ARLINGTON, Texas – The Toronto Blue Jays got a solid from the Houston Astros, who pummelled the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, and shortly afterwards they returned that favour by rallying in the ninth for a 6-5 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Russell Martin started the comeback by working a leadoff walk, a two-out flare by Troy Tulowitzki tied things up and a rare Adrian Beltre throwing error on Josh Donaldson’s groundout allowed Ben Revere to cross with the go-ahead run as closer Shawn Tolleson blew just his second save of the season.
When you’re hot, you’re hot.
“Luck fell our way a little bit,” said Tulowitzki, who delivered his first high drama hit with the Blue Jays. “But that’s what happens when you play the game the right way, and we did that tonight.”
Roberto Osuna closed things out in the bottom of the ninth for his 15th save as the Blue Jays pulled out their fourth victory of the year when trailing after eight innings, improving to 5-1 on their eight-game road swing and moving a game up on the Yankees atop the AL East.
The clash between two of the American League’s hottest clubs lived up to the billing.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Beltre throw the ball wide, so we definitely caught a big break there, he’s one of the best ever,” said manager John Gibbons. “Things are going our way, that’s really the only way I can sum it up.”
Things didn’t start out that way, as solo shots by Rougned Odor and Delino DeShields were among the seven hits surrendered by Mark Buehrle, who allowed five runs in his first four innings to create a 5-3 deficit his team needed to rally from.
Like the Blue Jays (70-55), the Rangers (64-60) have been surging since making some key adds at the trade deadline, and are now 14-8 in August, seizing control of a wild-card spot while closing in on the Astros, 15-1 winners over the Yankees, for the AL West lead.
Having clubbed the Los Angeles Angels for 36 runs and 48 hits during a weekend sweep in Anaheim, the Blue Jays quickly found that they weren’t in Disneyland anymore, even though they still enjoyed a storybook ending.
“I pitched like crap tonight and the guys picked me up,” said Buehrle, who said he felt OK physically but not as good as he did his last time out in Philadelphia. “There were times I wasn’t on my command, and it feels like when I wasn’t they were making me pay for it, and the few times I did make quality pitches they still got base hits on them. So it was a little bit of both, stuff wasn’t there and command. Obviously for me, when those things aren’t there, it’s going to be a long day.”
An RBI triple by Beltre just beyond right-fielder Jose Bautista’s reach opened the scoring in the first, and after Chris Colabello tied things up with a solo shot in the second off Derek Holland, Odor responded immediately in the bottom half.
With Tulowitzki aboard with his second of three singles, Bautista crushed a 1-0 curveball to left in the top of the third to give the Blue Jays the lead, but Buehrle didn’t hold it for long.
DeShields homered in the bottom half to knot things up before back-to-back doubles by Elvis Andrus and Odor opened the fourth put the Rangers back up, and Ryan Strausborger’s sacrifice fly opened up a 5-3 edge.
Holland, making his second start since returning from a shoulder injury suffered before the Rangers home opener, surrendered a solo shot in the sixth to Edwin Encarnacion that extended the slugger’s hit streak to 20 games.
The Blue Jays were quiet until the ninth, when Tolleson walked Martin and, an out later, Ben Revere, and after pinch-hitter Justin Smoak flew out for the second out, surrendered a soft flare to left field to Tulowitzki, who two pitches earlier took a ball four that was called strike one, that tied it up.
“I just didn’t hear any strike call, I heard the crowd kind of go crazy, so I thought maybe they were frustrated that he had walked me,” said Tulowitzki. “I threw the bat, I think that’s the first time in my career that I did that, but I tried to keep my composure and put together a good at-bat after that.”
Beltre then fielded Donaldson’s slow chopper and his throw, with his third base counterpart booting it up the line, pulled Mitch Moreland off the bag as Revere trotted in.
In hindsight, Tolleson probably wishes he did walk Tulowitzki, who’s enjoyed multiple hit days in consecutive days for the first time with the Blue Jays.
“I’m just trying to relax as much as I can, and try to help us win games any way I can, defensively, baserunning, doing whatever I can,” he said. “The last two games, I think I’ve just had some balls fall. Getting more comfortable with my surroundings might help a little bit. But I haven’t done anything different.”
Key in the comeback but lost in the late drama is the work of Brett Cecil, who emerged from a runners on second and third with one out in the seventh unscathed, and LaTroy Hawkins in the eighth, who got Will Venable on a grounder to short with the bases loaded to end the threat.
“To get out of that scoreless,” said Gibbons, “that’s really the game.”
And that’s really how things are going for the Blue Jays right now.