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| Anthony Santander hit his first home run as a Blue Jay against his former team in a losing effort as the Orioles came from behind to edge the Blue Jays 5-4 |
After the first rainout of the season, the Blue Jays moved to the 3rd and final stop of the season-opening road trip and a rematch with the Orioles. The two squads split the 4 games of the season-opening series in Toronto with the Orioles outscoring the Blue Jays 24-18. Bowden Francis got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. Vlad was back in the lineup and at 1B after missing the last game to nurse an ailing wrist. The rest of the lineup was the same as Thursday's extra innings loss in Boston. Could the Blue Jays start the abbreviated weekend with a win? Here is today's game recap
Game Highlights:
- The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 1st as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled scoring Bo Bichette
- The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 2nd as Bichette singled home Nathan Lukes
- The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 4th as Anthony Santander hammered a solo bomb to right-center
- Tomoyuki Sugano pitching line: 4.2IP 8H 3R (all earned) 2BB 0K 73 pitches (45 for strikes)
- The Orioles got a pair back in the bottom of the 5th as Heston Kjerstad hammered a solo bomb to dead center; also scoring Cedric Mullins
- The Orioles tied it up in the bottom of the 6th as Adley Rutschman belted a solo jack to right-center
- Three batters later, Mullins tripled scoring Jordan Westburg and Ryan O'Hearn
- Bowden Francis pitching line: 5.2IP 4H 5R (all earned) 2BB 5K 96 pitches (53 for strikes)
- The Blue Jays got one back in the top of the 7th on a double play ball hit by Bichette that scored Lukes
- Felix Bautista pitched a scoreless 9th for his 1st save of the season
- Final score: Orioles 5 Blue Jays 4
My Take
- Bowden Francis retired the first 13 batters he faced before the Orioles got to him to the tune of 5 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. Was Francis trying to pitch too fine knowing the potential of what was happening? The Orioles took him deep twice and capped off the damage with a triple. Pitching from the stretch is different from pitching with no runners on, although Francis uses a stance more similar to a reliever, standing sideways to the bitter as opposed to facing the bitter dead on. Francis has been one of the more pleasant surprises of the past few seasons.
- The bullpen did its part to give the Blue Jays a chance to mount a comeback, limiting the Orioles to a hit and a hit batter over the last 2.1 innings. Mason Fluharty retired every batter he faced.
- The offense jumped on starter Tomoyuki Sugano early, scoring a run in three of the first four innings. Anthony Santander homered for the first time in a Blue Jays uniform back in his old stomping grounds at Oriole Park in Camden Yards. Bo Bichette scored a run and drove in a run. Vlad also contributed an RBI double. The trouble was after they knocked Sugano out of the game, the Blue Jays produced one more run in the 7th, but could not tie the game with Bichette striking out to end the game.
- Quirky play of the day: a fly ball out by Santander that appeared to advance Vlad and Bichette on the play turned to to be a double play because Vlad left 1st base before Orioles RF Tyler O'Neill had caught the ball
- The Blue Jays were 4-13 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles were 2-3 with runners in scoring position and that was the difference maker in today's loss
- Up next, the Blue Jays try to end the road trip with a win and escape Baltimore with a series split. Ace Jose Berrios starts against Orioles lefty Cade Povich
