Game #28 - Seattle Mariners (12-16) @ Toronto Blue Jays (18-10) - game recap

 

Bo Bichette hit a 3-run HR in a losing effort as the Mariners came from behind to defeat the Blue Jays 10-8 in 10 innings

After winning a pitcher's duel on a 10-inning walk-off RBI single by George Springer, the Blue Jays go for their 7th straight win and 2nd straight series sweep. Chris Bassitt got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. Daulton Varsho was in CF and Whit Merrifield was in LF. Santiago Espinal got the start at 2B. Danny Jansen served as DH. Could the Blue Jays make it seven straight wins and two straight series sweeps? Here is today's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Mariners opened the scoring in the top of the 1st on a grand slam to right by Taylor Trammell that also scored Teoscar Hernandez, Jarred Kelenic and Cal Raleigh
• The Blue Jays got a pair back in the bottom half of the inning as Matt Chapman doubled scoring Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr
• The Blue Jays took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd as Bichette hammered a 3-run bomb to dead center; also scoring Santiago Espinal and George Springer 
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 3rd as Danny Jansen doubled scoring Chapman
• A batter later, Espinal singled home Alejandro Kirk and Jansen
• Marco Gonzales pitching line: 3IP 8H 8R (5 earned) 1BB 2K 67 pitches (46 for strikes)
• Chris Bassitt pitching line: 5IP 2H 4R (all earned) 4BB 7K 96 pitches (61 for strikes)
• The Mariners got one back in the top of the 6th as Teoscar Hernandez bashed an opposite-field solo blast to right-center 
• The Mariners got two back in the top of the 8th as Raleigh smashed a 2-run bomb to right-center; also scoring Kelenic
• The Mariners tied it up in the top of the 9th as JP Crawford singled scoring Jose Caballero 
• The Mariners took the lead in the top of the 10th as Raleigh bashed a 2-run jack to right; also scoring Eugenio Suarez
• Matt Brash pitched a scoreless 9th for his 1st save of the season
• Final score: Mariners 10 Blue Jays 8

My Take:

• Chris Bassitt battled through 5 innings. giving up 4 runs on 2 hits, while walking 4 and striking out 7. He had a rough first inning where he was getting frustrated with the umpire and was overthrowing pitches. Unfortunately. he gave up a grand slam to fall behind by 4. He did settle down after the first inning, but the damage was done
• The bullpen, which had been so good lately, blew this one. Blue Jays killer Call Raleigh hit a pair of 2-run HR and scored one of the runs off the 1st inning grand slam. Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson were both unavailable having pitched the last 2 days
• The offense got to starter Marco Gonzalez, scoring 8 times over three innings. Unfortunately, they could not add any more runs once Gonzalez was knocked out of the game
• The Blue Jays were 5-20 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays hit the road for the next 10 days, beginning in Boston tomorrow. The Blue Jays dominated the season series last year, going 16-3 and outscoring the Red Sox a whopping 125-55. Jose Berrios starters the opener of the series against Red Sox righty Corey Kluber.