Rangers beat Toronto again to put Blue Jays on ropes

The series moves to Arlington now, with the Rangers in a position to clinch.

Josh Donaldson homered in Friday’s Game 2 loss, but that’s about all the AL MVP candidate has done, as that was his only hit over the first two games of the series to go with a walk.

David Price, the losing pitcher, had said that even in his sixth playoff start, the nerves were tough to overcome. Game Four, if necessary, is scheduled for Monday.

“I’d hate to think where we’d be without him“, manager John Gibbons said. “We have to win or we go home”. “He’s got to take on a bigger role”.

If the Blue Jays can defeat a pair of left-handed starters, one of the best pitchers in baseball would start for the Blue Jays in the series finale. Gibbons said the left-hander had a “pretty significant tear in his calf, so that’s not very good”.

It came down to a battle of the bullpens.

21-year veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins secured the first two outs of the frame before giving up a single to Texas second baseman Rougned Odor. Delino DeShields then beat out an infield single off Liam Hendriks to drive in Gimenez. He said he had used it in batting practice. Both Odor and DeShields beat out critical infield hits in the 14 inning of their 6-4 win on Friday.

The game was a baseball smorgasbord, with something for all tastes. He singled home the tying run. Nothing came of the incident, however. He didn’t back down, I didn’t back down. Texas would tack on one more run to make it 6-4, which would be the final score.

It featured terrific starting pitching, tantalizing defensive plays and just enough thrilling offensive exploits to keep the close to 50,000 fans glued to their seats in anticipation of what might happen next.

Both bullpens refused to blink as the innings kept coming. Game time is slated for 7:10 p.m. Connecticut.

Odor was called safe and would go on to register the go-ahead run on Alberto’s single to right-center. Other players took issue with the ball-strike calls of home plate umpire Vic Carapazza.

“We’re facing their ace”, Gibbons said. Lackey protected a 1-0 lead by holding the Cubs hitless for five innings, getting help from Kris Bryant’ double-play ball by to end the fourth. But Cecil could not hold down the fort.

Choo sacrificed DeShields to second.

The Rangers forced extra innings on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Mike Napoli in the eighth. Napoli was picked off to end the threat, with Cecil leaving the field gingerly.

The call stood after a video review although the Rogers Centre crowd disagreed.

Game 1 early with lower back stiffness. Colabello also had a starring role, putting on a show at first base for the Jays. Perhaps it is the natural effect of a team that has been rolling downhill for two months with a certain goal in mind, and has seen a city, and to an extent a country, lose its collective mind for them. The Jays logged eight hits and walked twice with Ben Revere and Russell Martin singling in runs while Josh Donaldson slammed a solo homer.

In 2012, the San Francisco Giants were crushed by a combined score of 14-2 in the first two games of the National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

While doctors have given him no timeline for his return, Cecil said he would not need surgery and would be ready for spring training. DeGrom fanned 13 for the Mets, and did not allow a run in seven innings. He retired six consecutive batters for the second day in a row. Jose Bautista made a laser throw from right field, Troy Tulowitzki swept the tag, Odor’s foot came off the bag momentarily.

Colabello, playing first base like Dominik Hasek, was a one-man wrecking crew for Toronto.

Stroman, who threw seven innings with five strikeouts and four runs, three of them earned, was more guarded.

A 93-win season doesn’t get you far in the post-season.