There has been some memorable Game 5’s in MLB history, from Edgar Martinez’s double to the wall that scored Ken Griffey Jr. and capped off Seattle’s dramatic comeback over the Yankees in 1995 to St. Louis beating Washington in 2012 by scoring 4 runs in the top of the ninth to win 9-7, the largest elimination game comeback in MLB history. History now leads us to October 14, as the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers will all participate in a Game 5, winner-take-all scenario to decide who keeps their season alive and compete for a league pennant and a trip to the World Series.
Both series have taken drastic turns from where they stood after Game 2. The Rangers, after winning the first two games at Rogers Centre in Toronto, now return there for Game 5 after not coming through at Globe Life Park in Arlington the last two games. The Houston Astros, after winning Game 1 in Kansas City and Game 3 at Minute Maid Park, we’re looking at a 6-2 lead with six outs left to make their first ALCS in franchise history. However, when the eighth inning ended, the Royals had stormed to take a 7-6 lead from Houston, winning the game 9-6, and in the shutter of an eye, the series, and the season, goes back to Kauffman Stadium.
If there is anything that Houston can take from the choke job that happened in Game 4, it’s that they have been playing in this situation all season. They went from leading the AL West at the beginning of September to playing a one-game playoff on the road when October came calling. But a couple of home runs and a dominating performance from Dallas Keuchel helped them prevail against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The Royals, of course, are not the Yankees. They are the defending AL pennant winners, with 95 wins this season and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. MLB’s comeback team the last two postseasons, Kansas City continues to play sound baseball, punishing teams for every mistake made and grinding out at-bats to bring momentum back to Kauffman Stadium for Game 5.
Still, the momentum only goes as far as their Game 4 comeback, as the Royals send Johnny Cueto to the mound. Cueto, the former Cincinnati Reds ace Kansas City acquired at this year’s trade deadline, has performed poorly in his time wearing Royal blue, posting a 4.76 ERA in his last 13 starts of the season, while also giving up four runs in six innings in their last game at Kauffman, a Game 2 loss. His last start postseason start before that was the 2013 NL Wild Card Game with Cincinnati, where he was rattled by the crowd at PNC Park, giving the Pirates their first playoff victory since 1992. Whatever the struggles he has endured in the past, Kansas City knows what they have in Cueto, and if the perennial Cy Young candidate can show up and perform the way he’s capable of, the Royals have a great shot of advancing to the next round.
Houston will go with vastly underrated starter Collin McHugh with the season on the line. McHugh won 19 games in the regular season, includinhis last six starts, while throwing a gem in the opening game of the series, with two Kendrys Morales home runs his only blemish in six innings. McHugh also showed great composure battling a 49-minute rain delay along with the Royals potent lineup. He will need that composure through the biggest game of his career, as well as Houston’s biggest game since being the National League representative in the World Series in 2005.
Now the Texas-Toronto series is the definition of tables turned. The Rangers went from needing one win at home to advance to playing Game 5 in Toronto to keep their season alive. The Rangers will turn to their prized trade deadline acquisition Cole Hamels to take the mound. Hamels is the closest you can come to an established postseason starter, having won many playoff-clinching games, including winning Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, earning his former team, the Phillies, their first championship since 1980 and him World Series MVP. Yet Hamels has never pitched in a winner-take-all game, which adds to the task of pitching against the AL’s top offensive team on their turf. The Jays have hit a home run in every game this series, with anyone in the lineup capable of going yard, from AL MVP candidate slugger Josh Donaldson to oft-used first baseman Chris Colabello. Hamels will have a tough task to face in the thunderous group of Toronto hitters, yet this is what Texas traded most of their farm system to get Hamels for, and they’re planning on him leading them to an ALCS appearance.
The Blue Jays combat Texas with their budding star Marcus Stroman. After tearing his ACL in Spring Training, Toronto was planning on Stroman missing the entire 2015 season. However, he came back for the month of September, producing a line of 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, and pitched seven innings in Game 2 of the series, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits with five strikeouts. Texas’s offense has been somewhat suspect, with Prince Fielder and Josh Hamilton hitting .133 and .125, respectively, and Adrian Beltre being sidelined before Game 4. But speedy lead-off hitter Delino DeShields and young catcher Robinson Chirinos have stepped up in their place and produced for the Rangers. Texas will need Fielder to come through in the lineup for Game 5, but the true x-factor is Hamilton. He was hitless in his last 31 postseason plate appearances before going 2-3 in Texas’s Game 3 loss to Toronto. Hamilton has been struggling to resurrect his career since his return to Arlington and what better way to do that then in this win or go home game with the team where he started his career.
The stage is set. Four teams are battling for two spots to determine who competes to represent the American League in the Fall Classic. Both road underdogs took control of momentum after Game 2, with momentum returning to the home favorites heading to Game 5. Look for both home teams to come away victorious after Wednesday night, and after all the thoughts of an all-Texas ALCS, the game will change towards Toronto facing Kansas City, the way it was supposed to be all along.
