After winning 2/3 vs. the Phillies over the weekend, the Blue Jays continued the homestand, opened a 3-game set again the Red Sox. Boston and Toronto split a pair of games April 20-21 at Fenway Park. The Blue Jays come into the series a game and a half back of the Red Sox for 1st place in the AL East. If the playoffs were to start tonight, the Blue Jays would host the WC game against the Astros. On the injury front, there was good news. Rafael Dolis was activated off the IL after missing 10 days with a calf strain. Thomas Hatch will begin a rehab assignment in triple-A after missing more than 2 months with a right elbow impingenent. George Springer is seemingly a ways off returning, since he is still only jogging. Expect him to maybe be ready after the all-star game at the earliest. He'll definitely need a rehab assignment before he rejoins the team. It was a battle of the lefties tonight with Hyun-jin Ryu taking on Eduardo Rodriguez. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. got the half day off as DH with Teoscar Hernandez in LF and Cavan Biggio in RF. Espinal Santiago was at the hot corner tonight. Could the Blue Jays make it three wins in a row? Here is tonight's game recap.
Game Highlights:
- The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd as Danny Jansen singled scoring Randal Grichuk
- The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th on a single by Marcus Semien and subsequent throwing error by Hunter Renfroe that scored Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jansen
- A batter later, Bo Bichette doubled home Semien
- The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 5th as Gurriel Jr. singled home Teoscat Hernandez
- Eduardo Rodriguez pitching line: 5IP 11H 5R (all earned) 1BB 6K 87 pitches (57 for strikes)
- The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 6th as Hernandez singled scoring Bichette
- Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching line: 7IP 4H 0R 0BB 7K 100 pitches (67 for strikes)
- The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the bottom of the 8th as Grichuk cranked a 2-run blast to the opposite field in right; also scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr,
- Blue Jays 8 Red Sox 0
My Take:
- Hyun-Jin Ryu threw seven shutout innings, allowing 4 runs while walking none and striking out 6. At one point, Ryu retired 8 in a row. Just like Roy Halladay, Ryu looks like he's pitching from a rocking chair. He's so smooth and methodical in his delivery
- Bo Bichette had an adventurous day in the field, bobbling a couple of grounders and making a wide throw to Vlad. Tonight was his 8th error, the most since his rookie year in 2019 where he made 7 errors in 42 games. Perhaps the Blue Jays should consider moving him to a different position.
- Offensively, the Bklue Jays exploded for 8 runs on 18 hits. They only drew 2 walks. Every Blue Jays batter had at least one hit. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. all had 3 hit nights
- Don't look now but Danny Jansen has dragged his average up to .143 and he had 2 hits tonight
- Up next, the Blue Jays go for the series win and the chance to be first in the AL East. Blue Jays righty Ross Stripling goes up against Red Sox righty Garrett Richards
