The Toronto Blue Jays (32-35) got some help from Jhoan Duran’s faulty PitchCom as they walked it off against the Philadelphia Phillies (36-30) by a score of 3-2 in game two of the series.
Zack Wheeler and Dylan Cease went punch for punch as two of the best starters in the game, each allowing one run across six innings of work. It was Cease’s first start back after two weeks on the injured list and he showed no signs of rust, striking out 11 Phillies hitters.
Cease’s lone blemish on the scorecard came in the first inning as doubles by Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh staked the Phillies to an early 1-0 lead.
Wheeler left a fastball up in the zone to Jesus Sanchez that he sent to the right field seats to tie the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Both bullpens held serve bridging the gap to their closers, with Orion Kerkering going an inning plus and Jose Alvarado shutting the door in the eighth. Jeff Hoffman also pitched a scoreless seventh inning after struggling much of the year for the Jays.
Louis Varland and Duran will both likely take the mound at or near the end of the All Star Game in July, but tonight they were unextraordinary.
Varland came into the game with a 0.26 ERA and doubled it with his second earned run allowed of the season in 36+ innings when he walked Bryce Harper on four pitches to open the inning and Harper later came home to score on an inside out punch shot RBI double by Bryson Stott down the left field line to give the Phillies the 2-1 advantage.
Duran had been perfect in save opportunities on the season but after allowing a lead-off single to Sanchez to begin the bottom of the inning, he began complaining of issues with the PitchCom receiver in his hat. It was clearly not resolved during his next at bat against Yohendrick Pinango, as he crossed up JT Realmuto on a pitch that caught JT near the wrist and caused the Phillies staff to bring out a replacement receiver. Up 0-2 against Jays’ catcher, Brandon Valenzuela, a breaking ball got away from Duran and Realmuto and the tying run came home on the wild pitch. Valenzuela turned on a fastball down the middle on the next pitch to end it.
Jesus Luzardo takes the mound in the rubber match against Max Scherzer who is also making his first start back from the injured list after being sidelined since late April.
