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TORONTO ( ESTRADA )
TEXAS ( PEREZ ) |
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| AL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 3 - TEX leads 2-0 | |  | |
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| 919 | TORONTO | -135 | Ov 9.5,+105 | -145 | Ov 9.5,-105 | | 920 | TEXAS | +125 | Un 9.5,-125 | +135 | Un 9.5,-115 |
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| All Games | 93-71 | +6.1 | 79-73 | 5.5 | 0.267 | 0.335 | 0.454 | 0.789 | 4.2 | 0.247 | 0.299 | 0.402 | 0.700 | | Road Games | 40-41 | -2.4 | 47-27 | 5.4 | 0.260 | 0.325 | 0.430 | 0.755 | 4.7 | 0.268 | 0.321 | 0.432 | 0.753 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 21-18 | -5.3 | 21-18 | 5.6 | 0.268 | 0.336 | 0.456 | 0.791 | 4.5 | 0.261 | 0.305 | 0.429 | 0.734 | | Past 7 Games | 2-6 | -6.6 | 6-0 | 5.1 | 0.268 | 0.328 | 0.448 | 0.776 | 5.9 | 0.237 | 0.292 | 0.448 | 0.740 | | Grass Games | 37-35 | +1 | 43-24 | 5.7 | 0.264 | 0.331 | 0.433 | 0.764 | 4.6 | 0.267 | 0.320 | 0.429 | 0.749 | | Night Games | 56-42 | +4.6 | 47-45 | 5.3 | 0.262 | 0.330 | 0.446 | 0.776 | 4.0 | 0.245 | 0.297 | 0.398 | 0.695 |
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| All Games | 5.5 | 0.267 | 0.335 | 164 | 5592 | 1492 | 310 | 17 | 234 | 0.454 | 855 | 573 | 1170 | 91 | 1068 | 164 | 90 | 147 | 61 | | Road Games | 5.4 | 0.260 | 0.325 | 81 | 2848 | 740 | 136 | 11 | 109 | 0.430 | 411 | 274 | 627 | 45 | 524 | 92 | 47 | 78 | 29 | | Lefty Starters | 5.6 | 0.268 | 0.336 | 39 | 1336 | 358 | 79 | 5 | 54 | 0.456 | 208 | 136 | 272 | 25 | 244 | 52 | 24 | 31 | 14 |
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| All Games | 3.47 | 1.137 | 484.7 | 206 | 187 | 418 | 57 | 133 | 466 | 21-28 | 34 | 22 | 60.7% | | Road Games | 3.97 | 1.204 | 245 | 115 | 108 | 212 | 32 | 83 | 233 | 13-16 | 18 | 11 | 62.1% |
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| All Games | 90-74 | +33.7 | 73-80 | 4.6 | 0.256 | 0.318 | 0.411 | 0.730 | 4.5 | 0.261 | 0.322 | 0.417 | 0.739 | | Home Games | 43-38 | +5.6 | 37-37 | 5.0 | 0.274 | 0.339 | 0.441 | 0.780 | 4.8 | 0.266 | 0.328 | 0.418 | 0.746 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 54-43 | +19.8 | 41-50 | 4.5 | 0.262 | 0.322 | 0.412 | 0.734 | 4.1 | 0.250 | 0.308 | 0.404 | 0.711 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +4.5 | 3-3 | 6.0 | 0.241 | 0.319 | 0.404 | 0.723 | 3.9 | 0.225 | 0.269 | 0.361 | 0.630 | | Grass Games | 85-70 | +29.5 | 68-77 | 4.7 | 0.258 | 0.321 | 0.416 | 0.736 | 4.5 | 0.263 | 0.324 | 0.419 | 0.743 | | Night Games | 65-50 | +27.5 | 52-57 | 4.6 | 0.259 | 0.318 | 0.422 | 0.740 | 4.4 | 0.260 | 0.321 | 0.413 | 0.734 |
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| All Games | 4.6 | 0.256 | 0.318 | 164 | 5592 | 1433 | 280 | 32 | 174 | 0.411 | 715 | 510 | 1250 | 101 | 1142 | 121 | 121 | 170 | 85 | | Home Games | 5.0 | 0.274 | 0.339 | 81 | 2746 | 752 | 147 | 18 | 92 | 0.441 | 382 | 272 | 570 | 51 | 594 | 63 | 58 | 95 | 50 | | Righty Starters | 4.5 | 0.262 | 0.322 | 97 | 3288 | 860 | 168 | 22 | 94 | 0.412 | 402 | 294 | 709 | 76 | 673 | 78 | 68 | 91 | 49 |
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| All Games | 4.05 | 1.329 | 513 | 243 | 231 | 479 | 64 | 203 | 469 | 27-20 | 47 | 16 | 74.6% | | Home Games | 4.07 | 1.393 | 270 | 127 | 122 | 266 | 33 | 110 | 229 | 10-11 | 17 | 8 | 68% |
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| 9/27/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | TAMPA BAY | ANDRIESE(R) | 5-4 | W | -165 | 9 un | P | 10 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | | 9/28/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | @ BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | 4-3 | W | 100 | 9 ev | U | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | | 9/30/2015 | STROMAN(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | 15-2 | W | -155 | 8 ev | O | 18 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 4 | | 9/30/2015 | DICKEY(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GAUSMAN(R) | 1-8 | L | 110 | 8 un | O | 5 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | | 10/1/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | @ BALTIMORE | WILSON(R) | 4-6 | L | 170 | 7.5 ev | O | 9 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 0 | | 10/2/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | @ TAMPA BAY | RAMIREZ(R) | 8-4 | W | -125 | 8 ov | O | 17 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | | 10/3/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | ARCHER(R) | 3-4 | L | -105 | 7 ov | P | 8 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | | 10/4/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | @ TAMPA BAY | MOORE(L) | 3-12 | L | -145 | 8.5 ov | O | 9 | 10 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 0 | | 10/8/2015 | PRICE(L) | TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | 3-5 | L | -240 | 8 ov | P | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | | 10/9/2015 | STROMAN(R) | TEXAS | HAMELS(L) | 4-6 | L | -165 | 7.5 ov | O | 8 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 1 | | 10/11/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | @ TEXAS | PEREZ(L) | |
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| 9/27/2015 | PEREZ(L) | @ HOUSTON | KEUCHEL(L) | 2-4 | L | 205 | 8 un | U | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 9/28/2015 | LEWIS(R) | DETROIT | VERLANDER(R) | 4-7 | L | -145 | 8.5 ev | O | 10 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 | | 9/29/2015 | HAMELS(L) | DETROIT | NORRIS(L) | 7-6 | W | -180 | 8.5 ov | O | 9 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 4 | | 9/30/2015 | GALLARDO(R) | DETROIT | BOYD(L) | 6-2 | W | -185 | 9.5 un | U | 9 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 1 | | 10/1/2015 | HOLLAND(L) | LA ANGELS | HEANEY(L) | 5-3 | W | -110 | 9 un | U | 8 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | | 10/2/2015 | PEREZ(L) | LA ANGELS | WEAVER(R) | 1-2 | L | -115 | 9.5 ev | U | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | | 10/3/2015 | LEWIS(R) | LA ANGELS | SANTIAGO(L) | 10-11 | L | -110 | 9 ov | O | 13 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 2 | | 10/4/2015 | HAMELS(L) | LA ANGELS | RICHARDS(R) | 9-2 | W | -125 | 8.5 ev | O | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | | 10/8/2015 | GALLARDO(R) | @ TORONTO | PRICE(L) | 5-3 | W | 220 | 8 ov | P | 5 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | | 10/9/2015 | HAMELS(L) | @ TORONTO | STROMAN(R) | 6-4 | W | 155 | 7.5 ov | O | 11 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | | 10/11/2015 | PEREZ(L) | TORONTO | ESTRADA(R) | |
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| |  | TORONTO: TORONTO (AP) - The upcoming season for the Toronto Blue Jays seems destined to be defined by the one young pitcher who'll miss it and the two even younger guys who'll try to replace him.
Toronto's plans for ending baseball's longest active playoff drought took a serious hit when Marcus Stroman suffered a season-ending knee injury in spring training.
The second-year right-hander tore a ligament when his knee buckled as he backed off a bunt during a pregame fielding drill. He's out for the year after undergoing surgery.
''It's tough,'' Stroman said. ''I just feel like I let my team down. I've worked harder than I ever had this offseason.''
The injury changed Toronto's thinking about 22-year-old right-hander Aaron Sanchez, who might have been closing games rather than starting them if Stroman was still healthy, and 21-year-old lefty Daniel Norris, the van-dwelling surfer dude.
The two pitchers now look likely to get their shot in Toronto's rotation, slotting in behind 200-inning workhorses R.A Dickey and Mark Buehrle, and 24-year-old right-hander Drew Hutchison.
How successful they are could well determine what happens to the Blue Jays, out of the postseason since winning their second straight World Series in 1993 and the only team that hasn't reached the playoffs this century.
''We may have to rely on a young guy who may not be proven,'' manager John Gibbons said. ''Stro was a baby, too, but a special guy.''
Sanchez has already shown signs that he could also be special. He excelled out of the bullpen in 24 games last season, posting three saves and a 1.09 ERA in 33 innings, striking out 27 while walking nine and holding opponents to a .128 average.
With the increased demands of a starting role lying ahead, the hard-throwing Sanchez has spent this spring refining his slider.
''With the way he throws, it could turn into a big strikeout pitch for him,'' Gibbons said.
The Blue Jays are also high on Norris, currently better known for spending his winters searching for prime surfing spots while living out of a 1978 Volkswagen camper van nicknamed ''Shaggy.''
''He's a different bird,'' Gibbons said. ''Anytime you live in a van, I wouldn't say that's normal.''
Norris had an abnormal 2014 season, rising from Class A to the majors after going 12-2 with a 2.53 ERA at three minor league stops. He underwent elbow surgery last October to remove bone spurs, and expects to be better this year than the pitcher who made five appearances for the Blue Jays in September.
''He's a student of the game,'' Gibbons said. ''He's a very smart kid and he's grounded. He's got the most important thing: He's got a great arm.''
After Jose Reyes and the Blue Jays went 83-79, here's what else to watch as they try to move up:
MIGHTY MIGUEL: Sanchez and Norris aren't the only impressive young arms expected to break camp with the Blue Jays. Right-hander Miguel Castro, 20, didn't allow a run in his first five spring appearances, striking out eight and walking none while allowing three hits over nine innings. A hard thrower who stands an imposing 6-foot-5, Castro has put himself in position to jump from Class A, where he went 8-3 with a 2.68 ERA last season, all the way to the majors. ''He looks like a seasoned vet out there, under control, very relaxed,'' Gibbons said.
NEW GUYS, NEW FOCUS: Toronto strengthened its lineup over the winter by signing free agent catcher Russell Martin to a five-year, $82 million contract and acquiring All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson from Oakland. Slugger Jose Bautista has praised the newcomers for making a difference in the clubhouse with their winning pedigree and intense focus. ''We need something along those lines here every now and then,'' Bautista said. ''It's good to have guys to whom winning matters.''
BLOCKING THE PLATE: Adding Martin gave the Blue Jays a logjam at catcher, where incumbent Dioner Navarro is signed through 2015 and Josh Thole is Dickey's knuckleball specialist. Martin has worked hard this spring to prove he can handle Dickey's floater, which could mean Thole is ticketed for Triple-A. Or, Toronto may yet trade the switch-hitting Navarro to open room at DH for Edwin Encarnacion, who has been slowed this spring by a balky back and may not be able to handle regular duty at first base. | | TEXAS: When Yu Darvish pitched only one inning this spring before season-ending elbow surgery, the Texas Rangers were already off to an ominous start.
The Rangers lost their ace even before what they are still hoping will be a comeback season.
''There is no way to spin that, other than it's a tough deal for us. He's one of the best pitchers in the game,'' general manager Jon Daniels said this spring. ''That being said, it's one guy. It's not 17. Good teams and good organizations have had similar news at similar times before and found a way. That's got to be our mentality.''
Texas had 22 different players spend time on the disabled list last season, including Darvish missing the final seven weeks with elbow inflammation before needing Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery this spring.
The aching result for the Rangers was the American League's worst record (67-95) and their most losses since 1985, ending an impressive four-year run of 90-win seasons with their only two World Series appearances (2010-11).
Darvish was 10-7 and an All-Star again before getting sidelined last season.
As for the top of the rotation without him, the January trade to get local pitcher Yovani Gallardo proved even more important. Gallardo, who can be a free agent after this season, started the last five season openers for Milwaukee.
Derek Holland, who didn't pitch until September last season after knee surgery, had a strong finish. Shoulder soreness slowed the left-hander this spring, but that likely set him up to start the home opener April 10 against Houston, in the fifth game of the season.
Also among the injured in 2014 were slugger Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, the big offensive additions before last season.
Fielder had missed only one game the previous five seasons with Detroit and Milwaukee before being limited to only 42 games and three home runs in his Rangers debut because a herniated disk in his neck that required surgery. Choo played 123 games, but his on-base percentage dipped from .423 in 2013 for Cincinnati to .340 before operations late last season for a bone spur in his left elbow and torn cartilage in his left ankle.
''There's no telling what this ballclub can do,'' new manager Jeff Banister said. ''They've yet to have an opportunity to play together. Let's hope they get a really strong shot of playing together for 162-plus (games).''
Here are a few things to know about the Rangers, who open the season April 6 at Oakland:
CLOSING TIME: Neftali Feliz is back in his World Series role for the Rangers as their closer after an ill-fated and injury-plagued attempt to be a starter. The right-hander was 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA in eight games (seven starts) in 2012 before Tommy John surgery. Feliz was 2-1 with 13 saves in 14 chances with a 1.99 ERA in 30 relief appearances after rejoining the Rangers last July, just before Joakim Soria was traded.
BELTRE'S IMPACT: Third baseman Adrian Beltre is going into his 17th major league season, his fifth with the Rangers and signed through next season. ''He's the heart and soul of this club,'' Banister said. ''A shining light in the storm, that's what he was last year. ... Do yourself a favor and watch that last at-bat he put together in 2014.'' Determined not to be the final out of the season, Beltre went from an 0-2 count to getting a single on the third straight slider thrown after that.
LEFT OF CENTER: With pretty much every other defensive position set, Jake Smolinski and Ryan Ruo entered spring as candidates in left field. Both showed promising glimpses in short stints in their major league debuts the second half of last season. Ryan Ludwick, who made his major league debut with Texas in 2002 and played for five other teams the past decade, was a non-roster invitee who could play left. Michael Choice, who got 35 of his 55 outfield starts in left last year, was the early man out when optioned to the minors in mid-March. Choo moves from left to right after Alex Rios departed in free agency.
MISSING WORK: The 26 different DL stints for the Rangers last season amounted to 2,281 days lost. That was 833 more than Arizona, who had the second most, and more than double any other American League team. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (TORONTO-TEXAS) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(CORRECTS Estrada's post-break opponents' BA to AL-low STED MLB-low)
*Blue Jays-Rangers Preview* ===========================
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer
Toronto (93-69) at Texas (88-74), 8:10 p.m. EDT
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Rougned Odor was struggling so badly a month into this season that he was sent back to the minor leagues by the Texas Rangers.
Now the 21-year-old second baseman is a big reason Texas returned home with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five AL Division Series against Toronto.
Aggressive on the bases, Odor scored twice in Game 2 with a pair of nifty slides into the plate - one on a shallow sacrifice fly, and the other for the tiebreaking run in the 14th inning of their 6-4 win.
"Right now, he's in a position that he feels good, and he feels his confidence level is high and he can do whatever," shortstop Elvis Andrus said Saturday before the Rangers worked out at home.
Sort of like a then-22-year-old Andrus was in 2010, when the Rangers also had a 2-0 ALDS lead and were on the way to their first World Series. Andrus is now the longest-tenured position player in Texas.
Game 3 against the Blue Jays is Sunday night 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 New England Patriots.
Left-hander Martin Perez (3-6) pitches for the Rangers in the potential clincher. Marco Estrada (13-8), who held hitters to an AL-low .183 batting average after the All-Star break, starts for Toronto.
"We need a big outburst with the bats, score a lot of runs," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "We score in bunches. That's kind of our trademark. ... Hopefully we can do it one time, you know, catch our breath a little bit and gain a little confidence, maybe we can hang in this thing."
Odor got the game-winning rally in the 14th started Friday with a two-out infield single, then took a wide turn around second on a single to right by Chris Gimenez before sliding feet-first back into the base with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki quickly applying a tag - the safe call stood after a long video replay.
Two pitches later, Odor was going around catcher Russell Martin again, swiping his hand on the back of the plate to put Texas ahead to stay on Hanser Alberto's single.
Manager Jeff Banister calls Odor one of those players that will "completely will yourself to score" and with the sole purpose to cross the plate.
"That's where I think Roogie Odor is," Banister said. "Great heads-up baserunning, but also just to have the body control to be able to make the slides that he made. Incredible."
A dozen innings before his go-ahead run, Odor came home on a short flyball to center to score on a close play. After diving head-first toward the plate and initially reaching with his left hand to get under Martin, Odor avoided the tag by pulling his left arm back and then reaching around with his right hand to hit the plate.
"That excitement and exuberance that he plays with, it lifts everybody else in this clubhouse," Gimenez said. "Literally, this is a kids' game, he's literally a kid playing this game. ... And he's playing like a man. Doing what he's doing is pretty special."
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.
After hitting .144 with 25 strikeouts in 90 at-bats through the first 31 games this season, he was sent back to Triple-A Round Rock. Since getting called back June 15, he is hitting .292 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs in 93 games, including the first two games of this series.
Alberto is the rookie forced into action since veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre exited Game 1 early with lower back stiffness. Beltre, still considered day to day, was excused from Saturday's workout to stay home and rest, and will be reevaluated again before Game 3 on Sunday night.
Only once in their previous seven playoff series did the Blue Jays lose the first two games. That was the 1989 ALCS when they lost the best-of-seven series in five games to Oakland.
"We have to keep trusting our teammates and believe in what got us here," Josh Donaldson said. "We still have an opportunity to win this series."
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| | Last Updated: 4/20/2024 7:27:11 AM EST. |
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