Game #44 - Toronto Blue Jays (19-25) @ Detroit Tigers (20-25) - game recap

 

Andres Gimenez drove in the only 2 Blue Jays runs in a losing effort as the Tigers came from behind to walk off the Blue Jays 3-2

After an off-day/travel day yesterday, the Blue Jays opened a weekend series in Detroit. The Blue Jays took the season series last year, outscoring the Tigers 35-26. Trey Yesavage got the start with Brandon Valenzuela behind the plate. The rest of the lineup was the same as Wednesday's walk-off win. Could the Blue Jays make it 2 straight wins? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd as Andres Gimenez doubled scoring Kazuma Okamoto and Ernie Clement 
• Brendan Hanifee pitching line: 1IP 1H 1R (earned) 0BB 1K 14 pitches (11 for strikes)
• The Tigers got one back in the bottom of the 3rd of a wild pitch by Trey Yesavage that scored Kevin McGonigle
• The Tigers tied it in the bottom of the 6th as Riley Greene doubled scoring Dillon Dingler
• Trey Yesavage pitching line: 6IP 4H 2R (both earned) 3BB 6K 88 pitches (54 for strikes)
• The Tigers walked it off in the bottom of the 9th as Spencer Torkelson singled scoring Matt Vierling
• Final score: Tigers 3 Blue Jays 2

My Take:

• Trey Yesavage fired 6 innings, giving up a pair of runs on 4 hiis while walking 3 and striking out 6. He's still trying to work his way into mid-season form with his command being iffy. Yesavage uncorked 3 wild pitches and wasn't as efficient as he could have been.  The Blue jays are going to be very careful with his work load and you won't see him pushing 100 pitches very often. He's getting better every start though, so progress
• The bullpen gave up 1 run on 3 hits while walking 2 and striking out 3 over the last 2.2 innings. Jeff Hoffman has proven the last couple of outings that he should not be handed the closer's role again. Daulton Varsho saved his butt on Wednesday with a walk-off grand slam after Hoffman gave up a pair of runs in the top half of the inning. Tonight, he had to get through the inning to send the game to extra innings. His velocity was solid tonight, but his command hasn't been good enough. He could be Pete Walker's next pet project.
• Offensively, Andres hit a clutch 2-run double in the 2nd, but the bats weren't able to do much after that on a bullpen game for the Tigers. Vlad and Kazuma Okamoto both made poor decisions to swing on 3-0 counts. Vlad should have known better, but he is pressing hard to prove he's worth the $500 million investment the team has made in him.
• Brandon Valenzuela is going to need a big ice pack after getting dinged a few times by wild pitches. Maybe Tyler Heineman will get an extra start if Valenzuela wakes up sore in the morning.
• The Tigers were 1-1 on ABS challenges and Ernie Clement was unsuccessful in the Blue Jays only ABS challenge
• The Blue Jays were 1-4 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to even the series and avoid their 10th series loss of the season. It will be a bullpen day in the truest sense of the word with Eric Lauer DFA'd the day after his last ugly appearance. Mason Fluharty will be the first man up with Yariel Rodriguez expected to pitch some innings too. The Tigers will counter with righty Jack Flaherty

Game #44 - Toronto Blue Jays (19-24) @ Detroit Tigers (19-25) AppleTV Exclusive

 

Game #43 - Tampa Bay Rays (28-14) @ Toronto Blue Jays (19-24) - game recap

 

Daulton Varsho hit a walk off grand slam as the Blue Jays came from behind to defeat the Rays 5-3 in extra innings

After an extra innings loss yesterday due to Brayden Fisher giving up runs in the 10th inning, the Blue Jays were looking to snap the 3 game skid and avoid being swept for the 3rd time this season and 2nd straight time vs. the Rays. Dylan Cease got the start with Tyler Heineman behind the plate. Yohendrick Pinago was in LF and Jesus Sanchez was in RF. Andres Gimenez was back at SS after the complete day off yesterday with Ernie Clement at 2B. Could the Blue Jays snap the 3 game skid and avoid being swept for the 3rd time this season and 2nd straight time vs. the Rays? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• Griffin Jax pitching line: 5IP 4H 0R 4BB 1K 66 pitches (38 for strikes)
• The Rays opened the scoring in the top of the 7th as Richie Palacios singled scoring Jonathan Aranda
• Dylan Cease pitching line: 7IP 3H 1R (earned) 3BB 9K 99 pitches (61 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays tied it in the bottom of the 8th on a sac fly by Kazuma Okamoto that scored George Springer
• The Mets retook the lead in the top of the 10th as Ben Williamson singled scoring Chandler Simpson
• Two batters later, Yandy Diaz singled home Diaz
• The Blue Jays won iit in the bottom half of the inning on a walk off grand slam to the opposite field in left and into the Blue Jays bullpen by Daulton Varsho; also scoring Springer, Okamoto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
• Final score: Blue Jays 5 Rays 3 (10 innings)

My Take:

• Dylan Cease fired 7 strong innings, giving up a run on 3 hits while walking 3 and striking out 9. He's turned into an excellent off-season signing and has been giving the Blue Jays a chance to win every game. He retired the first 10 batters he faced.
• The bullpen gave up a pair of runs on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 3 over the last 3 innings. Jeff Hoffman proved he still can't handle a high leverage situation with the game on the line. He allowed two runs in the 10th inning. Mason Fluharty retired the only batter he faced
• The offense faced the same scenario as last night: down 2 runs in the bottom of the 10th. This time they took full advantage of a pitcher  that is not good and loaded the bases before Daulton Varsho walked it off with a grand slam. Kazuma Okamoto drove in the other Blue Jays run with a sac fly
• Rays catcher Hunter Feduccia was 2-2 on ABS challenges. The Blue Jays catchers Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman both successully overturned one ABS challenge each
• The Blue Jays were 1-10 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, after an off-day/travel day tomorrow, the Blue Jays commence a road trip in Detroit. The Blue Jays took the season series last year, outscoring the Tigers 35-26. Trey Yesavage gets the start. The Tigers have not set their rotation for the series yet

Game #43 - Tampa Bay Rays (28-13) @ Toronto Blue Jays (18-24)

 

Game #42 - Tampa Bay Rays (28-13) @ Toronto Blue Jays (18-24) - game recap

 

George Springer scored twice and drove in a run in a 7-6 extra innings loss to the Rays

After dropping yesterday's game due to a poor start by ace Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays were looking to snap the 2-game skid and avoid their 9th series loss of the season. Patrick Corbin got the start with Brandon Valenzuela behind the plate. Davis Schneider was in LF and Myles Straw was in RF. Ernie Clement got the start at SS with Lenyn Sosa at 2B. Could the Blue Jays snap the 2-game skid and avoid their 9th series loss of the season? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game  Highlights:

• The Rays opened the scoring in the top of the 1st as Jonny DeLuca doubled scoring Jonathan Aranda
• The Rays added a pair of runs in the top of the 3rd as Cedric Mullins singled scoring Junior Caminero and Ben Williamson
• Patrick Corbin pitching line: 4.1IP 9H 3R (all earned) 1BB 1K 86 pitches (51 for strikes)
• The Rays added a run in the top of the 6th on a wild pitch by Tommy Nance that scored Taylor Wall. Home plate umpire Chris Segal was drilled in the knee by the pitch, but stayed in the game after being checked out by Blue Jays trainer Jose Minstrel
• Shane McClannahan pitching line: 5IP 1H 0R 1BB 7K 80 pitches (52 for strikes)
• The Rays added a run in the top of the 7th as Ryan Viladed drilled a solo blast off the basing of the second deck in left
• The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Jesus Sanchez doubled scoring Ernie Clement
• Two batters later, George Springer singled scoring Sanchez
• A batter later, Yohendrick Pinago doubled scoring Brandon Valenzuela and Springer
• A batter later, Pinago scored on a fielding error by Caminero on a ball hit by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
• The Rays retook the lead in the top of the 10th as Wall singled scoring Mullins
• A batter later, Wall scored on a sac fly by Aranda
• The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom half of the inning on a sac fly by Guerrero Jr. that scored:Springer
• Garrett Clevenger got the last 3 outs for his 1st save of the season
• Final score: Rays 7 Blue Jays 6 (10 innings)

My Take:

• Patrick Corbin battled through 4.1 innings, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits while walking 1 and striking out 1. He was working his way in and out of jams all night. He'll be in the rotation for a while after Eric Lauer was DFA'd and with Jose Berrios suffering a setback of some sort and Shane Bieber still a few weeks away (barring any setbacks).\
• The bullpen gave up 4 runs on 4 hits while walking 5 and striking 7 over the last 5.2 innings. None of the relievers retired every batter they faced and Brayden Fisher 
• Offensively, the bats woke up after being stymied by Shane McClanahan with a 5 run rally in the 6th. Yohendrick Pinago, who barely got off the plane after being opioned back to AAA-ball before being recalled again after Addison Barger hurt himself his first game back, drove in 2 runs, Jesus Sanchez each drove in a run and scored a run and George Springer scored twice and drove in a run.
• Both teams were 1-1 on ABS challenges
• The Blue Jays were 2-8 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to snap the 3 game skid and avoid being swept forthe 3rd time, and 2nd straight time vs. the Rays, this season. Dylan Cease starts against Rays righty Griffin Jax.