Blue Jays, Royals wins force Game 5s in ALDS
Kansas City Royals’ Eric Hosmer (35) hits a two-run home run against the Houston Astros in the ninth inning during Game 4 of baseball’s American League Division Series, Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, in Houston. AP
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals are heading to deciding Game 5s in their American League Division Series after crucial wins Monday.
Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello hit home runs in the Blue Jays’ 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers on to send the series back to Toronto.
Game 5 is Wednesday when Cole Hamels starts for the Rangers against Marcus Stroman in a rematch from Game 2, which Texas won in 14 innings.
In Houston, the defending AL champion Royals rallied for five runs in the eighth inning to beat the Houston Astros 9-6.
The Cubs bashed their way to the brink of the National League Championship Series — and into the record book — as the Cubs set a postseason mark with six home runs in beating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 for a 2-1 lead.
In the other NLDS game, the New York Mets wiped out the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-7 and took control of their testy series 2-1.
The 40-year-old R.A. Dickey, the 2012 National League Cy Young pitching award winner, allowed one run over 4 2-3 innings and was pulled with a 7-1 lead and a runner on base. 2012 AL Cy Young winner David Price took over and pitched three innings, getting the win after losing in the opener.
After losing the first two games in the series at home, the Blue Jays won both games in Texas in a span of 24 hours.
Kevin Pillar also connected as three of the first eight Toronto hitters homered off Derek Holland, in his first postseason start since 8 1-3 scoreless innings against St. Louis in Game 4 of the 2011 World Series.
Only two teams in MLB history have lost a best-of-five series after winning the first two games on the road — Oakland against the New York Yankees in 2001, and Cincinnati to San Francisco in 2012.
The Royals took advantage when Astros shortstop Carlos Correa couldn’t handle a deflected grounder that might have been a double-play ball.
Correa homered twice, doubled, singled and drove in four runs in Game 4. Houston took a 6-2 lead into the eighth, but a tough error charged to the 21-year-old rookie keyed the Royals’ comeback to even the matchup at two games apiece.
Game 5 will be back in Kansas City on Wednesday. Johnny Cueto is set to start for the Royals against Collin McHugh.
On a rare off night for Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber homered in Chicago’s win.
Arrieta struck out nine batters before departing in the sixth inning, and the bullpen finished the job in the first playoff game at Wrigley Field in seven years.
The Cubs held a share of the previous postseason homer record, hitting five in Game 1 of the 1984 NLCS against San Diego.
A third straight win for the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon, and the once club will advance to the NLCS for the first time in 12 years.
New York’s Curtis Granderson drove in five runs with two doubles off the wall, and Travis d’Arnaud and Yoenis Cespedes homered as the Mets’ dangerous bats busted loose.
Before a bloodthirsty crowd of 44,276 in the first postseason game at Citi Field, the Mets broke their postseason scoring record as New York public enemy Chase Utley watched from the Los Angeles bench. The NL East champs quickly erased an early three-run deficit and made a winner of a mediocre Matt Harvey in his playoff debut.
Back in the postseason for the first time in nine years, New York can reach the NL Championship Series with another win at home Tuesday night in Game 4.
