Astros Knock Off Blue Jays in 5 Games

Houston's Jason Kipnis batted .389 and scored four runs to help the Astros eliminate the Blue Jays in the opening round of the 2015 millennium playoff round.  A summary of the games:


Game 1 - Astros 4, Blue Jays 2 - Kershaw pitched 7 strong innings and an unlikely homer by Billy Hamilton put Houston ahead in the 7th

Game 2 - Astros 9, Blue Jays 6 - Nelson Cruz went 4-5 with a HR but Houston hit 5 long balls from 5 different players to take a 2-0 lead in the series

Game 3 - Astros 3, Blue Jays 1 - As the series went to a warmer climate, the results stayed the same, an Astros win.  Charlie Bassitt gave up 1 run over 6 innings as Teixeira and Grandal each homer for the 2nd time in the series

Game 4 - Blue Jays 6, Astros 2 - The champagne was ordered as the Stros had Kershaw on the mound again.  The Jays jumped all over the world's greatest pitcher as he allowed 12 base runners in 6 2/3 innings.  Nelson Cruz once again did the damage going 2-5, with 2nd dinger of the series and knocking in 3 runs

Game 5 - Astros 5, Blue Jays 3 - The bubbly was taken off of ice as the city of Houston celebrated as the Astros advance to the next round with a 5 to 3 victory.  Rubby De La Rosa managed to get through 5, then Will Smith, Brian Shaw, Tony Watson and Huston Street held the Jays scoreless over the last 4 innings.  Mark Teixeira hit his 3rd HR of the series and Adam Eaton took the MVP honors going 6-18 for a .333 average.  He scored 6 runs, had 2 doubles and a HR and was on base 11 times.  He had an OPS of 1.089 (OBP .478, Slug .611).

Redbirds Eliminate Angels

Jacob Degrom won two games to help lead the St. Louis Cardinals past the Anaheim Angels in five games.  St. Louis had a balanced attack (four players with 4 RBIs each) and a solid 2.45 ERA.  A summary of the series:


GAME 1 - St. Louis 6, Anaheim 4
The Cardinals scored three times in the 3rd inning, sparked by Dioner Navarro's 2-run single, and never relinquished the lead. But the Angels, after falling behind 5-1, did make it close. Nick Markakis homered in the 6th and Mitch Moreland delivered an RBI single in the 7th to make it 5-3, In the 8th, Gregory Polanco nearly tied it. But on a hit that scored one run, Derek Dietrich tried to race home from second, but was nailed at the plate. Josh Reddick added an insurance run on a HR in the home half, and Wade Davis secured the save.

GAME 2 - St. Louis 11, Anaheim 1
Kyle Schwarber's 3-run blast capped a 9-run explosion in the 4th inning for the Cards. Francisco Liriano carried a shutout into the 9th and tossed a complete-game 7-hitter.

GAME 3 - St. Louis 6, Anaheim 2
Another big inning -- a 5-run 2nd -- carried the Cardinals as Jaime Garcia and Wade Davis combined on a 2-hitter. After two runs scored on bases-loaded walks in the 2nd, Carlos Santana ripped a 3-run double off Gio Gonzalez. Stephen Piscotty collected the Angels' only RBIs.

GAME 4 - Anaheim 6, St. Louis 3
The Angels avoided the sweep as Dallas Keuchel struck out 8 in 6 innings. The winners took their first lead of the series on Prince Fielder's RBI single in the 1st. Stephen Vogt and Nick Markakis each registered 2 RBIs as Anaheim took a 6-1 lead. Logan Forsythe's 2-run double in the 7th made it 6-3, but the Cardinals could get no closer.

GAME 5 - St. Louis 2, Anaheim 1
A pitching gem on both sides. Jacob DeGrom won for the second time in the series, fanning 10 in 8 innings. He and Wade Davis, who struck out 2 in the 9th, combined on a 3-hitter. The only blemish against Angels starter Cody Anderson until the 9th was a bases-loaded walk to Curtis Granderson in the 2nd. Anderson allowed just 4 hits -- the second run against him coming on Anthony Rendon's single in the 9th.