By now, you probably already know -- it's right there in the headline and all. But if you've somehow managed to avoid the news, then just know that Edwin Encarnacion ended Tuesday's American League Wild Card Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles with a bang.
To set the scene: Encarnacion was up with two on and one out in the bottom of the 11th against Ubaldo Jimenez. A few innings earlier, in a similar situation, he'd been intentionally walked to set up a double-play scenario. This time, however, the Orioles opted to pitch to him. That's when this happened:
Turn up in The Six! @Encadwin provides the #walkoff heroics: https://t.co/KgewH4f6Napic.twitter.com/5LGE58volA
— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2016
Take a look at the location of the pitch:
Probably not where Ubaldo Jimenez wanted to locate that 91 MPH fastball to Edwin Encarnacion pic.twitter.com/Ymp7rFvQYk
— Daren Willman (@darenw) October 5, 2016
You can't be throwing that there against most big-league hitters, but especially someone like Encarnacion, who homered 42 times during the regular season. Anyway, just like that, the ballgame was over -- the Jays advance to the Divisional Series to play the
; the Orioles advance to the offseason having lost without using their best reliever. Ouch.
Here's how one former Blue Jay reacted to Encarnacion's home run:
All right Bluejays. 😳😳😳😳Edwin Encarnacion what a blast. Awesome. And Texas thought the jays wouldn't play them anymore.
— Joe Carter (@JoeCarter_29) October 5, 2016
What does Joe Carter know about dramatic postseason walk-off home runs hit to Toronto's left field?
Oh. Right. Obviously Encarnacion's home run doesn't carry the same weight -- Carter did it in the World Series -- but if you squint you can see some similarities in trajectory. Both came off pitchers who can be aptly summed as "Wild Thing," too, so that's a plus. Most importantly? Each clinched a Toronto victory.