The Toronto Blue Jays had a big chance to make up some ground against the Red Sox and Yankees, but went 2-5, including a sweep by New York. They had another chance this past week as 7 of their next 9 games are against AL East bottom feeders, the Baltimore Orioles.
Game 1: Jays 1 – 7 Orioles
Cedric Mullins got Baltimore out in front early with a lead off home run off of Jays starter Robbie Ray. Lourdes Gurriel Jr would tie the game at 1’s with his 7th HR of the season in the 5th. Ray would be taken out of the game in the 5th innning after 106 pitches, and trailing the game 2-1. The Jays were hanging in it until the 8th were Baltimore blew it open. The Orioles scored 5 runs highlighted but another home run by Cedric Mullins, this time a 3-run shot, that would seal the game for Baltimore.
Game 2: Jays 10 – 7 Orioles
Toronto would get off to a good start in game 2 when both Marcus Semien and Vladdy Guerrero Jr hit solo shots to give Toronto the 2-0 lead. Alek Manoah was on the hill for Toronto, and he struggled in this game. Only going 3 1/3 innings, allowing only 4 hits, but all of them were home runs, and was tossed from the game after plunking Maikel Franco, and left trailing 5-2. After the teams traded 2 runs each, the game was 7-4 Baltimore going into the 9th inning, and just when it looked like the Jays were going to lose another series, the boys would rally! The bases loaded with 2 outs in the 9th, and the Jays wouldn’t go away. Marcus Semien would draw a walk, to make it 7-5, before a bloop single by Bo Bichette would tie the game at 7. A double by Vladdy would give the Jays a 9-7 lead, and Randal Grichuk would drive Vladdy in for an extra insurance run. A HUGE comeback win for the Jays!
Game 3: Jays 7 – 4 Orioles
Hyun Jin Ryu was the starter for the Jays in the series finale, and he had a fantastic game. Ryu would give up a solo home run to Trey Mancini in the 1st inning, and that was it. Ryu would settle in, and go 7 innings, only allowing that 1 run, on 3 hits. It would stay 1-0 Baltimore until the 5th inning. Bo Bichette would single in Reese McGuire to tie the game, then 3 consecutive hits by Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk, and Cavan Biggio all scored a run to make it 4-1 Toronto. McGuire and Bichette would each add another RBI in the top half of the 8th to make it 6-1, but things got a little nervy in the bottom half when Ryu was taken out. Trent Thornton would come in and surrender 3 runs to make it 6-4, but the Jays would add 1 more in the top of the 9th, and Tyler Chatwood closed this one out for the 7-4 win.
Jays Series Standout:
Bo Bichette will be the standout in this series, as he came up with 2 big RBI’s in both game 2 and 3.
Game 1: Jays 2 – 1 Marlins
The start of the 2 game mini series in Miami was all about the starting pitching. Ross Stripling had another great game for Toronto, he went 6 innings, only allowing 1 run on 2 hits. His only mistake came to Jesus Sanchez in the 2 inning, when the Marlins’ left fielder hit a solo bomb to straight away center. Sandy Alcantara also had himself a great game, going 8 strong innings, and only giving up an RBI single to Vladdy in the 6th inning. The difference in this one came in the top of the 9th, when Cavan Biggio and Lourdes Gurriel Jr would hit back-to-back doubles to give the Jays a 2-1 lead. Jordan Romano would come in and earn his 4th save of the season.
Game 2: Jays 3 – 1 Marlins
Game 2 was very similar to game 1, as the pitchers were very good again. The Jays would get to Trevor Rodgers in the 1st, when Teo Hernandez would hit and RBI double, and then the returning George Springer drove in the 2nd run of the inning with an RBI ground out. Bichette would add to the lead in the 5th inning with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Robbie Ray was on the hill for the Blue Jays, and he went 6 innings, and gave up just the 1 run to a Starling Marte solo shot in the 6th. The Jays pen did the rest of the work, and Jordan Romano picked up his 2nd save in 2 days.
Jays Series Standout:
The series standout will go to Jordan Romano, as he collected 2 saves, and hopefully is a sign of the entire bullpen getting back on track.
Game 1: Jays 9 – 0 Orioles
Toronto started another series against Baltimore, and the Jays got off to a great start. Orioles’ starter Dean Kremer would walk the bases loaded in the 1st inning, and Toronto would make him pay. Hernandez and Grichuk would both drive in a run, before Gurriel Jr would hit his first grand slam of his career to cap the 6 run inning. Vladdy would hit his Major League leading 24th home run in the 2nd inning, and Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette each doubled in a run to make 9-0 after 3 inning. That’s the way this one would finish, as Anthony Kay would pick up the win, and another confidence boost for the Jays’ pen, as they threw a combined shutout.
Toronto really needed this type of performance this week, as they still have a lot of ground to make up. Let’s see how long they can keep this winning streak going! Up next for the Blue Jays is 3 more games against Baltimore, and then the Seattle Mariners come to town for a 3 game series.
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