Duke in the MLB: Stroman pitches well in Blue Jays' Game Five victory

Do-or-die baseball is a unique spectacle. Six months and 162 games of day-in, day-out grind are all boiled down to one game for all the marbles with the simplest of stakes—win or go home.

Former Blue Devil Marcus Stroman and the Toronto Blue Jays found themselves in such a situation Wednesday—and they did just enough to keep playing.

Stroman started the decisive Game 5 for the Blue Jays, which ended in a 6-3 victory against the Texas Rangers Wednesday afternoon at the Rogers Centre. The former Duke ace received the starting nod from manager John Gibbons after left-hander David Price—the ace of the team's pitching staff—hurled 50 pitches in relief to help secure Toronto's Game 4 win and send the series back north of the border. 

In his second start of the series, Stroman validated Gibbons' choice to give him the ball, a move that was heavily questioned entering the game. Though he left with the Blue Jays trailing 2-1, the second-year right-hander allowed just two runs in six innings, finishing with an E.R.A. of 3.46 in his first career postseason series. 

After the game, Stroman celebrated on the field with the rest of his teammates, having become just the third team to lose the first two games of the American League Division Series at home but still go on to advance. 

Zero panic from my brothers. We know what we're capable of. This is beyond special. On to the next. Toronto you deserve this! @BlueJays

— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) October 15, 2015

They said it wasn't possible. Little did they know. Back with the boys and we're hungry for more! @BlueJays #HDMH pic.twitter.com/QyXku1DFiR

— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) October 15, 2015