Friday, August 10, 2018

Game #115 Tampa Bay Rays (59-57) @ Toronto Blue Jays (52-63) - game recap

Michael Perez was 2-4 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored as the Rays shutout the Blue Jays 7-0

The Blue Jays arch nemesis, the TB Rays are in town for a weekend series. The Blue Jays have all but one win against the AL East division rivals (although the first 2 series of the season were in TB where the Blue Jays never win). Tonight, they turned to the current staff ace Marco Estrada, who could be making his final start in a Blue Jays uniform, as he is a candidate to be traded in August. Here is today's game recap.

Game Highlights
  • The Rays took the lead in the top of the 3rd as Michael Perez hit a 2 run HR to right also scoring Willy Adames
  • The Rays added a run in the top of the 5th as Mallex Smith tripled home Adames
  • The next batter, Joey Wendle, hit a sac fly to score Smith
  • Ji-Man Choi hit a solo HR leading off the 6th to make it a 5-run lead
  • Marco Estrada pitching line: 5.1IP 5H 5R (all earned) 2BB 6K 91 pitches (64 for strikes)
  • Blake Snell pitching line: 5IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K 47 pitches (33 for strikes)
  • The Rays added a pair of runs in the top of the 7th as Wendle doubled home Perez and Adames
  • Final score: Rays 7 Blue Jays 0
My Take

  • Rough outing for Marco Estrada. He was forced to through a lot of pitches early, 60 through two innings. He gave up five runs on five hits and a pair of walks.
  • Blue Jays pitchers were victimized by the bottom two in the Rays lineup tonight. Michael Perez and Willy Adames combined too acute five of the seven Rays runs and five of the nine Rays hits.
  • In an odd move, Blake Snell was removed after five innings despite throwing a perfect game. He was hit by a Kendrys Morales line drive in the fifth inning. Apparently the plan was to remove him after that time. His replacement, Jake Faria, promptly gave up a lead off single to Luke Maile to break up the perfect game.
  • The Blue Jays offence was none-existent tonight. They had a measly three hits and did not get a runner past second base. Had Blake Snell not been pulled after five perfect innings, the Blue Jays might have been looking at their second straight no-hitter or even second career perfect game.
  • Up next, the Blue Jays look to even the three-game series. Sam Gaviglio will be starting against a Rays reliever. In fact, the next two games will be bullpen days for the Rays, who only have Snell as a traditional starter