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| Taijuan Walker threw 6 strong innings to lead the Blue Jays to a 6-3 victory over the Phillies |
After losing their 6th straight, the Blue Jays were looking to salvage a game in their final road game of the season and gain some momentum heading into the final week of games with the Mariners, Tigers, and Orioles all within striking distance of the final WC spot. Taijuan Walker got the start. Vlad was back in the lineup and the field after getting the day off yesterday after a scary hit by pitch that deflected off his batting helmet. Randal Grichuk got the half day off as DH with Jonathan Davis in CF. Teoscar Hernandez was back in the field after DH'ing yesterday. Could the Blue Jays snap the 6 game losing streak? Here is tonight's game recap.
Game Highlights:
- The Blue Jays took the lead in the top of the 1st on a balk that scored Cavan Biggio
- A batter later, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled scoring Bo Bichette
- The Phillies got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Didi Gregorius doubled scoring Alec Bohm
- Adonis Medina pitching line: 4IP 3H 2R (both earned 3BB 4K 84 pitches (51 for strikes)
- The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the top of the 6th as Jonathan Dabis doubled home Gurriel Jr. and Joe Panik
- Taijuan Walker pitching line: 6IP 4H 1R (earned) 2BB 8K 104 pitches (66 for strikes)
- The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the top of the 7th as Teoscar Hernandez smashed a 2-run bomb to dead center; also scoring Bichette
- The Phillies got a pair back on an infield single by Bohm and subsequent throwing error by Panik that scored Roman Quinn and Rafael Marchan. Bohm was eventually thrown out at 3rd in a rundown
- Anthony Bass threw a perfect 9th for his 6th save of the season
- Final score: Blue Jays 6 Phillies 3
My Take:
- The Blue Jays got a strong performance from their starting pitcher for the 2nd straight game. About 18 hours after ace Hyun-jin Ryu turned in a 6-inning gem, trade deadline acquisition Taijuan Walker followed up by throwing 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 8. He became the 1st Blue Jays pitcher to throw over 100 pitches this season. He'll be asked to do it again in a week with a potential playoff start. The Blue Jays may opt to limit his pitch count next start so he can be strong in the post-season,
- It was a tale of essentially two lineup halves today for the Blue Jays. Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. combined to go 7-19 with 5 runs scored, 2RBI and a walk. Joe Panik, Randal Grichuk, Danny Jansen, Jonathan Davis and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were a combined 1-17 with Jonathan Davis reaching on an RBI double and a walk and Panik walking twice.
- The Blue Jays were lucky that three errors committed weren't more costly. Taijuan Walker mishandled a comebacker in the 4th, but struck out the next 2 batters to escape the inning uinscathed. In the 7th, Vlad missed a catch to start the inning and Joe Panik later panicked and threw the ball away. The Blue Jays can't be giving up extra outs like they are
- This win looms large with the Blue Jays having to face the Yankees 4 times followed by a desperate Orioles team battling for that final WC spot.
- Up next, the Blue Jays start the final week of the season against what is expected to be the second place finisher in the AL East, the NY Yankees. Matt Shoemaker is expected to be activated off the IL and be goods for ~ 60 pitches. The Yankees haven't named their starter for tomorrow
