Rangers-Blue Jays ALDS Game 2: DYK?
It took four hours and 57 minutes, but the Rangers finally topped the Blue Jays on Friday in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. The 6-4 victory in 14 innings allows Texas to leave Toronto with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
This was only the ninth game in postseason history to last at least 14 innings, and the fourth Division Series game. It came up four frames short of the all-time record, which the Giants and Nationals tied last season, in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, a 2-1 San Francisco win in Washington. Before Friday, the Rangers had never surpassed 12 innings in the playoffs, while the Blue Jays had not gone past 11.
:: ALDS: Rangers vs. Blue Jays -- Tune-in info ::
Here are some other notable facts and figures from a memorable game at the Rogers Centre.
• Texas third baseman Hanser Alberto, playing for the injured Adrian Beltre, came through with the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 14th. Not only was it the rookie's first postseason hit, it also was his first hit or RBI of any kind since Aug. 30. Alberto got only two plate appearances the rest of the season and went 0-for-2. He entered Friday with four Major League RBIs.
• Ross Ohlendorf, who pitched a scoreless bottom of the 14th for the save, had almost no experience either as a closer or in the postseason. The 33-year-old's only career save over 145 Major League games (80 starts) came on May 22. His only previous postseason experience came as a rookie in Game 1 of 2007 ALDS for the Yankees.
• The Rangers' bullpen as a whole allowed only two hits (both singles) and two walks (one intentional) while hitting a batter and striking out nine over seven scoreless innings.
Video: TEX@TOR Gm2: Ohlendorf shuts door for 2-0 lead
• When the Blue Jays scored a run in the fifth inning for a 4-3 lead, it not only was their first lead of the series, but also the first lead for any home team this postseason, through 4 1/2 games. In addition, it accounted for this postseason's first lead change.
• The Rangers' win moved visiting teams to 5-0 this postseason, for the first time since 1906.
Video: TEX@TOR Gm2: Napoli ties game with RBI single in 8th
• Texas' Mike Napoli tied the score with a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning, a rare bit of success for him in that role. Over his career, including the postseason, Napoli was 6-for-52 (.115) as a pinch-hitter, with three RBIs. The most recent of those RBIs came in 2009, when Napoli was with the Angels.
Video: TEX@TOR Gm2: Osuna throws two perfect frames
• When Toronto brought rookie closer Roberto Osuna on to protect a tie game in the ninth inning, he became the third-youngest pitcher to appear in the postseason in the past 30 years, behind only Odalis Perez (1998) and Clayton Kershaw (2008). At 20 years and 244 days, Osuna retired all six batters he faced, making him the youngest reliever to toss multiple innings in a postseason game since the Reds' Don Gullett in the 1970 World Series.
• On the other end of the spectrum, Toronto's LaTroy Hawkins (42 years, 292 days) became the oldest pitcher to appear in the postseason since Jamie Moyer in the 2008 World Series. He also is the oldest to do so out of the bullpen since Roger Clemens in the 2005 NLDS.
• By allowing a pair of runs in the 14th, Hawkins is now the fifth-oldest pitcher -- and oldest reliever -- to suffer a postseason loss.
• Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton went hitless in six at-bats and now is 0 for his last 30 in the postseason, with no walks and eight strikeouts. His last hit was a first-inning double in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series for the Rangers.
Video: TEX@TOR Gm2: Diekman strikes out two over two frames
• Rangers lefty Jake Diekman put together his second straight relief appearance of at least two innings with no baserunners allowed. Only five other pitchers have done that in the postseason, and none since the Indians' Rafael Perez in 2007. Diekman, Perez and Bruce Sutter (1982 Cardinals) are the only three to do it to begin their postseason careers.
• The Blue Jays' Dalton Pompey entered as a pinch-runner for first baseman Chris Colabello in the 12th and proceeded to steal both second and third base. He then was lifted for a defensive replacement in the top of the 13th, leaving him as the first player to steal multiple bags without getting a plate appearance in a postseason game. However, Pompey pulled off the same feat in the regular season, back on Sept. 1.
Video: TEX@TOR Gm2: DeShields leads off with double to right
• Delino DeShields is the first Rangers player to double in each of his first two career postseason games. With five hits in the series, DeShields has passed his father, also named Delino DeShields, in career postseason hits. The elder DeShields went 3-for-16 in the NL Division Series for the Dodgers from 1995-96.