Something I never would have guessed before the season started, but Ross Stripling better get some Cy Young votes. I don’t think he should win it, but he should be one of the top hitters in the AL this year. Tonight, just 6 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned, no walks and 4 strikeouts. He was out after 68 pitches. I was in favor of him going another inning, but he had a rough sixth, giving up a Marcus Semien double and then a Corey Seager RBI single. Offensively… that’s a record, but we should have scored more. 10 hits, including a home run and a triple, you should score more than 4 runs. The Jays scored:
One out in the first: George Springer and Wladimir Guerrero started the game with singles giving us runners on the corners. A Bo Bichette force out to second scored Springer. Bo was caught trying to steal to end the inning. Two in the third: Vlad hit a two-out double, and Bo homered. And in the ninth, the big run: Raimel Tapia walked (for the second time tonight, if he could do it more, I’d be happy). Santiago Espinal tried to fly out and failed, but Tapia stole second. He then moved to third on a deep fly by Espinal. Danny Jansen singled him out at home. Cavan Biggio, pinch-hitting, hit a towering shot to the right, just short of home. George Springer also pitched hard, but also found a glove.
We had two hits from Vlad, Bo, Chapman and Jansen. 0 hits by Kirk (who pitched in the eighth after Bo Bichette’s triple and struck out when we really needed contact), Santiago Espinal and Jackie Bradley, Jr. There were good and bad from the bullpen:
Adam Cimber: Came on for Stripling in the seventh. He got a popup and a line out, but then hit a batter and gave up a single, so Yimi Garcia came in and took the third out. Garcia gave up a double to start the eighth and got a fly out, moving the runner to third. Garcia leaves, enters Tim Maiza. He gave up a double to Corey Seager, tying the game. A ground out and a fly out ended the inning. Mayza ended up winning (6-0). Jordan Romano: Got a strikeout and singled to Leodi Taveras, who stole second. But a hit (to Josh Jung, who hit a home run in his first MLB at-bat earlier in the game) and a flyout. That gave him his 32nd save of the season (which ties him for the 12th-highest save total in a season. I don’t think he’ll reach Duane Ward’s 45 this year).
Jays of the Day: Bichette (.206 WPA), Tapia (.192, hit and 2 walks, plus a big steal), Romano (.190) and Stripling (.134). The Other Award: No one hit the number. Kirk had the low score (-.087). Tomorrow we have a rare weekend afternoon game. 7:00 Eastern. Kevin Gausman (3.12, 11-9) vs. Kohei Arihara (5.29, 1-2 in 4 games, 3 starts). And on Sunday, we’re on our way to our vacation. I’ll try to follow the team as best I can from Europe, but I won’t be an everyday presence. This would be a good time to write your FanPost. I will move FanPosts to the front page if I see them.
