runs in the fourth thanks to Tulowitzki's clutch hit and a bases loaded walk from Edwin Encarnacion. Royals' starter Edinson Volquez had allowed only one run on three hits and a walk through five innings before walking the first four batters of the sixth (one was hit by a pitch).
All it took was facing the Blue Jays' lineup for the third time on Wednesday. Volquez ended up surrendering five earned runs on three hits and four walks over five innings. The only Blue Jays player to make Volquez pay before the sixth inning was Chris Colabello, who jacked a solo home run in the second inning.
Estrada got revenge on the Royals after Kansas City handed him a loss in Game 1 of the ALCS. The right-hander was charged with three earned runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings last week.
The Royals finished with four hits and a walk on the day with their only extra-base hit coming in the top of the eighth - a solo home run off the bat of Salvador Perez. At that point it didn't matter because Jose Bautista and Kevin Pillar had added insurance RBI doubles after Tulowitzki's three-run double.
Kansas City's bullpen was unable to hold their own when Volquez was taken out of the game with the score 2-0 in favor of the Blue Jays. Kelvin Herrera gave up the double to Tulo and Danny Duffy allowed two earned runs on four hits in two innings.
Toronto scored seven runs on eight hits and four walks to force Game 6 back in Kansas City on Friday at 8:07 p.m. ET. That matchup will feature David Price and Yordano Ventura in what could end the ALCS or extend it for a wild Game 7.
