Blue Jays 2 Cubs 3 (11 innings)
Two outs in the ninth and two strikes, I figured it was time to open the computer and get on the recap. Boom. Alex Bregman homers to tie the game.
It was hardly fair to Dylan Cease who threw seven innings of two hit ball with one walk and ten strikeouts. He was amazing. Couldn’t gave been any better.
And Braydon Fisher threw a quick and efficient eighth.
Louis Varland gave up a single to start the ninth, then got a fly out (fairly deep to center) and a ground out. Then
got to 1-2 on Bregman, threw a pitch right at the bottom of the zone (but dead center) and it ended up over the left field wall. Varland’s first blown save of the season.
We didn’t score in the top of the ninth.
Chase Lee got the tenth. With the runner on second he got a fly out. They opted to intentionally walk the next batter, to set up the double play. But wild pitch ended that hope. Runners on second and third, but Lee (with a five-man infield) got a strike out. Then Carson Kelly lined one up the middle, which looked like it was going to be the game, but Ernie Clement made an amazing jumping catch.
So, we got to the 11th. Our old friend Trent Thornton on the mound and Clement on second. The Jays strikeout (Josh Smith), ground out (Jesús Sánchez), intentional walk and a Straw ground out.
Brendon Little got the bottom of the inning. The first batter singled up the middle, but Straw made a great throw to get the runner at the plate. We were back to a runner on second, Pete Crow-Armstrong, now with one out. He went to steal throw, Brandon Valenzuala’s throw was a little off line, and it got past Josh Smith at third. Game over.
We scored one in:
- The first: Kazuma Okamonto walked with one out. Alejandro Kirk singled, George Springer hit into a force at second, putting runners on second. And we scored on everyone’s favourite play, a ‘disengagement violation’. David Peterson threw to first three times.
- The seventh: Andrés Giménez started it with a single. Myles Straw bunted him to second. After an Okamoto fly out, Kirk singled bringing in our second (and last run).
We had 11 hits and 4 walks, we should have scored more than two runs. Kirk had four hits. Giménez three. Clement two. Straw (2 k), Springer and Nathan Lukes (1 k). Well, Davis Schneider was 0 for 1, but had two walks.
We were 1 for 19 (yes, 19) with RISP. David Peterson was terrible and we couldn’t score against him. If you can’t score, you can’t win.
Jays of the Day: Cease (0.47), Lee (0.31), Kirk (0.22) and Fisher (0.09)
Other Award: Varland (-0.41), Straw (-0.28, but the throw from center should subtract some from that), Springer (-0.29), Lukes (-0.20), Smith (-0.15) and Clement (-0.11). I’m also giving on to Valenzula for the bad throw. Little had the number too, but all of that was from the throwing error.
Tomorrow the Jays will be in Philadelphia and we get our first look at José Soriano. Scott Wheeler starts for the Phillies.
