Blue Jays' roller-coaster loss in 10 photos
The Toronto Blue Jays' dominant second-half run came to an end in heartbreaking fashion Friday when they were knocked out of the playoffs by the Kansas City Royals in Game 6 of the ALCS.
While the Blue Jays' surge after the All-Star break was Goliath-like, their disappointing end left a "sour" taste, to quote slugger Jose Bautista.
After surviving a thrilling division series with Texas, which included one of the craziest innings in playoff history, the Blue Jays' Game 6 loss featured all the twists and turns of a Hollywood blockbuster - it was just missing the fairy tale ending.
Here's the roller-coaster ride in 10 images:
David Price entered Game 6 with something to prove, but Ben Zobrist's first-inning homer quickly knocked the wind out of the left-hander and his team.
One inning and three batters later, Toronto was on the receiving end of yet another controversial call when a Royals fan leaned over the wall in right and caught Mike Moustakas' home run. The Blue Jays and manager John Gibbons unsuccessfully challenged the call.
Bautista time. The Blue Jays All-Star gets his team on the board with his first home run of the series, a towering solo shot off Royals starter Yordano Ventura.
The Blue Jays looked to have Ventura on the ropes after the competitive right-hander exchanged words with Troy Tulowitzki and first base coach Tim Leiper. Ventura would walk the first two batters of the fifth, before retiring the next three to escape a mini-jam.
With Price's pitch count beginning to rise after a leadoff single to Moustakas, Salvador Perez puts a charge into a ball that looks destined for extra bases. Blue Jays left fielder Ben Revere, however, comes up with one of the best catches of the postseason when he slams into the chain-linked fence for the spectacular grab.
From the field to the batter's box, the momentum starts to swing in favor of Toronto. Bautista's dramatic two-run homer in the eighth ties the game 3-3 and helps the longtime Blue Jay make history.
Following a lengthy 45-minute rain delay, the Royals seize control back in the eighth after Lorenzo Cain scores from first base on an Eric Hosmer single to deep right. The Blue Jays responded quickly in the ninth, however, replacing Russell Martin with the speedy Dalton Pompey, who promptly stole two bases to set up a first-and-third scenario with none out.
Royals closer Wade Davis struck out Dioner Navarro for the first out of the ninth before getting Ben Revere to swing through a third strike in a controversial second-out at-bat. Revere called the second strike of the plate appearance a "terrible" call after the game.
With runners on second and third, MVP front-runner Josh Donaldson grounded out to Moustakas to end the Blue Jays' season.
Despite compiling the majors' best second-half record, Tulowitzki and his teammates were left to watch the Royals celebrate their second straight trip to the World Series.
