Tulowitzki helps keep Blue Jays alive with three-run homer

Estrada retired Delino DeShields to end the inning.

“Shoot, he was unbelievable”, said Gibbons.

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. “Job well done, but he’s been doing that all year. [Toronto catcher Dioner] Navarro has a great feel for him”. “I think (Munenori) Kawasaki might help with that a little bit, but it’s a neat experience but there is a finality to it and we’re all aware of that”.

SLUMP BUSTER: Josh Hamilton snapped an 0-for-31 postseason drought with a one-out single in the fifth, then added another hit two innings later. One of the more challenging decisions that we’ve had to make.”WALK-OFFS1″.

As he always does, Estrada raved about the way Navarro guides him through a game.

“It’s the most emotionally charged game that I’ve ever played”, Bautista said. “We knew it was going to be a tough series”.

But the Jays still have their backs against the wall as R.A. Dickey takes the mound against Derek Holland in Game 4.

Estrada left Alberto stranded, as he did two subsequent Rangers who reached on singles.

Tulowitzki kick-started the offence on a 3-2 changeup off reliever Chi Chi Gonzalez. Not only do the Blue Jays now have to win three games in a row to advance, but the first two wins must come at home. Another double to start the fourth greeted starter Martin Perez in the fourth.

Texas has another chance Monday to clinch the series at home.

The Jays shortstop showed that patience, working the count until it was in his favour.

The Jays’ third baseman, a former divisional foe of Texas from his time in Oakland, has faced Holland more than most of his teammates and he’s had considerable success. The franchise post-season record is five by Tony Fernandez in 1993.

Since then Dickey has pitched in five games at Globe Life Park, posting a 3.05 ERA.

Toronto cut the deficit in half in the third on Bautista’s two-out double. The previous mark was two, which had happened five times.

Tulowitzki, who also drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning, ended an 0-for-11 post-season skid with the homer.

“He was unbelievable”, Toronto manager John Gibbons said. The Blue Jays hit into four double plays, two them involving runners on third base getting thrown out. In his first knuckleball outing the year before for the Class AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks, he was battered for 14 hits and 12 runs by the Iowa Cubs in 5 2/3 innings.

History was not on Toronto’s side going into Sunday’s game.

But the first two games of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers was nearly too painful to bear.

In 2006 Dickey made his first start as a knuckleballer as a member of the Rangers. “They go and look at it and they say it’s all right”.

It’s kind of amusing how baseball works out sometimes, but hopefully for the Jays, Dickey’s full-circle moment will serve them well.

Chicago Cubs closer Hector Rondon got stuck in the bullpen bathroom for several minutes during Game 1 of a National League division series with the St. Louis Cardinals.