Blue Jays 1 White Sox 2
I suppose it had to end sometime, but I had hoped it wouldn’t end until September.
I guess we start a new streak tomorrow.
Today? We got nine hits, but only one run. It came in the second inning. Will Wagner led off with a double. An out later, Myles Straw walked, with a wild pitch thrown in, and we had runners on the corners. Tyler Heineman laid down a very nice squeeze bunt and beat out the play at first. I’m not big on squeeze bunts early in the game, but if you beat it out for a single, I’ll forgive. But Leo Jimenez lined one hard but the White Sox first baseman made a nice catch and doubled Straw off second base. No faulting Straw for that, it was just too quick.
We had a number of chances to score:
- In the first Nathan Lukes and Bo Bichette singled to start things, but Vlad hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
- In the third, Bo singled with one out. He was erased in a force at second, putting Vlad in his spot. The White Sox pitcher threw a wild to first on a pick-off try. Vlad went to second, then the throw two seconds got past the second baseman, and Vlad continued to third, but the third baseman picked up the ball and threw to the pitcher running to cover third.
- In the sixth, Lukes (single) and Bo (walk) started the inning. Vlad hit into a force at second, giving us runners on the corners. But Addison Barger hit into a 3-6 double play, getting a ground ball, stepping on first and throwing to second. It was very close at second.
- In the eighth, Bo doubled with two out but was stranded.
I thought we would do well against Adrian Houser because he seemed to be affected by the heat in Chicago, throwing up in the dugout after the first, but he threw seven good innings.
Eric Lauer gave up four hits, two earned, one walk, with seven strikeouts in four innings, taking the loss.
Braydon Fisher, Brendon Little, Ryan Burr and Yariel Rodríguez didn’t allow a run through the last four innings, but without any offense it didn’t matter.
Jay of the Day: Bo Bichette (.225 WPA, 3 for 3 with a walk)
Other Award: Barger (-.342, 0 for 4, k, double play), Vlad (-.253, 0 for 4, double play), Straw (-.097, 0 for 3, walk) and Jimenez (-.095, 0 for 2).
Ryan Burr left the game with an injury. They haven’t announced what it was, but it didn’t look good. He will get an MRI on his shoulder today.
Tomorrow is an off-day, and then we have three with the A’s in Vegas Oakland Sacramento, before the All-Star break.