Game #82 Kansas City Royals (28-54) @ Toronto Blue Jays (30-52) - game recap

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a pair of HR  and had 3RBI as the Blue Jays knocked off the Royals 6-2

After ending the official first half of the season with a heartbreaking loss to the mighty Yankees, the Blue Jays look to open the second half of the schedule with a win over one of the few teams they are ahead of in the standings, the KC Royals. It's hard to believe that just four short years ago, these two juggernauts were battling it out in the ALCS. Now, both teams are well into rebuilds and both are on pace to lose 100 games. Tonight, Danny Duffy, one of the few Royals left from the 2016 team, takes to the mound. Sean Reid-Foley will start for the 1st time since opening week. He threw a few innings out of the bullpen last week. Justin Smoak is back after a brief stint on the IL with a strained quad and was at 1st base tonight. Billy McKinney is heading back to Buffalo. Danny Jansen got his third straight start behind the plate. Could the Blue Jays start the official second half and the Canada Day long weekend with a victory? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Royals opened the scoring in the top of the 5th as Martin Maldanado crushed a solo bomb to straightaway center
• The Royals added a run in the top of the 6th as Alex Gordon singled home Nicky Lopez
• Sean Reid-Foley pitching line: 5.1IP 5H 2R (both earned) 1BB 3K 67 pitches (42 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays tied it in the bottom of the 6th as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. smashed a 2-run blast to dead center also scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
• The Blue Jays took the lead in the bottom of the 7th as Eric Sogard cranked a solo shot to right and into the Royals bullpen
• Danny Duffy pitching line: 6.2IP  7H 3R (all earned) 1BB 8K 109 pitches (69 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 8th as Gurriel Jr. hit his second HR of the game to pretty much the identical spot he knocked his first one out to left-center
• Four batters later, Randal Grichuk cracked a 2-run shot to right-center and into the Royals bullpen also scoring Cavan Biggio
• Final score: Blue Jays 6 Royals 2

My Take

• Sean Reid-Foley had a strong start, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk, while striking out 3 over 5.1 innings. To be frank, SRF got a bit of a shaft in the beginning of the season when he was sent down after one rough outing. Considering some of the other starters who have struggled mightily in the 5th hole (E-Jack and his bloated 12.43ERA, Clay Buchholz 0-2 with a 6.57ERA in 5 starts, Clayton Richard 0-4 with a 6.99ERA over 7 starts). Surely SRF could have had one more start before being demoted.
• Loved the comeback in the later innings. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led the way with a pair of HR. Randal Grichuk added two more to give the Blue Jays a 4 run cushion. Eric Sogard hit the game winning HR with 2 outs in the 7th. Every Blue Jay got on base at least once except Teoscar Hernandez, who continues to struggle mightily at the plate, although his defense has been better of late. 
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to tie the series as ace Marcus Stroman starts against Royals righty Homer Bailey.