When Jimenez broke in with the Rockies, he was pitching 100 mph in the late innings, He looked like a future superstar. He was a top strikeout pitcher, but had little control. His career ERA is 4.15 and he has lost most of his speed. In recent seasons, he has given up 20 home runs a year, His postseason record is 0-3 with 16 walks to 28 strikeouts.and 1.25 home runs per game. Showalter went with his recent production over his 11-season record. I believe this was Jiminez's first career relief appearance, and definitely his first postseason relief appearance.. This was Ralph Branca to Bobby Thompson, Mitch Williams to Joe Carter, Dennis Eckersley to Kirk Kibson. Vern Law to Bill Mazeroski, and that extra pitch by Pedro Martinez. It was just a one game wild card series. But it was one of baseball's great and memorable moments. Jimenez to Encarnacion. The greatest Dominican moment in American baseball history.
That ball was Crushed!
What a Great swing (too long a topic to get into here)
Reminded me of the Ordonez HR from 2006. .
What a Great swing (too long a topic to get into here)
Reminded me of the Ordonez HR from 2006. .
2
That 2016 version of the Jays is perplexing. They seemed to win a pile of games when no one was paying attention. I lived in Toronto for 30 years, they are a great baseball ( sports ) market.
People should be reminded that after Greater NY and Greater LA the next biggest market is not Chicago or Boston, it's Greater TO.
They have the market size, they have the money and they are an amazing city.
Ironically they own the Cubs of NHL Hockey, the richest, most loyal, most knowledgeable and by far WORST Hockey Team ever, for years on end. Like the Cubs " no matter what " they lose. They raise prices, sell out, sell a million pieces of merchandizing and lose.
They are even becoming annual competitors in the NBA....
The Toronto Blue Jays were a top attendance team again in 2016.
They also are last team to win the World Series 2 years in a row....I think it's time for me to go back for a visit.
People should be reminded that after Greater NY and Greater LA the next biggest market is not Chicago or Boston, it's Greater TO.
They have the market size, they have the money and they are an amazing city.
Ironically they own the Cubs of NHL Hockey, the richest, most loyal, most knowledgeable and by far WORST Hockey Team ever, for years on end. Like the Cubs " no matter what " they lose. They raise prices, sell out, sell a million pieces of merchandizing and lose.
They are even becoming annual competitors in the NBA....
The Toronto Blue Jays were a top attendance team again in 2016.
They also are last team to win the World Series 2 years in a row....I think it's time for me to go back for a visit.
5
Dumb Canadian Fans...
Assault charges should be brought against the beer can thrower!
Assault charges should be brought against the beer can thrower!
3
The suspect has been IDed, his picture published. The cops will pick him up. Charges will follow. Please don't blame a nation for one idiot fan.
3
Better viewing that the Veep Debate.
2
Just to let everyone know, the Toronto police are investigating. With the CTV coverage they will likely find and charge the person who threw the beer can. This is bad behaviour as was the subsequent name calling. I am happy that the Jays won but unhappy that this incident marred the game for everyone. Whoever did this should be ashamed. This is not representative of Toronto and Jays' fans.
3
loved that game on my toes the whole time
"But Britton is the closer, and closers generally pitch only with a lead in road games"?
So much for the abstract "wisdom" of baseball! Playoff games and WS are different! You pitch your best, for as long as it takes! As a Yankee fan, I still remember vividly when David Cone and Jack McDowell eagerly ran out of the bullpen to try to get their team into the playoffs for the first time in 20 years! THAT'S baseball the way it should be!
And as Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle have said, the idea of closer "specialists" who ONLY ever pitch one inning at a time is itself absurd! And those two are in a position to have something to say on that issue.
So much for the abstract "wisdom" of baseball! Playoff games and WS are different! You pitch your best, for as long as it takes! As a Yankee fan, I still remember vividly when David Cone and Jack McDowell eagerly ran out of the bullpen to try to get their team into the playoffs for the first time in 20 years! THAT'S baseball the way it should be!
And as Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle have said, the idea of closer "specialists" who ONLY ever pitch one inning at a time is itself absurd! And those two are in a position to have something to say on that issue.
5
Wow! "one that reverberated all through a nation". Yes, we know, Toronto thinks it's THE nation, but it really isn't. I don't know who wrote this piece for the NY Times, but they definately must be living in Toronto.
3
Don't be the Grinch. I'm from Winnipeg and we generally hate all things Torontonian, but I'm a Jays fan and so are a lot of Canadians outside of Ontario.
4
...except that as the only Canadian team in the MLB, the Blue Jays fan base does indeed go far beyond Toronto, just look at all the fans who come from all over the country. Not sure how you missed that in Halifax.
4
Would love to see Encarnacion join Cespedes in the Mets lineup next year. That would make them the favorites to win the pennant.
Memories of Joe Carter came alive with that beautiful swing.
6
Two things from this game are completely unacceptable: The fan throwing things at the outfielder and Showalter not using his best reliever in a win or go home game. I hope thecivil authorities caught up with the fan. I hope the Oriole authorities take care of Showalter.
2
Apparently, as the police were closing in, the dope took off.
1
Go Jays!
4
The Jays have great starting pitching (Stroman is probably number 4 or 5 among the starters and look how good he is). The relief pitching has been up and down but when up really shuts down opposition hitters. The defense with Pillar, Tulowitsky and Donaldson is superior. The main issue has been the offence even with Donaldson (last year's MVP), Encarnacion, Bautista and Tulowitsky. They strike out and hit into too many DPs way too often. However the series with Texas should be terrific. Stay tuned.
2
The first photo that accompanies this article is interesting: the batter, Encarnacion, has his arms raised in triumph (appropriately so), as do the teammates of his you see at the left, starting to stream from the dugout. Many in the sea of fans we see are also celebrating. But look at the field level box: no raised arms, and some haven't even followed the course of the ball. Is this an example of the costliest seats in the park going to people who aren't fans of the Blue Jays, let alone baseball? Just corporate muckety-mucks or some such that relish being able to say they were there but could could care less about the outcome?
3
Well said! Give at least a few of those seats to local kids who never get to go to games like this.
Actually, it looks like that's the press corp.
Perhaps the need to castigate "corporate muckety-mucks" is greater than your powers of observation.
Perhaps the need to castigate "corporate muckety-mucks" is greater than your powers of observation.
1
Maybe that's the Orioles' brass! But I guess they'd be behind the O's dugout...
Toronto has been a very non clutch team in September and for a large part of the season. It was a no brainer to have Britten .47 E.R.A. solve the bottom of the 11th. He is unhittable. Clearly the baseball gods parted the river for the Blue Jays.
2
Buck made the correct call. A closer is used to close a game. The Orioles could not win without first scoring, and then retiring the Jays in the bottom of that inning. When they lost, they were a single ground ball away from an inning-ending DP.
Often the game is decided by the players and not by a managers decision. This was the case last night.
Often the game is decided by the players and not by a managers decision. This was the case last night.
4
The Orioles should be proud of the game they played.
SO excited about the Blue Jays, though. Love this team. To Texas!
SO excited about the Blue Jays, though. Love this team. To Texas!
7
Great game. Close, errorless, great defensive plays and pitching plus home run drama. Only an idiot fan stunk it up.
4
"In the seventh inning, that wildness turned dangerous. A fan hurled a drink can that just missed hitting Hyun Soo Kim as retreated toward the left-field wall to catch a deep drive by Melvin Upton Jr. Adam Jones raced over from center field Jones, gesturing and screaming at the fans, and Showalter was also livid, hustling to the outfield to confer with the umpires."
I've been to several games in Toronto, and to games in stadiums across the country. Heavy drinking and rude behavior is the worst in Toronto. I don't want to disparage all their fans - it's always just a few - but Toronto is the worst by far for this type of behavior in my experience. Last time I went there (2014) for three games against the yankees and my teenage son wore his Jeter jersey. In the sixth inning some jerk threw a handful of french fries at his head because of the jersey while ALL the folks around us laughed and taunted us.
Toronto fans need to check themselves.
I've been to several games in Toronto, and to games in stadiums across the country. Heavy drinking and rude behavior is the worst in Toronto. I don't want to disparage all their fans - it's always just a few - but Toronto is the worst by far for this type of behavior in my experience. Last time I went there (2014) for three games against the yankees and my teenage son wore his Jeter jersey. In the sixth inning some jerk threw a handful of french fries at his head because of the jersey while ALL the folks around us laughed and taunted us.
Toronto fans need to check themselves.
6
Sorry, but have you ever been to Yankee stadium and sat in the bleachers?
1
Showalter's decision to let Jimenez pitch to Encarnacion was unfogrivable. The game on the line, his best reliever in the bullpen and Showalter stayed with the ineffective Jimenez. You'll have to try hard to come up with a worse playoff pitching decision. Orioles fans need to make some noise. Showalter blew the game.
In a game in which his team did not have a hit since the sixth inning, he was still hoping the Orioles would score that extra run that ultimately never materialized. Showalter was outmanaged by Gibbons and what turned out to be Jays superior bullpen staff performance.
I have no dog in this hunt, but if baseball is going to have these stupid multiple wild cards, the playoff should be at least 2 out of 3. End the regular season in mid-September and decide the wild card on the basis of a 150-game season. Nobody has cared a lick about the last two weeks except for the fans of a handful of teams duking it out to get into a kamikaze one-game "playoff."
6
I like the one game playoff. Both were markedly inferior to Boston, after 38 games each against each other and the BoSox, so they didn't earn that rest.
Had one more game gone the O's way in the regular season against the Jays, they would have been playing at Camden Yards, and Britton surely would have pitched.
Had one more game gone the O's way in the regular season against the Jays, they would have been playing at Camden Yards, and Britton surely would have pitched.
Maybe now, all these so called sports commentators will finally stop referring
to Showalter as a genius. He leaves the best
reliever in baseball in the bullpen in the most
important game of the year.
Some genius!
to Showalter as a genius. He leaves the best
reliever in baseball in the bullpen in the most
important game of the year.
Some genius!
4
Not bringing in Britton to face Encarnacion! That will be hard to live with.
2
Fantastic game, nail-biter right until the end. Feel bad for Orioles fans...but can't wait for the Jays to face the Rangers.
2