What is the story about?
Blue
Jays 7, Rangers 2
- I regret to inform you that there was no sweep of Toronto this weekend.
- Herbie had to remain in hibernation.
- I’d be more upset about this game but for the fact that the Rangers had won their last four, and which is good, and the Astros lost as well on Sunday, so the Rangers maintained their one game lead in the American League West.
- When you can see the finish line, and you know that you hold your fate in your own hands, that’s reassuring, isn’t it?
- I will say that this was, I think, the first time all season I was anxious about the game ahead of time. Like, I spent the morning and early afternoon stressing about this game, as well as the Astros/Braves game, and what might happen.
- It turned out my anxiety and stress was well-founded, since Jacob deGrom did not have his good command, couldn’t locate or get swings and misses on his slider, and ended up getting the hook with one out in the fifth, and the Rangers down 3-2, after Kaz Okamoto singled home Brett Bateman, who had reached on a leadoff walk.
- It was the second time in the game Bateman scored after a leadoff walk, the first time in the first inning, when Bateman led off the game with a walk and scored on a sac fly.
- Robert Garcia threw one pitch and got an inning-ending double play, and so you were feeling that, yeah, its a 3-2 deficit, but there’s time left in the game, and the bats will have opportunities to do something.
- As it turned out, it was the Jays bats who had the opportunity to do something.
- It seems lately that if Tyler Alexander is going to give up a run in a game, he figures he might as well give up multiple runs. This was the 10th time Alexander has given up at least one earned run since the All Star Break. Only three times was it one and done — this was the 7th time since the Break Alexander has allowed two or more runs in an outing.
- Alexander faced just three batters and retired none of them. Chase Silseth came into the game, faced three batters, retired two of them, but gave up a two run double to the third. Adam Macko then replaced Silseth and gave up an RBI single to make it 7-2, and we all pretty much threw in the towel and started following the Astros game more closely at that point, right?
- Evan Carter did single twice in the final three innings, as did Alejandro Osuna. Wyatt Langford followed up Carter’s one out single in the ninth with a walk, and you started feeling that maybe the Rangers could make the improbable comeback.
- That feeling lasted until Corey Seager grounded a 1-2 knuckle-curve to first base for an inning-ending 3-6-1 GIDP.
- So yeah, not a great game deGrom, not a great game for Seager. To the extent the Rangers got any offensive activity going, it was from Evan Carter (3 for 4), Alejandro Osuna (2 for 4 subbing in for an ill Brandon Nimmo), Wyatt Langford (1 for 3 with 2 walks), and Jake Burger (a walk and a two run homer). The rest of the lineup was 1 for 20 with a walk.
- So you can blame deGrom for being mediocre instead of great, or you can blame the bullpen for letting the game get out of hand, or you can blame the offense for not doing much. And no one could tell you that you’re wrong, whichever option you choose.
- Jacob deGrom hit 98.2 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.6 mph. Robert Garcia’s fastball reached 93.4 mph. Tyler Alexander threw one fastball at 92.1 mph. Chase Silseth hit 95.1 mph with his fastball. Adam Macko’s fastball topped out at 96.3 mph.
