Jays 3 Yankees 8
Well, we weren’t going to win every series for the rest of the season. We’ve been on a very good run. Hopefully that ‘good run’ will continue after tomorrow.
The game turned in the bottom of the sixth. Jose Soriano was at 93 pitches. I thought he might be coming out but John choose to keep him in the game. A few days ago, everyone complained when John pulled a starter who was just over 90 pitches. I’ve always thought that the coaches are closer to the pitchers, they can talk to them,
talk to the catcher and use their eyes to decide ‘Do I want him to go another inning?’ Add in that the bullpen has been suffering from over use. I was ok with Soriano staying in.
Lead off hitter George Lombard, rolled a ball down the third base line, no chance of a play. Nothing wrong with the pitch, you want the pitcher getting soft contact and he couldn’t have gotten anything softer than that. Next batter, Spencer Jones lined a single hard to center for another single. Jazz Chisholm Jr. up towards third. Soriano went a long way to get the ball, but had no play because Kazuma Okamoto came off the bag to get the ball. It was one of those spots that little communication could have helped. “I got it”. I understand Okamoto going for it, we don’t have many pitchers who would have gotten to that, and you can’t expect Oka to be watching the pitcher. But saying ‘I got it, go to the bag’ might have been helpful. Anyway, bases loaded on one well hit ball and two rollers.
That was the end of Soriano’s day. He ended up with 5 innings, 5 earn (three scored after he left), 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. He only gave up one hard hit ball in that inning and it cost him 3 earned.
Brandon Fisher came in and got a strikeout and a fly out. Then he went to a full count on Trent Grisham before walking him and bringing in a run.
Mason Fluharty came in and gave up a two-run single to make it 5-2. I thought Brett Bateman could have made an attempt to catch that line drive that landed in front of him. But, he would have had to have read it well off the bat. and likely it was smarter to catch it on the bounce (but two runs scored). Oh well.
Brandon Little gave up a two-run homer in the seventh. And Simeon Woods Richardson gave up a solo homer in the eighth.
And we didn’t hit much. Just 5 hits. Myles Straw had two. Alejandro Kirk. George Springer and Okamoto had one each. 1 for 9 with RISP wasn’t good enough
Anyway….they have played themselves into the Wild Card race in with a 13-5 run against some of the best in the league. They play some ‘lessor’ teams over the last 31 games of the season. That doesn’t mean they can relax. I don’t know what they will have to do in those 31 games, but if they win 20, I sure they will make the playoffs. 16 or 17 might be enough.
Jay of the Game: No one had the number, but let’s give it to Straw (0.08, plus some good defense and good base running.
Other Award: Soriano (-0.17, kind of unfair, but who said baseball is fair), Fluharty (-0.14) and Vlad (-0.08).
Kirk made a great throw to catch Spencer Jones, on a nice strikeout/throw out double play.
Tomorrow is an off-day. Then we have three at home with the Royals and another three with the Mariners. Wins would be nice.
