Rangers, Blue Jays force Game 5

Published 1:45 am Tuesday, October 13, 2015

HOUSTON (AP) — Astros shortstop Carlos Correa couldn’t handle a deflected grounder that might have been a double-play ball, helping the Kansas City Royals rally for five runs in the eighth inning to beat Houston 9-6 Monday and force their playoff series to a decisive Game 5.

Correa homered twice, doubled, singled and drove in four runs in Game 4 of the AL Division Series. Houston took a 6-2 lead into the eighth, but a tough error charged to the 21-year-old rookie keyed the Royals’ comeback to even the matchup at two games apiece.

Game 5 will be back in Kansas City on Wednesday night.

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Kansas City opened the eighth with five straight singles off relievers Will Harris and Tony Sipp, with RBI hits by Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer making it 6-4 and leaving the bases with no outs.

Kendrys Morales followed with a hard, one-bouncer off Sipp’s glove. The ball took two more hops and glanced off the top of Correa’s mitt, rolling into center field as two runs scored to tie it at 6.

Alex Gordon’s RBI groundout off Luke Gregerson later in the inning put Kansas City ahead.

Hosmer launched a long, two-run homer in the ninth for insurance.

Sipp took the loss.

Blue Jays 8, Rangers 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays went deep early and used a pair of Cy Young winners to force a deciding Game 5 in the AL Division Series.

Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello hit home runs before 40-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey threw his first postseason pitch, and the Blue Jays won 8-4 in Game 4 on Monday to send the series back to Toronto.

Game 5 is Wednesday. Cole Hamels starts for the Rangers against Marcus Stroman in a rematch from Game 2, which Texas won in 14 innings.

Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young winner, allowed one run over 4 2-3 innings and was pulled with a 7-1 lead and a runner on base. Then 2012 AL Cy Young winner David Price took over and pitched three innings, getting the win after losing in the opener.

Kevin Pillar also connected as three of the first eight Toronto hitters homered off Derek Holland, in his first postseason start since 8 1-3 scoreless innings against St. Louis in Game 4 of the 2011 World Series.