Jays survive bizarre play, reach ALCS
The host Toronto Blue Jays clinched their first trip to the American League Championship Series since 1993, overcoming one of the most bizarre plays in playoff history when Jose Bautista hit a three-run home run after three Texas Rangers errors for a 6-3 victory Wednesday in the decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series.
The Blue Jays became the third team to win a best-of-five series after losing the first two games at home and will visit the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday.
Bautista’s homer capped a 53-minute seventh inning that took a turn when Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin’s throw back to the pitcher deflected off the bat of Shin-Soo Choo and allowed the tiebreaking to score.
‘‘It’s the most emotionally charged game that I’ve ever played,’’ Bautista said.
The Blue Jays filed a protest after an umpire review ruled Rougned Odor was allowed to cross home plate, and their fans pelted the field with debris during the 18-minute delay.
But the Rangers started the bottom of the seventh by committing three consecutive errors — two by shortstop Elvis Andrus and one by first baseman Mitch Moreland — and the Blue Jays rallied on the strength of Bautista’s twoout homer against Sam Dyson. The benches cleared twice during the Blue Jays’ half of the inning.
‘‘This is the toughest moment of my career,’’ Andrus said. ‘‘I feel like I let down my team and my city.’’
Royals return to ‘final four’
Johnny Cueto delivered a masterpiece on his biggest stage to date, pitching eight dominant innings and leading the Royals to a 7-2 victory against the visiting Houston Astros in the decisive Game 5 of their ALDS. The result means the Royals will make their second consecutive trip to the ALCS, where they will host the Blue Jays in Game 1 on Friday.
Cueto allowed two hits, a single by Evan Gattis and a homer by Luis Valbuena in the second, before retiring the final 19 batters he faced. He struck out eight without a walk in the kind of clutch performance the Royals expected when they acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline.
The Royals, who trailed by four runs and were down to their last six outs before rallying for a 7-6 victory in Game 4, trailed 2-1 in the fifth when Alex Rios led yet another comeback with a two- run double. Eric Hosmer and Ben Zobrist also drove in runs, and Kendrys Morales capped the festive night with a three-run homer in the eighth to seal the victory.
Mets, Dodgers set for Game 5
One ace helped the Los Angeles Dodgers stave off elimination against the New York Mets. Now their other one gets a chance to extend the playoffs in a winner-take-all Game 5.
Coming off Clayton Kershaw’s stellar outing Tuesday that tied the National League Division Series 2-2, the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke will take the mound Thursday against the Mets’ Jacob deGrom.
DeGrom, the Game 1 winner against Kershaw, will pitch on an extra day of rest, while Game 2 winner Greinke will be going on regular rest.
The Dodgers will be trying to advance to the NL Championship Series for the second time in the last three seasons. The Mets, meanwhile, will be seeking their first playoff-series victory since 2006, which was the last time they were in the postseason.