Baseball fans of the IW unite! After a seemingly interminable yet action-packed three-week hiatus, BIRDWATCH returns. And boy, do we ever have catching up to do. As we anxiously await game 3 of the ALCS in Toronto this Monday, let’s recap, regroup, and look ahead.
RECAP
The Jays finished off their ALDS in a dramatic thriller over the Texas Rangers. Down 3-2 in the seventh inning, slugger Jose Bautista did what he does best, sending one out of the park for a 3-run homer. Assisted by three Texas errors, the Jays would put up a total of 4 unearned runs in the inning to take the lead and never look back. Young pitching dynamos Sanchez and Osuna closed down the Rangers in the eighth and ninth, and the rest is history. The Jays became just the third team in baseball history to come back from down 2-0 in a five-game series.
Two days later, the Jays squared off against the defending A.L. Champs in the Kansas City Royals in game one of the ALCS. Marco Estrada was mostly solid through 5 1/3 innings giving up just three earned runs on six hits. Voloquez, the KC starter, was sublime, pitching his way out of trouble in the seventh. After issuing back-to-back walks to Donaldson and Baustista he cleaned up the garbage, sending Encarnacion, Colabello and Tulowitzki down in order to stymie any potential Jays comeback. The infamous bullpen then took over and KC went on to win it 3-0.
In game 2, things were looking good early on for the Jays. David Price was lights out over his first six innings, and the Jays had manufactured a 3-0 lead. A Donaldson infield single got things going: Bautista then walked, Encarnacion squeaked out a single and Troy Tulowitzki clocked a double to get the 3-0 lead in the sixth. The inning was the last for KC starter Yordano Ventura, and that bloody infamous bullpen would take things over in the seventh. Not a problem, the Jays had a 3-0 lead…
In the top of the seventh, a standard fly ball off the bat of Ben Zobrist fell awkwardly between Ryan Goins and Jose Bautista for a bloop single. Then all hell broke loose: The hot bat of Lorenzo Cain swatted a single. Eric Hosmer singled as well to score the first KC run. No big deal. But a fielder’s choice and another single by Mike Moustakas tied things up at three with two outs. Alex Gordon then hit a double, giving KC a 4-3 lead, and Price’s time was up. Sanchez inherited the situation, and unfortunately gave up another hit as the Jays fell behind two runs. And then the bloody infamous bullpen came in… Final score: 6-3 KC.
REGROUP
Game 3 goes Monday in Toronto, with Marcus Stroman on the mound for the Jays. Stroman has been supreme in all of his starts since his return from a torn ACL, with two games in the ALDS, one of them the epic game 5 victory. This is one special starter, and the Jays will need him to perform on Monday if they are going to get back in this series. Though the ALCS is a best-of-seven, it will be very difficult indeed if the Jays manage to go down 3-0.
The big bats need to get going. That being said, if this lineup has shown us anything, it’s that they can make the right adjustments at the right times. With Johnny Cueto getting the nod for KC, it’s the perfect time for the bats to get out of this mini-jam. Cueto, though excellent in his start in the ALDS, has not been great against the Jays posting a palatable 4.05 ERA over three starts.
Nevertheless, Donaldson, Bautista and Co. will need to take advantage early, as the KC bullpen is a nasty piece of business (did I mention that yet?). The Jays will also need at least six innings out of Stroman. The only lefty in the Jays’ bullpen is Aaron Loupe, whose pitching is comparable to pouring gasoline on a fire. If I’m John Gibbons here, I’d rather avoid him. With the Sanchez-Osuna duo available to work the eighth and ninth, the only question will be in the middle innings. If Stroman can even last one out into the seventh though, this should not be too much of an issue, as both Sanchez and Osuna are more than capable of getting more than three outs.
As far as game 4 is concerned, there is another pressing question: Who will start? R.A. Dickey is the only Jays starter to appear in the ALDS who will not have pitched in the ALCS. Gibbons will have a tough call on his hands, as the knuckleballer was excellent over the second half of the season, and was solid in game 4 in Texas. That being said, if the knuckler isn’t dancing, KC hitters will probably knock it out of the launch pad Rogers Centre.
With Game 4 being essentially a must-win, I would not be surprised if Gibbons lifted Dickey in favour of Estrada, who has been so consistent, taking the must-win game 3 in stride in the ALDS. There is even a possibility that we see Price in game 4 on short rest, as he will have last pitched four days ago by Tuesday. That, or he could surprise us again and bring Price out of the ‘pen as a lefty. But probably not. Regardless of what happens, it will certainly be interesting.
THE LOOK AHEAD
Following games 3 and 4, game 5 will also be played in Toronto. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, will be played in KC. Should the Jays go on to win the ALCS, they will meet the winner of the Mets-Cubs NLCS (National League Championship Series, Mets lead 1-0) in the World Series, beginning Tuesday October 27th. The American League team will have home field advantage because they won the All-Star Game back in July.
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