Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Game # 41 New York Yankees (21-20) @ Toronto Blue Jays (23-18) - game recap

 

Danny Jansen hit a grand slam to cap off a 10-run inning in a 12-7 come from behind win over the Yankees 

Now the games are starting to get real. After hanging onto defeat the sad sack Red Sox yesterday, the Blue Jays began a crucial series vs. the NY Yankees, who they face 10 times in the next 20 games (7 of those games will be at "home" in Buffalo). Last season, the Blue Jays were 8-11 vs. the Bronx Bombers and were outscored 106-82. The Blue Jays and Yankees are both missing big bats (Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez for the Blue Jays and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for the Yankees) who are out with injury.  Hernandez and Wilmer Font were placed on the 10-day IL. Jonathan Davis and righty Sean Reid-Foley were added to the roster. Hyun-jin Ryu got the start for the Blue Jays to start this series. Cavan Biggio was in RF, filling in for the injured Hernandez.Vlad got the half day off, serving as DH with Rowdy Tellez at 1B. Jonathan Villar got the start at 2B and Santiago Espinal was at SS. Could the Blue Jays make it two wins in a row? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights

  • The Yankees opened the scoring in the top of the 1st as Luke Volt smacked a solo blast to left
  • A batter later, Aaron Hicks jacked one out to left
  • The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Rowdy Tellez doubled home Cavan Biggio
  • The Blue Jays tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd as Santiago Espinal singled scoring Travis Shaw 
  • The Yankees took the lead in the top of the 4th as Miguel Andujar smashed a solo bomb to left-center 
  • Jordan Montgomery pitching line: 3.1IP 6H 2R (both earned) 2BB 1K 84 pitches (46 for strikes)
  • The Yankees added a pair of runs in the top of the 5th as Clint Frazier doubled home DJ LeMahieu and Volt
  • Hyun-jin Ryu pitching line: 5IP 6H 5R (all earned) 2BB 5K 98 pitches (57 for strikes)
  • The Yankees added a run in the top of the 6th on a bases loaded walk by Hicks that forced in Thairo Estrada 
  • The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom half of the inning on a fielding error by Volt on a grounder hit by Tellez that allowed Espinal to score 
  • A batter later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled home Biggio and Randal Grichuk
  • A batter later, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled scoring Tellez
  • Two batters later, Shaw singled home Guerrero Jr. and Gurriel Jr.
  • Two batters later, Danny Jansen hammered a grand slam to left-center; also scoring Jonathan Villar, Shaw and Joe Panik
  • The Yankees got one back in the top of the 9th on a ground out by Andujar that scored Frazier
  • Final score: Blue Jays 12 Yankees 7

My Take:

  • Hyun-jin Ryu worked in and out of trouble all game He gave up 3 solo shots and stranded 4 base runners. His defense let him down twice with fielding errors. Ryu's best inning was the 3rd when he walked a batter and quickly escaped the inning with a double play and threw just 12 pitches. This was probably the toughest lineup he's had to contend with thus far.
  • Despite having a tough inning himself (SRF gave up 1 run on 3 walks and a base hit), Sean Reid-Foley was the winning pitcher.
  • Some fun stats from the huge 6th inning:
    • The Blue Jays sent 13 men to the plate (10 different batters as Santiago Espinal was pinch hit for in by Joe Panik in his second plate appearance of the inning)
    • Relievers Chad Green and Adam Ottavino combined to allow 10 runs (9 earned) on 5 hits while walking 4 and striking out none. They threw a COMBINED 58 pitches.
    • The most unlikely hero in the inning was Danny Jansen, who capped the inning off with a grand slam. Jansen is hitting a paltry .155 on the season. It might have been his best game offensively. On top of the grand slam, he drew 2 walks
    • The last time the Blue Jays put up 10 runs in an inning was August 31, 2010 in a 13-5 win over the Rays. The Blue Jays lineup that day included DeWayne Wise, Jose Bautista (he was playing the hot corner that day and not his traditional RF position), Adam Lind, Aaron Hill and Travis Snider. The Blue Jays had another southpaw as their ace that season in Rocky Romero (who started the game). Tonight's game, the scoring was capped off by a grand slam, then it was capped off by a 3-run HR. That day 14 men came to the plate (tonight it was 13). Then the inning included 10 runs on 9 hits, a hit batter and 2 walks. Forty pitches were thrown in 2010, 27 less than tonight. Finally, both the 10-run innings occurred in the 6th inning of the game.
  • Every Blue Jays starter, except Jonathan Villar had at least one hit and every Blue Jay scored at least once
  • Up next, the Blue Jays face ex-teammate JA  Happ. The Blue Jays will counter with righty Taijuan Walker. Both Walker and Happ also pitched for the Mariners in 2015 (for Happ, it was just a 21 game stint before being traded).