Oct 9, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) slides in to score the winning run past Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (25) in the 10th inning to give the Jays a three game sweep in 2016 ALDS at Rogers Centre. Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
TORONTO — A throwing error by Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor in the bottom of the 10th inning allowed the winning run to score, and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the American League Division Series with a 7-6 victory Sunday night.
Josh Donaldson led off the bottom of the 10th with a double to right center against Matt Bush (0-1), who pitching his third inning.
Edwin Encarnacion, who had three RBIs in the game, was walked intentionally before Jose Bautista struck out.
Russell Martin grounded to shortstop. Elvis Andrus fielded the ball and threw to second to force Encarnacion, but Odor’s relay throw to first was wide for an error. First baseman Mitch Moreland knocked down the ball, then recovered and threw toward the plate, but Donaldson slid home with the winning run as the ball eluded catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
Encarnacion and Martin homered for the Blue Jays. Odor and Andrus homered for the Rangers.
Rangers starter Colby Lewis allowed five hits, including two home runs, and five runs in two-plus innings.
Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez was removed for Joe Biagini with two outs in the sixth after giving up a walk to Odor and a single to Jonathan Lucroy.
Mitch Moreland greeted Biagini with a two-run double that glanced off the glove of diving center fielder Kevin Pillar to give the Rangers a 6-5 lead.
Sanchez was charged with six runs (four earned) on three hits, including two home runs, and four walks.
The Blue Jays tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth. Troy Tulowitzki singled with one out. Jake Diekman replaced Jeremy Jeffress and allowed a double to pinch hitter Melvin Upton Jr.
After Pillar was intentionally walked to load the bases, Keone Kela came in to face Darwin Barney, who fouled out to third. A passed ball allowed Tulowitzki to score the tying run.
Jason Grilli retired two batters and Brett Cecil one hitter in the top of the eighth.
Bush struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth and had a perfect bottom of the ninth.
Toronto closer Roberto Osuna (1-0) retired all six batters he faced in the ninth and 10th to earn the win.
The Rangers scored without a hit in the first inning. Carlos Gomez led off with a walk, stole second, took third when Ian Desmond grounded out to the catcher and scored when Carlos Beltran grounded out to the pitcher.
The Blue Jays came back with three runs in the bottom of the first.
Ezequiel Carrera led off with a single and scored when Encarnacion hit his third home run of the postseason and sixth of his career. Martin made the score 3-1 with his first homer of the postseason and the fifth of his career.
Andrus led off the third with his first homer of the ALDS and the first by the Rangers to cut Toronto’s lead to 3-2. The Blue Jays hit eight homers in the series before the Rangers hit one.
Carrera started the bottom of the third with a single, stole second, and scored on Donaldson’s ground-rule double to right.
Right-hander Tony Barnette replaced Lewis and gave up an RBI single to put Toronto ahead 5-2.
Odor hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 5-4. Beltran walked to lead off the inning and was forced out at second on a grounder to second by Adrian Beltre.
Alex Claudio took over for Texas in the bottom of the fourth and was removed for Jeffress after allowing a one-out single to Donaldson in the fifth inning. After a walk to Encarnacion, Bautista grounded into a double play.
NOTES: Blue Jays 2B Devon Travis (bone bruise in right knee) missed a second consecutive game. An MRI showed a bone bruise but no structural damage, and he is listed as day-to-day. … Toronto LHP Francisco Liriano (concussion), who was hit in the head by a line-drive single on Friday, was replaced on the ALDS roster by RHP Danny Barnes. Liriano would remain eligible to play in the American League Championship Series after seven days. … The Blue Jays announced that beer will no longer be sold in cans, only in cups, for the rest of the postseason at Rogers Centre. A fan threw a can of beer on the field during the wild-card game against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. … Texas OF Nomar Mazara, 21, is the second-youngest Rangers player to participate in postseason. The youngest was INF Jurickson Profar, 19, in 2012.
