Jays Win In 10 Innings

Blue Jays 2 Tigers 1 (10 innings)

Jays, I clearly asked for more than two runs today.

But…..we won.

I hate bullpen days……but they seem to work. The Jays game up just one run, on seven hits, with 14 strikeouts. It is tough to argue with success. The Jays used six pitchers:

• Mason Fluharty got the first four outs, allowing one hit, struck out three of five batters he faced.
• Spencer Miles was the bulk guy, going 3.2 innings, allowing two hits, with two walks and five strikeouts.
• Brandon Fisher gave up the only run again the Jays, a solo home run by Matt Vierlingin the sixth inning, getting two strikeouts.
• Tommy Nance pitched a quick seventh, with no base runners and a strikeout.
• Tyler Rogers gave up a hit and got a strikeout in the eighth.
• Louis Varland pitched the ninth and tenth (I was surprised when he came back out in the 10th, after throwing 20 pitches in the ninth). He ended up throwing 26 pitches, and didn’t allow the Manfred Man to score, giving up two hits, with two strikeout in his two innings.

Offensively? We did almost nothing. Yohendrick Piñango hit his first MLB home run in the seventh inning, to tied the game at one. He was 2 for 4.

And then, in the 10th, after Kazuma Okamoto ground out (without moving Vlad (playing Manfred Man) up to third. But then Daulton Varsho singled Vlad home. After that, Myles Straw popped out to center and Lenyn Sosa doubled (but Varsho couldn’t score). After that Ernie Clement hit a soft fly out on the first pitch (a ball that couldn’t have been more than three inches off the ground.

When we couldn’t score that second run, I was sure we were looking at another loss. But, with Zack Short on second, Varland got Jake Rogers to ground out. Then Kevin McGonigle ground out (moving Short to third). And Dillon Dingle (can you imagine going to school with that name?) struck out swinging at another pitch that was closer to the ground than the strike zone.

As mentioned, the Jays got five hits, Piñango and Varsho two each. And Sosa that double in the tenth. And we only had one walk. Yes, we were very lucky to win.

I did start thinking that Okamoto maybe should move a few inches up in the strike zone.

There were some good defensive moments or at least some interesting defensive moments:

• Okamoto, going after a foul pop up, had the ball bounce out of his glove, up and to his right and he made a nice bare-handed catch.
• In the ninth, with two on and one out, Sosa fielded a ground ball to his left at second, but instead of going for the easy play at first, threw to second to force the runner. I was watching at the bar and I may have yelled something that shouldn’t be yelled in public. He made the play, so I guess that was good, but he too an unnecessary chance throwing to the shortstop who had the baserunner coming in at the same time. Many things could have gone wrong, but they didn’t.
• Tyler Heineman threw out Matt Vierling trying to steal second in the second inning. Nice throw.

Davis Schneider’s batting average is now under .140. He challenged a strike call and was wrong, and ending up striking out.

Jays of the Day: Varsho (0.34 WPA), Varland (0.34),Miles (0.23, I’m all for stretching him out to become a strarter),Piñango (0.16), Rogers (0.11) and Nance (0.09)

Other Award: Vlad (-0.14 for an 0 for 4, he did score the winning run), Springer (-0.13, for an 0 for 4, 1 k), Sánchez (-0.10, 0 for 3, 2 k), Sosa (-0.9, for an 1 for 4, double), Giménez (-0.9, 0 for 3) and Fisher (-0.12).

Tomorrow we have game three of this series. Kevin Gausman (2-3, 3.86) starts with a depleted bullpen behind him, and Jack Flaherty (0-4. 5.73) are the starts. Please score more than 2 runs, Blue Jays.