The Toronto Blue Jays have built a season on perseverance, so it was only appropriate that Marcus Stroman was on the mound for the series clincher.
Initially believed to be lost for the season after tearing his ACL in spring, the 24-year-old limited the Texas Rangers' high-powered offense over six innings on Wednesday and helped pitch the Blue Jays into the ALCS for the first time since 1993.
"He's made different. He likes this," Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki told reporters following the 6-3 win. "I think that's why they gave him the ball."
Making his second career postseason start and just his sixth since returning from injury, Stroman kept his emotions in check and settled down after allowing a pair of runs over the first three innings.
2015 REGULAR SEASON/POSTSEASON
| Pitcher | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | SO | BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroman | 6 | 4-0 | 40 | 2.25 | 27 | 9 |
Manager John Gibbons opted to go to the bullpen after Stroman stranded a two-out double from Josh Hamilton in the sixth, forcing the young right-hander to be a spectator for a wild seventh.
The Rangers would plate the go-ahead run following a controversial call. Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin attempted to throw the ball back to the mound, but hit the bat of Shin-Soo Choo, who was standing in the box, allowing Rougned Odor to come in to score as the ball rolled along the infield.
Toronto would protest the call, but it wouldn't matter, as Jose Bautista hit a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning, in what would score the eventual winning run.
"Watching that, my whole body went numb," Stroman said of Bautista's home run. "That was the craziest game I've ever been a part of."