Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Game #86 New York Mets (34-49) @ Toronto Blue Jays (40-46) - game recap

Jose Bautista salutes the crowd Tuesday. He played what might have been his final game in Toronto Wednesday. The Mets doubled up on the Blue Jays 6-3 Wednesday.

The Blue Jays received some somewhat promising news today with an MRI finding only a mild strain of the glute muscle for starter Marco Estrada, who left his start yesterday after facing just 4 batters. With two starters, Aaron Sanchez and Jaime Garcia, already on the DL, the Blue Jays can ill afford to lose a third starting pitcher. Tonight, Marcus Stroman was making his third start since coming off the DL himself. Tonight's game also potentially marked the last time Jose Bautista played baseball in Toronto. Here is tonight's game recap.

Game highlights
  • The Blue Jays took the lead in the button of the 2nd on a Kendrys Morales solo HR to right
  • The Mets tied it in the top of the 3rd as Brandon Nimmo singled home Kevin Plawecki
  • The Blue Jays retook the lead in the bottom of the 4th as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled home Morales
  • The Mets took the lead in the top of the 5th on a 2 run blast to center by Todd Frazier that also scored Wilmer Flores
  • Five batters later, Jose Bautista singled, scoring Plawecki
  • The next batter, Asdrubal Cabrera singled home Nimmo
  • The next batter, Michael Conforto, singled home Bautista
  • Marcus Stroman pitching line: 4.2IP 6H 6R (all earned) 4BB 2K 85 pitches (49 for strikes)
  • Corey Oswalt pitching line: 4IP 5H 2R (both earned) 1BB 2K 65 pitches (42 for strikes)
  • The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Morales scored on a fielder's choice hit by Gurriel Jr.
  • Final score: Mets 6 Blue Jays 3
My take

  • Marcus Stroman had a tough 5th inning vs. the Mets. In the 5th, Stroman gave up 5 runs on5 hits and a walk and one of the inherited runners scored after he was pulled from the game. Stroman got lucky in the first three innings as walks he issued in the 1st and 2nd innings were erased by double plays. In the 3rd inning, he allowed a run but got out of the inning on the same play as Brandon Nimmo was thrown out at second attempting to stretch a single into a double. Stroman's slider was not breaking the way he needed it to and his command was off today.
  • Kudos to the NY Mets for placing Jose Bautista 2nd in the lineup to let him have the max # of AB's in what could have been his last series in Toronto. Bautista finished the series 2-7 with a pair of singles, 2 runs scored and three walks. He misplayed a couple of balls in RF, but the important thing is fans got to cheer on Joey Bats one last time and commemorate one of the greatest players ever to don a Toronto Blue Jays uniform.
  • Russell Martin was terrific at the plate (3-3; 3 singles) and not so terrific behind the plate (a passed ball and later on a wild pitch). He did throw out Brandon Nimmo to end the 3rd and limit the damage to a single run though.
  • Kendrys Morales also had a good night at the plate, scoring all three Blue Jays runs and getting 3 hits of his own, finishing a triple shy of the cycle
  • I also liked the play of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. who knocked in a pair of runs and looked good in the field
  • Up next, after an off-day tomorrow, the Blue Jays and Yankees meet again at the Roger's center with right Sam Gaviglio getting the start against the Yankees 5th starter Sonny Gray.