TORONTO — Shawn Tolleson and Ross Ohlendorf were at the center of the biggest gut punch the Texas Rangers have endured in 2015.
On Friday afternoon at the Rogers Centre, they were at the center of the season’s biggest win as the Rangers held off the Blue Jays 6-4 in 14 innings.
Neither had pitched since taking the brunt of a five-run, ninth-inning collapse last Saturday with the division title on the line. Against the Blue Jays and over 49,000 raucous fans, Tolleson and Ohlendorf combined for three of the seven shutout innings by the bullpen.
Ohlendorf, who took the loss last Saturday, struck out the side in the 14th to earn the save. Tolleson, who gave up consecutive homers pitching for the fifth straight game a week ago, looked more like the closer who recorded 35 saves during the regular season on Friday. He pitched scoreless innings in the 11th and 12th.
“It was fun to get back out there,” Tolleson said. “It was fun to be able to put up a couple zeroes just like all the other bullpen guys. I was prepared to go two or three, whatever they wanted me to do.”
Five relievers combined for nine strikeouts and held the Blue Jays to two hits and two walks over seven high-stress innings.
“I think that was huge to be able to go out there and limit the damage especially against the lineup they have,” said starter Cole Hamels, who left after allowing four runs (two earned) in seven innings. “To do it in this scenario when you’re on the road, you’re at an incredibly loud stadium and they came through. They kept some of the best hitters in the league from hitting homers and scoring runs.”
Sam Dyson pitched a scoreless eighth before passing the baton to Jake Diekman who has retired all 12 batters he’s faced in the series, including six on Friday.
“You’ve got to breathe,” Diekman said of managing the stress. “You can’t hold your breath. You want to feed off the crowd, it’s good. And in an opposing ballpark you want to quiet them.”
Rookie Keone Kela pitched a scoreless 13th and was able to refocus after a benches-clearing kerfuffle erupted when Toronto’s Josh Donaldson and Kela exchanged heated words after Donaldson sent a deep foul down the left-field line. Kela struck him out and then got Edwin Encarnacion to end the inning with a deep fly to the wall in center.
“I was just praying to God real quick that (center fielder Delino DeShields) had enough room and thankfully by the hair on his chinny chin chin he made (the catch.)”
The dominance by the bullpen, which led the league with a 2.05 ERA in September, drew raves from their teammates.
“Our bullpen is unbelievable and they showed it again,” Adrian Beltre said. “It’s tough to pitch to that lineup, and they found a way to get it done. We’re here celebrating because of those guys.”
In two ALDS games, the Texas bullpen has held Toronto to one run on four hits in 11 innings.
“We mean business when we’re out there,” Tolleson said. “There’s not a lineup that we can’t compete against. I think this group of guys defines the word team better than any team I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone is playing for the one common goal: winning.”
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