First baseman Edwin Encarnacion hit a 440-foot, 3-run homerun to deep left field in the bottom of the 11th inning, handing them a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Right fielder Jose Bautista also hit a solo 357-foot high drive to deep left field, supporting their pitcher, Marcus Stroman. They will also play in the American League Division Series where they will face their rivals, the Texas Rangers, also the AL West champions.
When Jose Bautista went up to bat he was “just looking for a fastball in the zone”. He said, “I was surprised he (Chris Tillman) challenged me to a second fastball, but I was leading off the inning so I didn’t expect anything else. It’s just a lot of time you get ready for those pitches and they end up not being there. That one was, and I didn’t miss it, so I was happy to contribute.”
It was Bautista’s 5th homer in 12 postseason games, it joins other memorable moments such as last year’s ALDS bat-flip home run against the Texas Rangers, adding to their rivalry.
Encarnacion stepped to the plate with runners on 1st and 3rd against Orioles’ right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez. He sent the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for his 310th career home run, and his 2nd postseason home run.
“I was looking for a fastball, and I was trying to put a barrel on it,” Encarnacion said. “A little bit in front of it because the infield was playing in, and I actually got it… I was really happy, mostly because it was an extra-inning game. It was just a very special moment for us.”
Blue Jays manager, John Gibbons said, “Both teams played so well. Both teams deserved to win that game. I said many times, there’s something to having that last at-bat. That’s why you love the chance to play at home.”
Both teams had many impressive plays. Blue Jays’ Kevin Pillar’s running and diving catch in center field, Troy Tulowitzki’s diving play at shortstop and Josh Donaldson’s barehanded play at third were all worthy of recognition. Orioles’ Adam Jones’ running catch in center field and Michael Bourn’s catch in the corner or right field were also very impressive.
