AL wild-card game 2016: Updates, score from Blue Jays' win vs. Orioles

Ryan Fagan

AL wild-card game 2016: Updates, score from Blue Jays' win vs. Orioles image

The Orioles and Blue Jays, long-time American League East rivals, faced off Tuesday night in the AL wild-card game. The winner will advance to the ALDS against the Rangers.

Stay here all night for live updates and highlights as the hard-hitting O's and Jays do battle in Toronto.

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11:33 p.m.: And there it is. Ubaldo Jimenez, for some reason, was brought into the game instead of Britton. Two singles and a home run later, and the Blue Jays have a 5-2 victory. Unless Britton is hurt, Buck Showalter has some explaining to do. 

Watch this blast from Edwin Encarnacion. Just an absolute no-doubter. 

11:31 p.m.: Meanwhile, the Toronto bullpen has been brilliant. 

11:29 p.m.: Is Britton ever going to pitch? We wait ... 

11:17 p.m.: UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: No Britton, no worries. Game's tied, 2-2, heading into the 11th. 

11:11 p.m.: UPDATE: Still no Zach Britton. 

10:57 p.m.: Instead of bringing in Britton to replace Brach, Showalter went to Darren O'Day. Twitter responded about the same way. And, then Russell Martin hit into a double play to end the threat. 

SN GAME CENTER:  Live box score, stats

10:51 p.m.: Orioles manager Buck Showalter opted to stick with Brad Brach instead of bringing in elite closer Zach Britton to start the ninth. The move was immediately second-guessed on Twitter, and then Josh Donaldson opened the inning with a double down the left-field line. 

Oops. 

10:46 p.m. : Four Blue Jays relievers have combined to three hitless innings. Three Orioles relievers have combined to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings. 

Good stuff. 

10:44 p.m.: More info on the beer-throwing incident ... 

10:37 p.m.: It's not been a great game, offensively, for Devon Travis, The Toronto second baseman just grounded into his second double play of the game. 

10:28 p.m.: Here's a closer view ...

10:17 p.m.: For better or worse, we have our defining moment in this game. As Hyun Soo Kim went back to catch a fly ball from Melvin Upton, Jr., a beer came flying out of the stands and nearly hit Baltimore's left fielder. 

It didnt, thankfully, but that's just an awful moment for Toronto sports. 

9:56 p.m.: Stroman's night is done. Final line: 6 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 0 walks, 6 strikeouts. 

9:40 p.m.: Mychal Givens could run for mayor of Baltimore right now. He came in for Tillman and immediately induced a double-play grounder from Devon Travis to end the Blue Jays' rally. It's 2-2.

9:37 p.m.: The tide has turned, again. 

9:27 p.m.: Huge escape for Stroman. Jays don't look like they can afford to drop a few runs down. On the other hand, J.J. Hardy didn't exactly have the highest-quality at-bat there. 

9:16 p.m.: Tillman has settled down, big time. He pretty clearly wanted nothing to do with Bautista the second time around, but the Jays couldn't make him pay for that unintentional intentional walk. O's still up, 2-1.

SN GAME CENTER: Live box score, stats  

9:03 p.m.: Mark Trumbo, y'all. Wow. 

9:02 p.m.: Kevin Pillar, y'all. Wow. 

8:56 p.m.: Stroman's perfect-game bid is done. Adam Jones leads off the third with a single. So much for history, dang it. 

8:48 p.m.: Told you Bautista loves this stuff. 

8:33 p.m.: Jose Bautista hit just .234 during the regular season. 

He homered in his first at-bat of the postseason. Big players love big games. Jays up, 1-0. 

8:20 p.m.: Through one full inning, the dream of dueling perfect games remains alive. After Stroman retired the Orioles 1-2-3, Baltimore starter Chris Tillman did the same to the Blue Jays. 

8:10 p.m.: And ... we're off. Adam Jones flies out on the first pitch from Marcus Stroman. 

Here are tonight's lineups:

What time is the AL wild card game?

The game starts at 8:08 ET.

What TV channel is the AL wild card game on?

TBS

Who are the starting pitchers?

Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays in front of 40,000-plus raucous Toronto fans. Stroman is 1-0 with a 4.19 ERA in three postseason starts but has a 5.27 ERA in seven games against the O's in his young career. Right-hander Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77 ERA) has been the best pitcher for Baltimore all season and will start Tuesday although he has a 6.00 ERA in his last five appearances and a 7.01 ERA in 13 career starts at the Rogers Centre. 

 

Ryan Fagan

Ryan Fagan Photo

Ryan Fagan, the national MLB writer for The Sporting News, has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2016. He also dabbles in college hoops and other sports. And, yeah, he has way too many junk wax baseball cards.