EExtra-Wild: Jays avoid Zach, win on jack

TORONTO — The Blue Jays are going back to the American League Division Series. Edwin Encarnacion made sure of that.

Encarnacion hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to send Toronto to a 5-2 victory over the Orioles. In a battle of AL East rivals, between two teams that have been evenly matched all season and finished with identical 89-73 regular-season records, it was the Blue Jays who survived, and their reward is a matchup vs. the AL West champion Texas Rangers.

Encarnacion stepped to the plate with runners on the corners vs. Baltimore right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez. He swung at the first pitch he saw and sent it over the wall in left field for the second postseason homer of his career. This was the 10th extra-inning winner-take-all postseason game, and the home team has won all but one of those.

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The Blue Jays’ rally started when Devon Travis came through with a one-out single to left field. Josh Donaldson followed with a single to set up Encarnacion’s heroics. Last year, Jose Bautista took the baseball world by storm; this year, it was Encarnacion’s turn to move into the spotlight as the crowd chanted “Eddie, Eddie” while the Blue Jays stormed the field.

“Incredible,” Bautista said of Encarnacion. “He got a pitch to hit, he did what he was supposed to do. So happy for us. We’re prepared for the next round. Now it’s on to Texas.” 

Toronto now advances to the ALDS for a best-of-five rematch vs. the Rangers. Texas will host Game 1 of the series on Thursday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET (TBS in the U.S., Sportsnet in Canada) at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Blue Jays went 4-3 against the Rangers this season.

Encarnacion’s home run went a projected 440 feet, tied for his third longest this season the seventh longest in the postseason during the Statcast™ Era. It was the sixth time this year that Encarnacion has hit one at least 440 feet.

Orioles starter Chris Tillman came away with a no-decision after he was removed from the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. He allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out four. Tillman survived a second-inning …

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