MLB AL Playoff Recaps: Rangers & Red Sox On The Brink

This is a out a little later than I would have wanted to be but here we go. Thoughts on the National League will follow.
Blue Jays 5 Rangers 4
Player of the Game: Roberto Osuna – What a set of nuts on Toronto’s closer. He left the game mid-inning on Tuesday with complaints of a shoulder injury, and John Gibbons said he couldn’t have pitched yesterday. Osuna came in with runners on in the 8th inning and only allowed a run on a measly groundout. He had some trouble in the 9th with a Beltre lead-off double then Osuna found a way out with no further damage.
Not Player of the Game: Jonathan Lucroy – Wonder how Rangers fans feel about Lucroy so far in the playoffs. He only took 10 pitches in five at-bats, that’s not a good thing. Add that, he left three runners in scoring position then you have a not great game. Lucroy needs to be better in Toronto for Texas to have a shot at coming back in this thing.
Big Moment: Fifth inning – The game got away from Yu Darvish in the fifth when he gave up three home runs to Kevin Pillar, Ezequiel Carrera and Edwin Encarnacion. The frustrating thing for Darvish is these were not moonshots. They just left the ballparks barely and in some places, it wouldn’t have made it out.
Indians 6 Red Sox 0
Player of the Game: Corey Kluber – What an outing by Kluber. He’s been battling a quad injury at the last couple weeks, and Cleveland wasn’t sure how well he would perform in the playoffs. Kluber went seven innings strong with only allowing three hits and seven strikeouts. Kluber looked like an ace out there, and he might be the Cy Young Award winner (I realize this is a regular season award, but the postseason can justify
Not Player fo the Game: David Price – This year was supposed to be different. This year, we would see a different David Price they said, but nope, he’s the same garbage postseason pitcher. It’s like the playoffs are his Krypton. I do wonder what happens if this was played at Fenway versus Cleveland yet that’s not an excuse for Price’s poor outing. It got away from Price quick, and that’s the last thing Boston wanted on Friday.
Big moment: Fourth Inning – Boston had a chance to get themselves back into this baseball game in the fourth. Dustin Pedroia and Mookie Betts both got on base with one out. David Ortiz popped out on the first pitch then Kluber got Ramirez looking. If Boston produces a run there, it could be a different story.
Charlie.
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