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Choo’s bat not enough as Rangers season comes to end

October 14, 2015
Texas Rangers' Choo Shin-soo, right, crosses home plate in front of Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin following a solo home run during the third inning in Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015 in Toronto. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP)

Texas Rangers’ Choo Shin-soo, right, crosses home plate in front of Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin following a solo home run during the third inning in Game 5 of baseball’s American League Division Series, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015 in Toronto. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP)

By Brian Han

It may be the furthest Choo Shin-soo has ever gotten in the playoffs, but it all ended on a bittersweet note as the Texas Rangers ended their season in Wednesday in an elimination game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Still Choo made his best effort even if some of that was unintentional.

The South Korean connected with a pitch from Marcus Stroman in the top of the third inning for a solo shot that gave his team a 2-0 lead.

Then with the game tied 2-2 going into the seventh inning something strange happened.

Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin made a routine throw back to the pitcher, but it made contact with Choo’s bat allowing Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor score from third base.

Major League Baseball rules declare that if the hitter did not intentionally block the ball with his bat, then the play is still live.

The run counted, an error was charged to Martin and the Rangers took a 3-2 lead.

With a stadium filled with outraged Blue Jays fans, the game had to be delayed as beer cans and debris were being thrown onto the field.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, the game got even stranger. The Rangers infield made a string of three errors, two committed by shortstop Elvis Andrus. This allowed the bases to become loaded.

Blue Jays third baseman and AL MVP candidate Josh Donaldson tied up the game with a sacrifice fly.

In the next at-bat, right fielder Jose Bautista launched a ball over the left field wall to give his team a commanding 6-3 lead.

The Jays 20-year-old closer Roberto Osuna came in for the five-out save, striking out four Rangers batters in the process.

Choo could only do so much to help his team, but ultimately ended up 1-for-4 on the night with an RBI. He was 5-for-21 in the 2015 postseason with one home run and two RBIs. During the regular season, he batted .276 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs.

The Blue Jays will move on to the American League Championship Series while the Texas Rangers will have to put away their gloves and bats until the 2016 season.