Alex Anthopoulos was the least bit surprised that it was Jose Bautista who turned out to be the Game 5 hero against the Texas Rangers.
In a guest appearance on Dean Blundell & Co. Thursday morning, the Toronto Blue Jays GM explained how Bautista has a flair for the dramatic and is especially dangerous at the plate when he’s ticked off.
“Don’t get him angry because he will emerge,” Anthopoulous told co-hosts Dean Blundell and George Rusic on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “He’s [the] one guy I expected to come through [so] he can embrace the big stage. In a lot of big moments, he’s come through. I don’t know how to explain it. He’s built for this. I couldnt be happier for him.”
The Blue Jays right fielder drove in four of Toronto’s six runs in Game 5 and finished the series with six hits, two home runs and five RBI, with a .941 OPS over 22 at-bats.
“It was an explosion,” Anthopoulos said of his reaction while watching Bautista’s home run. “[Assistant GM] Tony LaCava said I grabbed him and squeezed the hell out of him. [Our] guys were throwing stuff, yelling and screaming. It was pure emotion. I haven’t seen anything like that before. That has to be the most excited I’ve ever been working for this club.”
It was an especially meaningful win for Anthopoulos, who admitted he was a bit rattled after Rougned Odor scored from third base on a controversial play in which Russell Martin’s attempt to throw the ball back to the mound after a pitch tipped off Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo’s bat and rolled down to third base.
“We didnt know the rule [so] I talked to someone from the league,” he said. “Prior to that, we were upset as well. It looked better when they went to replay in [New York]. I was uncomfortable. So that decision was tough to swallow. Once they called replay to New York, as much as I didn’t like the call, I’m confident they made the right call. The only thing that was debatable was when [home plate umpire Dale Scott] called the play dead prior to him scoring.”
Meanwhile, Anthopoulos says he’s still basking in the series win, but he briefly began to shift his thoughts towards the Blue Jays’ ALCS opponent, the Kansas City Royals, early Thursday morning.
“I couldnt sleep [after Game 5] so I started doing work and looking at splits. We’ll probably [do more] in about an hour or so. I stayed up until three in the morning. I was so wired. [I] Re-watched the game and highlights.”
It remains unclear who the Blue Jays will start on the mound in Game 1 when the ALCS kicks off Friday night in Kansas City.
