Baseball got it right with the wildcard game. The 11-inning 5–2 walk-off Toronto win over Baltimore was one of those iconic games that validated baseball’s decision to expand the playoffs to two wildcard teams.
Tuesday’s American League wildcard game is also one that will be remembered fondly in Blue Jays lore. It was the first Toronto walk-off playoffs win since Joe Carter’s World Series-winning homer in 1993.
Pitching, hitting, defense, players stepping up in the clutch, drama, extra innings, heart palpitations…the AL wildcard game had it all.
In a way, it was a typical Blue Jays win. The team’s strength this year has been its starting pitching and winning games with the long ball—and not by just one run. Sometimes a manager’s gut feel wins out.
