 |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu threw six strong innings in a losing effort as the Phillies knocked off the Blue Jays 3-1 |
After a rough day yesterday, where the Blue Jays dropped both games of the double header by a combined score of 15-7, the Blue Jays were back at it today trying to snap a season-high 5 game losing streak. Santiago Espinal was optioned back to the taxi squad in favor of Patrick Murphy as the Blue Jays opted for an extra arm in the bullpen tonight. Ace Hyun-jin Ryu was on the mound and looking to give his team a fighting chance. Vlad got the full day off (not surprising after a scary hit by pitch off his batting helmet in the second game. Travis Shaw was at 1B and Teoscar Hernandez got the half day off as the DH. Could the Blue Jays snap the five game losing streak? Here is tonight's game recap.
Game Highlights:
- The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 5th as Travis Shaw crushed a solo bomb to right-center
- The Phillies tied it up in the bottom half of the inning as Andrew Knapp singled home Jay Bruce
- Two batters later, Andrew McCutchen singled home Knapp
- Vince Velasquez pitching line: 6IP 2H 1R (earned) 3BB 6K 104 pitches (64 for strikes)
- Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching line: 6IP 6H 2R (both earned) 1BB 8K 99 pitches (62 for strikes)
- The Phillies added a run in the bottom of the 8th as Adam Haseley singled scoring Phil Gosselin
- Tommy Hunter pitched a perfect 9th for his 1st save of the season.
- Final score: Phillies 3 Blue Jays 1
My Take:
- After surrendering 15 runs yesterday, Hyun-Jin Ryu and three relievers held the Philies to three runs, which on most days should give you a win. Not tonight. Ryu was pretty sharp through the first 4 innings, retiring 12 of the 14 batters, allowing an infield single, a walk and another single. The Phillies got to him in the 5th with 2 runs on 5 hits.. The Phillies added an insurance run in the 8th and it might as well have been 100-1 - the Blue Jays weren't coming back in this one
- Aside from Travis Shaw's solo shot in the 5th, the Blue Jays only managed 4 other base runners, 3 on walks. The biggest threat the Blue Jays had to score was the 1st inning, when they had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out, only to have Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk go down swinging
- This might have been the worst game offensively. After the Shaw HR, 14 straight Blue Jays were out. You can see the Blue Jays have no confidence at the plate right now. Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez are still trying to get their timing back after lengthy absences on the IL, but the rest of the team has no excuse
- Up next, the Blue Jays try to salvage a game in this series before they go home for the final week of the season where they will face the Yankees and Orioles in critical series. Taijuan Walker gets the start for the Blue Jays against an unknown Phillies pitcher.
