The Toronto Blue Jays entered Game 1 of the wild-card series committed to besting a superficially superior opponent with the power of unconventional thinking.
Perhaps the best thing the team had going for it in a short series was a true ace in Hyun-Jin Ryu, and they opted to push him to Game 2, an unheard of move in any playoff series -- especially one where a single loss puts you in an enormous hole.
That decision was heavily scrutinized, but largely understandable. The Blue Jays were probably going to need a high quantity of bullpen innings in any game not started by Ryu, so putting him in the middle created a scenario where the team’s top relievers could catch a breather.