The latest on the League Championship Series. The Royals can earn a return trip to the World Series with a win over Toronto in Game 5 of the ALCS, first pitch 4:07 p.m. The Mets also could wrap up the NL’s spot in the Fall Classic with a win over the Cubs in Game 4 that’s scheduled to start at 8:07 p.m. Here’s a look at what’s happening (all times EDT):
4:55 p.m.
Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada is perfect one time through the Royals’ lineup, retiring all nine batters. Kansas City’s Edinson Volquez has made only one mistake, and Chris Colabello hit it for a home run in the second. 1-0 Blue Jays in Game 5.
4:45 p.m.
Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer made a fine over-the-shoulder catch in shallow right field to retire Edwin Encarnacion for the first out of the second inning in a scoreless Game 5 of the ALCS.
Hosmer made the catch right on the foul line with his back turned toward the infield.
Several Royals players stood on the top step of the dugout and held their caps aloft to salute the catch.
Toronto’s Chris Colabello followed with a ball no one could catch, hitting a solo homer to left-center off Edinson Volquez. It was the first hit by either team.
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3:45 p.m.
It’s Oct. 21, 2015, the day Marty McFly traveled from 1985 to 2015 in ”Back to the Future II,” and the Blue Jays were playing along. Just before the lineups were announced before Game 5, Huey Lewis and the News’ ”The Power of Love,” the song made famous in the first film of the series, played over the PA system.
Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie was photographed wearing a pair of sneakers that looked a lot like the self-lacing shoes that Michael J. Fox wore in the movie.
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3:11 p.m.
One loss away from elimination in the ALCS, the Blue Jays don’t have $82 million catcher Russell Martin in the starting lineup against Kansas City’s Edinson Volquez.
Dioner Navarro is behind the plate and batting seventh, because he’s worked well with Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada. The pair teamed up in 20 of Estrada’s 28 starts.
Martin, who signed a five-year contract with Toronto last November. He hit .240 with a career-best 23 home runs and 77 RBIs this season.
Navarro, who is in the final year of a two-year, $8 million deal, hit .246 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 54 games.
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1:10 p.m.
Royals catcher Salvador Perez has taken a beating this series, with fouls hitting off his mask, collarbone and one right below the Rawlings gold label – only for Gold Glove winners – on his chest protector, and that was just in Game 4. During the ALDS he even underwent concussion testing.
But Perez gave a broad smile when he sat down in the pregame interview room and blurted out, ”I feel great today, guys! Thank you very much.”
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1:05 p.m.
Manager John Gibbons knows do-or-die games this year. His Blue Jays trailed the AL Division Series 2-0 then won three straight to advance. The task is more daunting now, trailing the Royals 3-1 in the best-of-seven set. But his club could look no further than its own history for some motivation: Toronto led Kansas City 3-1 in the 1985 ALCS and lost.
Gibbons said in his pregame talk, David Price, Aaron Sanchez, Roberto Osuna and even R.A. Dickey, who threw only 48 pitches Tuesday in Game 4, are all available.
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