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ALDS Game 2: Rangers take 2-0 lead after controversial 14-inning win

The Texas Rangers have the World Series favorites up against the wall. The Rangers pulled off a 6-4 victory in 14 innings to take a 2-0 lead in their series with the Toronto Blue Jays. But it didn't come without controversy.

In the top of the 14th, the Blue Jays thought they had tagged Texas' Rougned Odor out as he rounded second base and hurried back to the bag. Jose Bautista made a laser throw from right field, Troy Tulowitzki swept the tag, Odor's foot came off the bag momentarily. But was he out? The crowd inside the Rogers Centre sure thought so and people watching at home did too.

It went to replay and the umpires upheld the safe call, much to the despair of Jays fans. Then Hanser Alberto — playing in place of the injured Adrian Beltre — singled to give the Rangers the lead. They added an insurance run in the 14th on an infield single by Delino DeShields.

Prior to the extra-innings drama, it was a back-and-forth game in which both teams scored early. After the second inning, it was tied up 3-3 and that's when both starting pitchers — Cole Hamels for Texas and Marcus Stroman for Toronto — settled in. The Blue Jays took the lead in the fifth, on a Ben Revere single, and the Rangers tied in the eighth, on a Mike Napoli pinch-hit single.

Odor don't stink. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Odor don't stink. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

• Odor is making everyone learn his name this series. In addition to scoring the go-ahead run in the 14th after an infield single, Odor seemed to always be in the middle of the action. His 1-for-5 hitting line won't jump off the page, but he made a top-notch slide to score on a sac fly to center in the second inning. Also, with the Blue Jays threatening in the eighth, with two runners on and two out, Odor made a fine barehanded play at second base to end the inning. He also scored three runs in Game 1.

• Delino DeShields Jr. did damage atop the Rangers' lineup. He doubled to lead off the game and came around to score when the next batter, Shin-Soo Choo, singled. DeShields also started the Rangers' eighth-inning rally that would tie the game. He singled and came around to score on Mike Napoli's pinch-hit single. Finally, he drove in the sixth run in the 14th inning.

* Stroman, the Blue Jays starter, stayed steady after the early excitement and stabilized things for Toronto. He lasted seven innings, striking out five and not letting a Ranger score after the second inning. Giving up three runs in two innings wasn't ideal, but it's what he did afterward that meant more for the Jays. Early on, this one looked like it might get out of hand, and Stroman didn't allow it.

• Troy Tulowitzki and Edwin Encarnacion, two of the Blue Jays' big bats, just couldn't get it going. They were a combined 0-for-11, in the fourth and fifth spots in the lineup. Tulo did reach on an error and score a run early in the game, but he struck out looking in the 14th. Encarnacion came within a few feet of a walk-off homer in the 13th. But almost doesn't count.

• Josh Hamilton's postseason struggles continued. The Rangers outfielder was 0-for-6, running his unfortunate streak to 0-for-30. He left four runners on base and struck out in the ninth inning.

In a 14-inning game, you have to give some love to the bullpen, in this case Rangers reliever Jake Diekman.

You like unlikely heroes? Here's another one for you.

• The benches-clearing moment in the 13th inning that happened after Josh Donaldson hit a deep foul ball that looked like it might be a walk-off homer. Donaldson started swearing at Rangers pitcher Keone Kela. The dugouts emptied, but nothing too exciting happened. At this point, we don't know whether Kela said anything to Donaldson to start the bickering.

• The disappointing Jays. It can't be avoided. They're the World Series favorites and they're going back to Arlington down 2-0 in the series, backs fully against the wall. Can the most-hyped team in the postseason avoid disaster?

The series moves to Arlington now, with the Rangers in a position to clinch. Game 3 is Sunday at 8 p.m. ET at Globe Life Park. The Rangers will send Martin Perez (3-6, 4.46 ERA) to the mound to face Marco Estrada (13-8, 3.13). It'll air on Fox Sports 1 and SportsNet in Canada.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!