Encarnacion joins Blue Jays postseason homer lore

TORONTO — Last year, Jose Bautista did the bat flip heard ’round the world. This time, it was Edwin Encarnacion’s time to shine.

Encarnacion cemented his spot in Blue Jays history with a walk-off three-run homer that sent his team to a dramatic 5-2 victory Tuesday night over the Orioles in the American League Wild Card Game. The second he made contact, everybody knew it was gone.

In typical Blue Jays fashion, Encarnacion could not help but add a little flair to the celebration. As soon as the ball left his bat, Encarnacion raised both of his hands into the air, dropped the bat and gave a quick glance toward the Orioles dugout — the biggest moment yet for one of the league’s biggest stars.

Date Result Highlights Oct. 4 TOR 5, BAL 2 Shop for postseason gear: Orioles | Blue Jays • AL Wild Card Game coverage

“I was really happy, mostly because it was an extra-inning game,” Encarnacion said after putting his team back in the AL Division Series vs. the Rangers starting Thursday in Texas at 4:30 p.m. ET (TBS in the U.S., Sportsnet in Canada). “It was just a very special moment for us, and it was just nice to see the ball leave the ballpark.”

Bautista was the one responsible for putting the Blue Jays on the map during last year’s ALDS vs. Texas. In Game 5, Bautista made headlines all over the world with a three-run shot off Rangers reliever Sam Dyson. That homer gave Toronto a 6-3 lead in the seventh inning and helped his team advance to the AL Championship Series vs. …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com