Eleven years ago today, the Blue Jays, staring down an 0-2 hole in the ALDS against the Texas Rangers, absolutely refused to roll over. It was Game 4, October 12, 2015, and the Jays came out swinging, big time, putting up a decisive 8-4 victory that totally flipped the script on the series. Seriously, they started perfect. Ben Revere dropped an amazing bunt single, and then Josh Donaldson went deep. Right after that, Chris Colabello blasted another one, putting us up 3-0 before the Rangers even had their first at-bat. Wild, right?
Early Fireworks and a Head-Scratching Pitching Change
The offense kept rolling after that first-inning explosion. In the second, Kevin Pillar crushed a solo homer. Then in the third, Donaldson walked, Jose Bautista doubled, and though Bautista got caught trying to stretch to third on an Elvis Andrus decoy, Donaldson still scored on an Edwin Encarnacion ground out. Colabello doubled, bringing in another run. A Russell Martin walk and another Pillar single pushed the lead to 7-1. They even tacked on one more in the seventh for an 8-run total. Everything was clicking!
But then, things got a little…weird. R.A. Dickey was on the mound, cruising. He had pitched 4.2 innings, given up 5 hits, zero walks, fanned 3, and only allowed one earned run. His pitch count was totally manageable at 78. And then, manager John Gibbons pulled him. One out shy of qualifying for the win! It felt so strange, like taking the win right out of R.A.’s hands. Gibbons brought in David Price, who had struggled big time in Game 1, giving up 5 runs in 7 innings. Now, Price had been stellar in the regular season since joining the Jays, posting a 9-1 record with a 2.30 ERA, but bringing him in *then*? Gibbons said he had already picked Marcus Stroman to start Game 5 and maybe wanted to avoid any controversy around that decision, assuming we’d win this one. Personally, I would have kept Price fresh for Game 5 out of the bullpen, just in case Stroman ran into trouble. Dickey deserved that win, and using Price there just felt unnecessary when Dickey could have gone deeper and kept the bullpen rested for the deciding game. Still, the win was huge, setting up an absolutely massive Game 5.
History Made: Two Straight World Series Trips!
Fast forward (or maybe rewind, depending on how you look at it) 34 years ago, to another October playoff moment that was pure magic. The Jays clinched Game 6 of the ALCS, punching their ticket to the World Series for the second straight year! They beat the White Sox 6-3, and that’s the kind of consistency we all dream about.
Dave Stewart was a beast on the mound for 7.1 strong innings, letting up just 2 runs on 4 hits, with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts. He absolutely battled. Duane Ward came in to close it out, securing the save even after giving up a solo home run over 1.2 innings, but he still punched out three batters. The offense brought it home, too. Devon White was a machine, going 3-for-5 and capping it off with a ninth-inning home run. Paul Molitor went 1-for-3 with a walk and a triple, driving in two huge runs in that key three-run ninth inning, right after Ward allowed that solo shot. And Pat Borders added to the damage, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a critical two-run single in the second. Clutch hitting all around!
That ALDS win back in 2015 set up a wild Game 5, with everything on the line. And for that 1992 ALCS squad, clinching that Game 6 meant a ticket straight to the World Series, for the second year in a row! Talk about showing up when it counts, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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