- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Bats incredible: O’s-Jays jack attack on tap
- Updated: October 4, 2016
The birds of the American League East are making their October migration again, and this time there are sure to be some feathers dropping to the infield dirt at Rogers Centre … while baseballs fly over the outfield walls.
The slugging Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays are very familiar with each other, and they’re on a collision course in the AL Wild Card Game, which will be held north of the border on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, broadcast on TBS in the United States and Sportsnet (English) and RDS (French) in Canada.
Both teams named their starters on Monday, with the Blue Jays choosing Marcus Stroman and the Orioles going with Chris Tillman. Toronto picked right-handed Stroman over lefty Francisco Liriano, who had experience in the Wild Card Game; he was the winning pitcher for the Pirates when they defeated the Reds in 2013.
One club will advance to the AL Division Series to face the Rangers in Arlington on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET on TBS. The other will ponder what might have been over the long winter months as it prepares for 2017.
“Both teams are home run-hitting teams,” Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones said. “Both teams have home-run-hitting defenses. Both teams, we just grind, and we’re a little older. We’re a little older and a little more veteran. The experience in this locker room has helped us win.”
Once this one begins, expect the long balls to fly off the bats of some of the biggest sluggers in the biggest of leagues.
The Orioles led the Majors with 253 homers. Mark Trumbo led the way with 47, Chris Davis had 38, Manny Machado had 37, Adam Jones had 29, Jonathan Schoop had 25, Pedro Alvarez hit 22 and Matt Wieters blasted 17, including one from each side of the plate on Sunday.
The Blue Jays were not too shabby themselves, finishing fourth in the Majors with 223 homers and featuring eight players with double-digit dingers: Edwin Encarnacion with 42, Josh Donaldson with 37, Troy Tulowitzki and Michael Saunders with 24 each, Bautista with 22, Russell Martin with 20, Justin Smoak with 14 and Devon Travis with 11.
And a new …
