How a Change of Scenery Changed the ALCS

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada.

It’s funny what a change of parks and a rattled Johnny Cueto can do for a lineup.

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The Blue Jays were blanked in Game 1 of the ALCS at a cold and pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium. They mustered three runs the following game, and found themselves coming to Toronto in a 2-0 deficit.

A trip north of the border in the controlled environment of the Rogers Centre dome, a home run haven, is exactly what the best offence in baseball needed. After failing to go deep during the first two games of the series, the Blue Jays blasted a trio of long balls in what was, for the most part, a dismantling of the Royals. And Toronto did it against Kansas City’s big trade deadline acquisition, who was swallowed up by the boisterous home crowd and pulverized by the American League East champs.

The Blue Jays are back in this thing. Just like in the ALDS when Toronto fell down 2-0 to the Rangers, it came out and showed life in Game 3. Just like in that contest, in the middle of it all was the superstar shortstop the Blue Jays traded for to be a difference maker on both sides of the field. He’s been doing it with his glove all along, but the bat has largely been quiet since he moved away from Coors Field.

That’s all starting to change. Troy Tulowitzki’s three-run homer helped keep the Blue Jays alive against a Rangers team that was on the verge of a monster upset. His three-run homer in Toronto’s first home ALCS game since 1993 ignited a crowd that was looking for any reason to explode.

Tulowitzki, a middle-of-the-order bat on any team, has been hitting in the No. 6 spot for the Blue Jays throughout the playoffs after a pedestrian second half with the club that ended with him cracking a bone in his shoulder. Don’t look now, but Tulo’s heating up—quite scary for a team already hoarding some of the most powerful bats remaining in the postseason. He’s stung the ball a bunch recently and has more hits in his last two games than he did in his previous six postseason contests combined.

Following Tulowitzki’s big-boy shot to center field, the near-50,000 strong took it from there, staying on top of Cueto nearly every pitch until a Kevin Pillar RBI double ended his night. Cueto turned in a dud in front of the bloodthirsty crowd, which chanted ‘We Want Cueto’ shortly after he left the mound. This is a night Cueto won’t forget—for all the wrong reasons.

As up-and-down as he’s been of late, this is the type of effort that has to instill confidence in a Blue Jays offence that more resembled Kansas City’s than itself. The Blue Jays not only beat Cueto, they chewed him up and manhandled him. He faced five batters in the third inning and was unable to record an out before Ned Yost ended the nightmare and sent him to the showers. The 11 runs, two coming via a mammoth two-run blast by Josh Donaldson, are the most Toronto has scored during the playoffs.

Marcus Stroman has been sensational since returning from knee surgery, but wasn’t Monday. It was bound to happen, but it didn’t matter in the end, as his offence went out and had a game that, for the Blue Jays, felt overdue.

Heck, even Ryan Goins homered (off Kris Medlen) after putting the Blue Jays on the board with a two-run single early on. He played his usual fantastic defence, too, and had the best game of his career after a deflating gaffe that represented the beginning of the end for the Blue Jays in Game 2.

Goins bounced back. The Blue Jays bounced back. And instead of Toronto being forced to pull off a 2004 Red Sox effort with R.A. Dickey trying to save the season down 3–0, it’ll get Chris Young at the Rogers Centre launching pad with a chance to even the series.

The Blue Jays’ situation has gone from grim to manageable, and maybe even better. While Dickey’s knuckleball is unpredictable at best, Young is a flyball pitcher throwing in a park that has a hard time holding the ball in the yard. One more win, and it’s a best-of-three series with David Price and Stroman able to throw two of them.

Things could be worse. They could be much worse. What a difference a win and a change of scenery can make.