Blue Jays reliever Cecil done, Tepera added to ALDS roster

While the five-foot-11, 170-pound Venezuelan is only 2-for-7 in the series, he has scored five times, including twice on hit-by-pitches and his solo home run off Blue Jays ace David Price in the seventh inning of Game 1 extended Texas’ lead to 5-3.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister said he wasn’t sure whether Beltre would be available for Game 2.

But first the Jays, down 2-0 in the best-of-five series, have to win Sunday to keep the series alive.

Game 3 against the Blue Jays is tonight in Texas, a game that will start about the same time the Dallas Cowboys should be finishing their home game across the street against the Patriots.

The other AL series is even at 1-1 after Kansas City rallied to beat Houston, while in the opening games of the two National League series, St Louis defeated the Chicago Cubs in the first playoff game between the long-time rivals, while pitcher Jacob deGrom steered the New York Mets to victory against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

From a game that had everything, the Toronto Blue Jays left with nothing.

Troy Tulowitzki’s three-run home run gave the Blue Jays all the breathing room they needed to stave off elimination in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Rangers at Globe Life Park on Sunday night. It marked the Jays’ third all-time three-run homer in the playoffs, joining Candy Maldonado in the 1992 AL Championship Series and Joe Carter’s winning blast in the 1993 World Series. Not good at all, ” Hawkins said after Toronto’s 6-4 loss in 14 innings to Texas.

Although they didn’t deliver a win for a rowdy sellout crowd of 49, 834, the Blue Jays weren’t feeling down.

Perez did not face Toronto this season.

Reigning NL rookie of the year deGrom allowed five hits in seven innings to win the pitching duel with Kershaw, who finished with 10 strikeouts. Since getting called back June 15, he is hitting.

Alberto, batting last and only in the lineup because star third baseman Adrian Beltre was out with a strained back, made an error that led to Toronto’s first two runs, but redeemed himself with his big hit in extra innings.

Josh Donaldson led off the fourth with a double and scored when Tulowitzki was the third consecutive batter walked by Perez. Donaldson was greeted with a chorus of boos from Rangers fans, who apparently read lips during his dustup with reliever Keone Kela in the 13th inning of Game 2 that Texas won 6-4 in the 14th.

“He had not found the barrel until that point”, Banister said.

The bases were still loaded in the fourth when Navarro had an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play a pitch after a hard foul down the third-base line.

Odor made a backhanded catch with his glove just off the ground on Ben Revere’s broken-bat soft liner, then doubled off Kevin Pillar, who had broken home to end the fifth. He had an unassisted double play in the first inning, drove in a run in the second and hoovered up ground balls all day long. “We feel like if Adrian comes in and says he’s ready to go, then he’s ready to go”. Just because you are down, doesn’t mean you are out.

For Dickey, making the post-season in the majors is a career first. “It’s poetic, is what it is for me”.

“So it’s a neat narrative, no doubt”.

After taking a knee to the head, Josh Donaldson didn’t make it to the end of Toronto’s first postseason game in 22 years. “Things went really well this last bullpen so I’m excited to bring that over to the next game”.