Elliott: Bringer of Speeches, Donaldson keeps Jays alive
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Minutes of the previous meeting were not read.
The roll was not called to see if a quorum was present.
Nevertheless ... master of ceremonies, chief orator, former Viking and head ring master stood in the middle of the Blue Jays clubhouse.
And then Josh Donaldson spoke.
Donaldson did not want the American League Championship Series to end Tuesday. He wanted to play through as they say on the back nine at Pebble Beach. So, this impromptu clubhouse meeting/pep rally was held before Game 4 at the Rogers Centre.
Donaldson spoke.
Edwin Encarnacion had the urge and need to say something. He spoke too in the dugout before the Jays took the field.
Aaron Sanchez, 24, on the mound and asked to save the Jays season, spoke with his right arm. Donaldson, Encarnacion and Sanchez went out and delivered as the Blue Jays scored a 5-1 win to survive to play another day.
We always wondered what would happen if a team that had just held a team meeting played a team that had held a similar meeting?
A 0-0 tie?
Or a 15-15 deadlock?
Facing Corey Kluber, former Cy Young award winner and Game 1 winner working on three day's rest, Donaldson tagged a 2-2 breaking ball to left centre, 402 feet away for the home run. As he raced into second -- this was not a home run trot -- he screamed, “Let’s go!’’
It was the 30th inning of the ALCS and the homer gave the Blue Jays their first lead.
“Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games,” Sanchez said. “There’s nothing more to say about J. D.”
Donaldson was not finished. Sanchez walked Coco Crisp in the fifth and an out later, Roberto Perez drilled a double to score Crisp. Shifted off the line, Donaldson dove and fielded a Carlos Santana scorcher. He righted himself and turned what looked like a game-tying single into the final out of the inning with a strike to first base.
Encarnacion had not left the bag when a wound-up Donaldson jumped, spun towards left field and hopped three times before racing off the field.
“It’s nice knowing what’s going on in the mind one of your best players’ head right before such an important game,” Jose Bautista told reporters of Donaldson’s speech. “It puts things into perspective for some that might not necessarily know how to feel, potentially could be pressing or be lost in their approach or preparation.”
Now Marco Estrada faces soft-tossing rookie Ryan Merritt in Game 5 as the Jays try to prolong the series back to Ohio ... and duplicate the 2004 Boston Red Sox, managed by current Cleveland manager Terry Francona, who rallied to beat the New York Yankees after falling behind 3-0.
“If we were to lose today, there was no way that I was going to leave this series and not feel I had an impact on it,” Donaldson said. “I believe in each and every one of those guys in there. That’s why I’m so passionate – if I didn’t feel like we had a chance, I would roll over and say, ‘All right, guys, go ahead.’ But I feel we have the team, like we have the players in the clubhouse to be able to win the series.
“Everybody knew how important today was. I wanted to kind of reiterate that and let the boys know that I was coming to play today.”
He came. He played. He conquered.
“You could,” said catcher Russell Martin, “see the intensity by the look in his eyes. You could tell that nobody wanted it more than him today. He brought his A game today, and we needed him to bring his A game.”
Yet, in the seventh the Jays still led by the slimmest of margins. Ryan Goins singled off Bryan Shaw. Bautista topped a ball up the third base line which Shaw fielded and tossed into foul ground. Looking at a first and third situation, Francona had Donaldson walked intentionally to face Encarnacion, setting up a force at home rather than playing the infield in against Donaldson.
Encarnación, who started this whole walking the parrot home run trot after the Seattle Mariners walked Bautista intentionally to face him, was in a 1-1 count when he lined a two-run single through the box giving the Jays a 4-1 lead. It was the first time this series that Jays had scored twice in an inning and they had more runs in this in Game 4 than they had in first three combined.
“Pick your poison,” Martin said. “There’s really no right call. It’s only the result afterward that lets you know.”
Eight times the Blue Jays have won four in a row this season.
“With that being said today, we’ve still got to go out and do it again,” Donaldson said.
Is it possible for the bats to wake up?
Well, as Francona said in 2004 “win tonight.”
Donaldson, Encarnacion and Sanchez helped the Jays earn another day of play. Now, they get to face Merritt, who has made one start, an arm that they have never seen.
“Not having seen him could be an advantage either way,” Bautista said, adding jokingly, “With our lineup, I’m pretty sure he’s gonna be shaking in his boots more than we are.
“I like where we’re at.”
QUOTE, UNQUOTE I: “When we scored those extra runs in the seventh (to give the Jays a three-run lead) it felt like 10.” _ R. A. Dickey.
QUOTE, UNQUOTE II: “Hey when is the book coming out? Yeah, the book on me.” _ Ezequiel Carrera, who tripled for the second game in as many nights. Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter has described Carrera as the best fourth outfielder in the AL.
QUOTE, UNQUOTE III: “We have everything to gain, nothing to lose. That’s the position we’re in. If we’re in this position, we might as well make history.” _ Grilli.
THE GOOD: Sanchez was dominant for six innings allowing the Naquin double and the run-scoring double to Perez. He walked two and struck out five in his 95-pitch outing (54 strikes) ... Troy Tulowitzki got an excellent reach off second to score on Carrera’s blooper to shallow centre in the fourth ... Second baseman Goins calmly fielded a Santana one hopper with the infield in and Tyler Naquin on third base and the game scoreless in the third ... Donaldson went a long way coming out of a shift against Jason Kipnis to track down a ball in foul ground ... Michael Saunders, Encarnación and Carrera each had a pair of hits ... Brett Cecil, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna each had a scoreless inning with Cecil and Osuna fanning a pair each.
THE BAD: Bautista was hitless in five-at bats and is hitting .071 (1-for-14), while Martin was 0-for-3 and is also at .071. Kevin Pillar was also hitless in three at-bats and is now batting .177 (1-for-13) ... Cleveland came into the game hitting .193 while the Jays were batting .177 as a team.
NUMBERS: From Game 4 of the ALCS ...
4 _ Straight postseason games the Jays have won when facing elimination at home.
6 _ Game winning streak the Indians owned comes to an end.
11 _ Innings pitched in the majors for Cleveland’s Game 5 starter Merritt.
FIRST PITCH: Juan Guzman threw out the first ceremonial first pitch. Guzman made his debut at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore on June 7, 1991. Guzman took the loss allowing four runs on six hits and three walks. A week later he was somewhat similar allowing five runs on four hits and a walk in four innings in a loss to the Orioles at the SkyDome.
He then proceeded to win 10 straight decision in a 20-game stretch, losing a three-inning tune up start after the AL East division was clinched. At one time his record was 40-11.
Yet, his first home start was memorable. Manager Cito Gaston went looking for Guzman around the seventh inning and could not find him. He was told Guzman had left. After the game Gaston spoke to Guzman, who said “I didn’t leave, I went to my room.”
Guzman was staying in the SkyDome Hotel, watched the game out the window and returned to the clubhouse after the ninth.
And Jimmy Key is expected to do the pregame honours for Game 5.