Blue Jays 4 Orioles 5
That game should have gone better. We out-hit the Orioles 10 to 5 and yet lost. But then we hit into five double plays.
And made some mistakes on the field:
- Vlad tagged up from first on a fly ball to right but took off just before the catch. They showed the replay several times, and I couldn’t tell if he left early, it looked like he left at the same time as the runner on second.
- Vlad also didn’t make a catch on throws to first base twice, both low throws, but he usually comes up with those.
- Alan Roden bobbled a ball in the outfield, costing us a base.
And the Orioles hit two home runs. Heston Kjerstad hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Adley Rutschman had a solo homer in the sixth.
We did get one today. Anthony Santander finally hit his first home run, a solo homer leading off the third.
Bowden Francis looked great early in the game. But then gave up two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Our bullpen did well, keeping the O’s off the board for the final 2.1 innings without allowing a hit or a walk.
Offensively:
- We had a run in the first. Bo and Vlad doubled. Unfortunately, that’s where it ended. Santander ground out, Andrés Giménez singled to give us runners on the corners, and then stole second. But George Springer popped out, and Will Wagner lined out.
- Another run in the second: Lukes walked with one out, Roden and Bichette singled him around. But Vlad hit into a double play.
- In the third inning, with two outs, Santander homered.
- Alejandro Kirk walked to start the fourth but Lukes hit into a double play.
- Bo and Vlad hit singles to start the fifth, Santander hit into a double play and Giménez flied out.
- In the sixth, Springer started it with a walk, but a Wagner strikeout and a Kirk double-play ball ended it.
- We scored again in the seventh: Lukes started it with a double. Roden singled him to third. And Lukes scored on Bichette’s double play ball.
- The eighth was the only inning we didn’t have base runners.
- The ninth: Kirk took a one out walk. Myles Straw pinch ran and stole second. Lukes walked. But Roden ground out, and Bo Bichette struck out to end the game.
Jays of the Day: Lukes (.124 WPA). Roden had a .092, but he also had the error in the outfield.
The Other Award: Francis (-.430), Bichette (-.204, even with a 3 for 5 day) and Wagner (-.162). And let’s give one to Vlad (.038) for the two missed catches (tough plays, but that’s his job) and for leaving first early.
Tomorrow we have a 1:30 Eastern game. Jose Berrios (1-1, 4.58) vs. Cade Povich (0-1, 3.48) are the starters.