Game #96 Toronto Blue Jays (36-60) @ Boston Red Sox (51-43) - game recap

Teoscar Hernandez hit a 3-run HR and scored on a wild pitch in a 10-4 victory over the Red Sox

After a tough 10-8 loss to the Red Sox where a late inning rally fell short, the Blue Jays were looking to even the series. Jacob Waguespack was recalled to make a spot start. Edwin Jackson was DFA'd. Meanwhile Andrew Cashner made his Red Sox debut after the trade from Baltimore over the weekend. Vlad was back in the lineup after a complete day off yesterday and playing the hot corner and batting 2nd. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. got a half day off serving as the DH tonight. Cavan Biggio got a full day off with Eric Sogard taking his spot at 2B, Smoak at 1B and Randal Grichuk in right. Could the Blue Jays tie the four game series? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Red Sox opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st as Xander Bogaerts crushed a solo bomb over the green monster in left
• The Blue Jays took the lead in the top of the 2nd as Teoscar Hernandez annihilated a three-run blast to dead center also scoring Justin Smoak and Freddy Galvis
• The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 3rd as Smoak singled home Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
• The Red Sox got a pair back in the bottom of the 5th as Mookie Betts singled home Michael Chavis and Brock Holt
• Two batters later, Bogaerts singled home Betts
• Jacob Waguespack pitching line: 4.2IP 6H 4R (all earned) 3BB 2K 80 pitches (45 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays retook the lead in the top of the 6th as Justin Smoak smoked a solo shot to right and into the Boston bullpen
• Four batters later, Teoscar Hernandez scored on a wild pitch by Josh Taylor
• Andrew Cashner pitching line: 5IP 8H 6R (5 earned) 2BB 2K 92 pitches (57 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 8th as Eric Sogard doubled home Billy McKinney
• A batter later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled home Sogard
• Two batters later, Randal Grichuk doubled home Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
• A batter later, Danny Jansen singled scoring Grichuk
• Final score: Blue Jays 10 Red Sox 4

My Take:

• Jacob Waguespack pitched a solid game until the 5th inning, allowing 1 run, 2 hits and a pair of walks. As has been the case a few times, Charlie Montoyo left the righty in a batter or two too long. Waguespack was lit up for 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk in the 5th inning. As a result he was stuck with a no-decision.
• The Blue Jays struck early and late. They combined to score four times in the 2nd and 3rd innings. They added four key insurance runs in the 9th.
• Every Blue Jay batter had at least one hit.
• Eric Sogard (2-5, 1 run scored, 1RBI), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (3-5, 1 run scored), Justin Smoak (2-2, 2 runs scored, 2RBI, 2 walks), Freddy Galvis (2-4, 1 run scored), and Teoscar Hernandez (1-4, 2 runs scored, 3RBI) all had strong days at the plate 
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to guarantee a split in the series as Aaron Sanchez looks for his second straight decent outing. The Red Sox will counter with lefty Eduardo Rodriguez

#96 - Toronto Blue Jays (35-60) at Boston Red Sox (51-43)

"That damn pinball park at Fenway..."

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 | 7:10 pm

Fenway Park | Boston, Massholia

Jacob Waguespack (1-0, 5.00, 1.11) or an opener 

vs. 

Andrew Cashner (9-3, 3.83, 1.19)

PREAMBLE:

Last night, the Blue Jays looked like they were getting blown out of the ballpark before the offence made things interesting in the 8th and the bullpen did a fine job once Thornton and Sammy G were out of there.  Tonight is game two of a four-game set as the Blue Jays look to put out repeated fires on the mound set by their pitchers.

Jacob Waguespack has been called up to pitch in tonight's game.  He'll face Andrew Cashner, who will be making his debut as a Red Sox.  Here's hoping he brought the oriLOLes karma along with him -- for his career in Fenway Park, he's 0-1, 7.20 ERA.

Game #95 Toronto Blue Jays (35-60) @ Boston Red Sox (51-43) - game recap

Billy McKinney hit a 2-run HR in his return to the Blue Jays lineup in a 10-8 loss to the Red Sox

After dropping two of three to the hated Yankees, aka possibly the new home of one or both of Marcus Stroman and Ken Giles, the Blue Jays headed to Boston to take on a Red Sox team battling for a wild card spot. The Blue Jays made a roster move, sending Rowdy Tellez to Buffalo to work on his swing and get some regular playing time. Billy McKinney, who was in the lineup in the 8th hole and in RF tonight, was recalled. Trent Thornton made his first start of the second half. He tossed 6 shutout innings of three-hit ball his last time out.  Vlad got a complete day off for a bit of a mental break. He struggled like the rest of the Blue Jays in the series vs. the Yankees. Could the Blue Jays beat the Red Sox? Here is tonight's game recap.

#95 - Toronto Blue Jays (35-59) at Boston Red Sox (50-43)

Monday, July 15, 2019 | 7:10 pm

Fenway Park | East Massholia, MA

Trent Thornton (3-6, 4.85, 1.48) vs. Rick Porcello (6-7, 5.33, 1.42)

PREAMBLE:

After losing 2 out of 3 to the Yankees, the Blue Jays head a few hours up the coast to Boston (also known as East Massholia) for a four-game series.  With any luck, the Blue Jays can make a serious dent in the playoff hopes of the Red Sox by pounding the shit out of them in this series and leaving that middle finger above seared into the grass at Fenway Park.

Trent Thornton takes the ball tonight as he continues his reasonably impressive rookie season, all in the name of development.  He takes on that overbloated porcini mushroom, Rick Porcello, who has a career record of 10-12, 5.47 against the Jays.

Ten weekly random thoughts: Week 15: July 8-15

The all-star break is over and the unofficial second half began Friday at Yankee Stadium for the Blue Jays -- fitting because at least one pitcher (Marcus Stroman) may be in pinstripes in a couple of weeks. While his teammates escaped Toronto for a few days, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was serving notice to the MLB that he is/will be a force to be reckoned with in the final 2.5 months of the season. Guerrero Jr. hit a whopping 91HR, including a ridiculous 40 dingers to edge Joc Pederson in the semi-finals of the HR derby. Guerrero Jr. ran out of gas in the final round and was edged by the NY Mets Pete Alonso, who needed to hit a fraction of the HR to win. Alonso need to hit just 14 HR in the 1st round, due to a poor showing by home town favorite Carlos Santana. He also got a lot of rest between rounds with the marathon matchup between Guerrero Jr. and Pederson. Regardless of not winning the HR derby, Guerrero Jr. did excellent on the big stage. The Blue Jays have a fairly favorable schedule this week with a four game series at Fenway Park, followed by a three game set against the Detroit Tigers, who the Blue Jays split four games with in the season-opening series way back in March. The Blue Jays are 5-7 vs. the Red Sox this season, but the Red Sox have not looked like the team that won the world series in 2018. Meanwhile, Detroit is dead last in the AL Central and also soon to be parting ways with some of their veterans. Here are 10 random thoughts from week 15 of the MLB.