Tulo-led Blue Jays avoid ALDS elimination, beat Texas 5-1

The Blue Jays said Bautista is expected to play Friday.

Their demise was brief but ominous.

The Blue Jays are no strangers to stringing wins together.

“That’s where I think Roogie Odor is, ” Banister said.

Odor hit. 259 in 114 games as rookie last season, when he was the youngest player in the majors as a 20-year-old, making his debut in May 2014.

Tulowitzki had been 0-for-10 in the series and was dropped to the sixth spot in the batting order for the first time this season.

“It’s not relief yet”, he said.

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Tulowitzki’s four RBIs are the most by a Jay in the post-season since Carter’s four in 1993. He allowed four runs (three earned), five hits and two walks in seven-plus innings. It was 2-0 through six. “Something we talked about today …” “He’s been so good for us, arguably the best reliever in baseball the last three months, been up there with the best of them”. “If he catches fire, we’re real unsafe”.

Estrada did what he nearly always does.

Martin Perez has the usual splits for a lefty pitcher despite his good changeup, meaning Chris Colabello definitely has to start this game.

Added catcher Dioner Navarro: “Outstanding”. I believe he overthought that one. He would be pitching on three days’ rest if he started today’s tilt. But… he just pitches good here. He is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in two career starts against the Rangers. And even then, the Jays could opt to bring back ace David Price to strengthen their bid to extend the contest to a fifth game.

Left-hander Derek Holland is slated to pitch for the Rangers in Game 4.

Gibbons was asked before the game what was wrong with Tulowitzki.

“He wasn’t getting hit around”.

That changed in Game 3. Bautista collected a key single ahead of Tulowitzki’s blast. Perez is the type of pitcher the Jays can beat up on and flip momentum back their way. When they fall short of that figure, their record, including the playoffs, is 16-60.

It seemed like another Houdini-like escape for Texas in the sixth, with a bases-loaded threat with no outs looking like it might fizzle after yet another double play denied the Jays by removing the lead runner. At points, he’s actually carried this club for a significant amount of time. The Blue Jays have the pieces in place to make a big comeback, but can they?

Donaldson led off with a double and moved up on a fly ball.

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. Marco Estrada continues to show that he might be one of the most underrated acquisitions in the past offseason.

Texas has another chance Monday to clinch the series at home. Estrada retired Delino DeShields to end the inning. A sac-bunt put Pillar on third.

The Rangers offense continued to stagnate, going 1-2-3 in the fourth and getting a Josh Hamilton single and nothing else in the fifth.

Estrada made 89 pitches, including 57 for strikes.

“He’s been kind of that unsung guy that nobody really talks about a whole lot”, Donaldson said. “So this was huge for us”. Guys are having fun and we’re enjoying being around each other. “You’ve got to let the knuckleball travel, you’ve got to get it elevated, you’ve got to be able to have a few patience as well”.