Tulowitzki breaks ALDS Game 3 wide open with a three-run homer

Tulowitzki posted mediocre offensive numbers but was a big defensive upgrade for the Blue Jays after they acquired him in a blockbuster deal with the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline.

He gets a chance to show that off Monday afternoon at 3:07 p.m.in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, his first career postseason start that comes against his old team as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was hitless in the 2012 AL wild card game for the Rangers, then 0 for 13 in the AL Division Series for the Los Angeles Angels last season before starting this series 0 for 11. Those extra two runs came off the bat of Tulowitzki as Chi Chi Gonzalez came in and walked Encarnacion before getting Colabello to ground into a nifty double play. Something that we had talked about actually today was, I think because we can hit the long ball and we can end the game with one swing, say, late in the game, that guys wanted to try to hit that home run.

Texas second baseman Rougned Odor has been nothing short of a beast through the first two games. I missed a few first-pitch strikes, but you know I’d come back with another strike and it all worked out. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.

In the seventh, Keuchel stayed in the game to face Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain, who had smacked a towering homer to lead off the fourth inning and represented the tying run in a two-run game.

Offensively, the Rangers turned *four* double plays to help shut down the Jays, who stranded five on the evening. Perez struggled with his command after two flawless innings to open the game.

“I’ll reiterate this: We knew this was going to be a challenging series” added Manager Jeff Banister. Perez took the loss with five innings of four-run ball. Navarro hit into a double play to limit the damage after a 33-pitch inning. Martin Perez then walked Chris Colabello and walked Troy Tulowitzki forcing in a run. But the Jays still have their backs against the wall as R.A. Dickey takes the mound against Derek Holland in Game 4.

“I expect he’ll be fine”, manager John Gibbons told reporters. Even more confusing are the Rangers’ home/road splits. “So job well done, but he’s been doing that all year”.

The Rangers still had the momentum and extended the lead to 4-1 after Robinson Chirinos hit a 392-foot home run that also allowed Odor to score his second of the game.

AL MVP hopeful Josh Donaldson wasn’t going to see his career year come to a close with a sweep, so he went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk. “He did it again”. So it was his day.

Going into Sunday’s contest, home teams that lost the first two legs of a five-game playoff series – including League Championship Series – were 2-27 according to Elias Sports.

NOTES: Texas LF Josh Hamilton snapped an 0-for-31 postseason slump with a fifth-inning single.