The Jays hit only two home runs the first time there. And they were in the same inning. And they lost the game. Nonetheless, it was a positive sign for a franchise in only its ninth season. Toronto, winners of 99 games (Still a franchise record) soon were one win away from the World Series.
Toronto had to face George Brett and the Kansas City Royals. At home in game one, it was Dave Stieb showing the way. He was amazing. The Toronto offence had no problems with Kansas' pitchers, and were on their way to a 6-1 win at home. Game two saw the Blue Jays score another six runs, but Jimmy Key, in his first year as a starter, faltered. Pat Sheridan shut up the Toronto crowd with a game-tying home run off Tom Henke in the top of the ninth.
Kansas moved ahead the next inning. Toronto had to rally. Down 5-4 in the bottom of the tenth, Shaker did hit usual flair and tied it!
The Toronto Blue Jays pulled it out on a dramatic walk-off single by Al Oliver. Lloyd Moseby scored from second. Toronto was up 2-0, and it was on to Missouri. But Toronto had twelve runs without a home run.
Kansas pounced on Toronto starter Doyle Alexander in game three, however. The Royals didn't want to fall behind 3-0. So George Brett made it a point not to let that happen. He hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first to put Kansas City up 1-0. It would have been a 2-run home run, but Willie Wilson was caught stealing.
Alexander had no problem in the bottom of the second, while Toronto put two man on before being retired without a score in the top of the frame. Toronto decided to try and see what Brett could do at third in the third. With Damaso Garcia ninety feet away from tying it, Moseby hit it to Brett. Garcia took off towards home, but Brett made a great play, and nailed Damaso there.
The play was crucial. The Jays seemed to self-destruct as Moseby himself was picked off first. Alexander got 'em 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame, but Toronto was struggling with Bret Saberhagen. Willie Upshaw hit a double in the top of the fourth, but was stranded. George Brett doubled in the bottom of the inning, eventually scoring on a sac fly to put Kansas up 2-0. Then Toronto erupted.
Ernie Whitt singled to start the fifth. Jesse Barfield blasted a home run. It was all tied and nobody was out. Toronto was not done. Tony Fernandez made the first. But then Garicia hit another double. And nothing Brett could do now could thwart the Toronto onslaught. Moseby singled to score Garcia. 3-2, Toronto. Rance Mulliniks took out of the park to make it 5-2, Jays. Things were looking good!
But Alexander could not hold it. In the bottom of the frame, it was Jimmy Sundberg with a home run of his own to cut the lead to 5-3. Then Toronto's offence seemed to die. Willie Wilson singled to start the sixth for Kansas. Brett, clutch, tied the game with a two-run home run. Dennis Lamp, 11-0 on the season, came in to stop the bleeding. And for a while, he succeeded.
But the Toronto Blue Jays could not stop Brett.
In the bottom of the eighth, the irrepressible third basemen led off with a single off Jim Clancy. A bunt moved Brett to second. A grounder moved him to third. Pat Sheridan was walked intentionally. But the strategy backfired when Steve Balboni dropped one in right around three Jays, scoring Brett. 6-5, Royals.
Toronto didn't seem to let it bother them. A win in game four put them up three games to one. All they needed to do was win one of the last three games. However, Kansas won them all. 2-0, 5-3, and 6-2. It was a heartbreaker.
Toronto didn't hit another home run, either. Toronto looked like the better team, but Kansas had the experience. The Jays hit the ball well all series long, but in the end, the 1985 ALCS belonged to a team that had made it all the way to the Fall Classic five years earlier. Kansas went on to rally from a 3-1 deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Toronto had to be content with their first division crown. Maybe the 2015 edition of them can comeback from 3-1 down and extract some revenge.
References
Toronto had to face George Brett and the Kansas City Royals. At home in game one, it was Dave Stieb showing the way. He was amazing. The Toronto offence had no problems with Kansas' pitchers, and were on their way to a 6-1 win at home. Game two saw the Blue Jays score another six runs, but Jimmy Key, in his first year as a starter, faltered. Pat Sheridan shut up the Toronto crowd with a game-tying home run off Tom Henke in the top of the ninth.
Kansas moved ahead the next inning. Toronto had to rally. Down 5-4 in the bottom of the tenth, Shaker did hit usual flair and tied it!
The Toronto Blue Jays pulled it out on a dramatic walk-off single by Al Oliver. Lloyd Moseby scored from second. Toronto was up 2-0, and it was on to Missouri. But Toronto had twelve runs without a home run.
Kansas pounced on Toronto starter Doyle Alexander in game three, however. The Royals didn't want to fall behind 3-0. So George Brett made it a point not to let that happen. He hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first to put Kansas City up 1-0. It would have been a 2-run home run, but Willie Wilson was caught stealing.
Alexander had no problem in the bottom of the second, while Toronto put two man on before being retired without a score in the top of the frame. Toronto decided to try and see what Brett could do at third in the third. With Damaso Garcia ninety feet away from tying it, Moseby hit it to Brett. Garcia took off towards home, but Brett made a great play, and nailed Damaso there.
The play was crucial. The Jays seemed to self-destruct as Moseby himself was picked off first. Alexander got 'em 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame, but Toronto was struggling with Bret Saberhagen. Willie Upshaw hit a double in the top of the fourth, but was stranded. George Brett doubled in the bottom of the inning, eventually scoring on a sac fly to put Kansas up 2-0. Then Toronto erupted.
Ernie Whitt singled to start the fifth. Jesse Barfield blasted a home run. It was all tied and nobody was out. Toronto was not done. Tony Fernandez made the first. But then Garicia hit another double. And nothing Brett could do now could thwart the Toronto onslaught. Moseby singled to score Garcia. 3-2, Toronto. Rance Mulliniks took out of the park to make it 5-2, Jays. Things were looking good!
But Alexander could not hold it. In the bottom of the frame, it was Jimmy Sundberg with a home run of his own to cut the lead to 5-3. Then Toronto's offence seemed to die. Willie Wilson singled to start the sixth for Kansas. Brett, clutch, tied the game with a two-run home run. Dennis Lamp, 11-0 on the season, came in to stop the bleeding. And for a while, he succeeded.
But the Toronto Blue Jays could not stop Brett.
In the bottom of the eighth, the irrepressible third basemen led off with a single off Jim Clancy. A bunt moved Brett to second. A grounder moved him to third. Pat Sheridan was walked intentionally. But the strategy backfired when Steve Balboni dropped one in right around three Jays, scoring Brett. 6-5, Royals.
Toronto didn't seem to let it bother them. A win in game four put them up three games to one. All they needed to do was win one of the last three games. However, Kansas won them all. 2-0, 5-3, and 6-2. It was a heartbreaker.
Toronto didn't hit another home run, either. Toronto looked like the better team, but Kansas had the experience. The Jays hit the ball well all series long, but in the end, the 1985 ALCS belonged to a team that had made it all the way to the Fall Classic five years earlier. Kansas went on to rally from a 3-1 deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Toronto had to be content with their first division crown. Maybe the 2015 edition of them can comeback from 3-1 down and extract some revenge.
References
Dan Diamond and Associates and Toronto Blue Jays Club. Toronto
Blue Jays Official Guide 1987, 1993, 1994. Print.
Gamester,
George, and Gerald Hall. On Top Of The World: The Toronto Star’s Tribute To
The ‘92 Blue Jays. Doubleday Canada, 1992. Print.
Neft,
David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia:
Baseball, 1992. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1992. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major
League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/.
Web. (20 Oct. 2015)
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