Blue Jays 2 Rangers 1
What a great start by Kevin Gausman. He threw eight innings, allowing just five hits, no walks, with six strikeouts. He came out of the game with 96 pitches. I’m old school enough to think ‘Maybe he should have come out for the complete game.’ But it was likely the right call to pull him.
The only mark against Gausman was the fourth-inning home run by Wyatt Langford.
On the Jays’ side, say it with me, we should have scored more runs.
We got a run in the first, a Daulton Varsho home run. And one in the fourth: Vladimir Guerrero singled to start the inning. Varsho hit a ground-rule double to give us runners on second and third. Alejandro Kirk brought home Vlad with a sac fly. Then Anthony Santander grounded one to first. With the contact play on, Varsho was out at home. Barger followed with a single, but Ernie Clement ground out to end the inning.
We had chances:
- In the fifth, with one out, Nathan Lukes and Bo Bichette walked. Then Vlad hit a line drive to right, 104.8 mph, .650 expected BA and right into a glove. A Varsho groundout ended the inning.
- In the sixth, Kirk led off with a single. An out later, Barger doubled to give us runners on second and third. Clement hit a fly to right, 278 feet. Kirk started toward home, but the throw was strong and he stopped and returned to second. I don’t think any player would have scored with that throw. Then Michael Stefanic ground out to end it.
- In the eighth, Varsho started things off with a bunt single. Kirk walked. Santander lined one to right, 99.9 mph, .670 expected batting average and into a glove. After that, Barger struck out on three pitches, without swinging at any, and Clement ground out.
- In the ninth, Stefanic led off with a walk. Myles Straw bunted him to second. I do not like bunts, but that was likely the best move. Bo ground out. Then Vlad lined a single up the middle. Unfortunately, he hit it hard, 111.1 mph, and Stefanic couldn’t score. Then Varsho flew out to end the inning.
None of us were confident that Jeff Hoffman would come in for a one-run save, but he got three soft fly-outs to pick up his 11th save.
I thought beating Jacob deGrom was a long shot, but they showed me. deGrom wasn’t great, but then we only scored two runs off him. We managed eight hits on the day. Varsho had three (home run, ground-rule double and bunt single). Vlad and Barger each had two. Bo, Santander, Clement, Stefanic, and Lukes had 0 fors.
Jays of the Day: Gausman (.516 WPA), Hoffman (.196) and Varsho (.158).
Other Award: Clement (-.171 for an 0 for 4) and Santander (-.164, for an 0 for 4, though he hit a couple of hard-hit balls),
Tomorrow is an evening game (YAY). Bowden Francis (2-6, 5.54) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 1.60).