Today I took in a Jays game as they looked to stop the slide. Across the field stood their old expansion brothers from 1977: The Seattle Mariners!
Aaron Sanchez (3-4, 4.17) last year's bullpen ace, took the hill in this one for Toronto. Seattle countered with Taijuan Walker (1-4, 7.47). Missing from the Toronto lineup was *groan* Jose Bautista. His absence was felt for a while as Toronto struggled out of the gate. And it wasn't just their hitters.
That guy is the Jays cap there wearing black? Well, I didn't realize who it was. Dad, sitting next to me, thought it was Jay Triano, ex-Raptor coach. Turns out he was right. He left the game early, Dad and I hung around until the eighth.
Sanchez started the game on the wrong foot as he allowed a walk to Brad Miller and a single to Seth Smith. Would this be a really short afternoon for Sanchez? It seemed like that for a while. He managed to get out of this jam via a nice double play, not apparent. Originally, Robinson Cano was ruled safe at first on the grounder that erased Smith at second. The replay was obvious that Justin Smoak's foot hadn't left the bag by the time the ball got to him. It was pulled off after the catch. Nelson Cruz ended the inning by grounding out.
But the Jays couldn't seem to get a good read on Walker. They were retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first. To make matters worse, two of the three batters failed to get the ball out of the infield. "If only we had Joey Bats!", I thought. This seemed to set the tone, as Toronto could only manage a walk in the second, another walk in the third, and still another in the fourth. But no runs and no hits through four. Meanwhile, Seattle took a 1-0 lead on a home run by Kyle Seager to start the second.
Sanchez seemed to need the double play to get him out of trouble. Seattle put two more on the third inning via a single and a walk. The Jays did some twin-killing to stop that threat. Sanchez got the first two batters in the top, but then Logan Morrison got the second hit off Aaron, and it was a booming double. Welington Castillo grounded out to end that. Aaron allowed the third Seattle hit of the day in the fifth, but escaped via the third double play turned by the Jays. A nice strikeout-caught stealing play!
Kevin Pillar singled in the bottom of the frame for the first Jays' hit. And then Ryan Goins put Toronto ahead with a two-run home run to right. Now I felt better. After one out, I was about to feel much better!
Russell Martin hit a double, and then came a moment I won't soon forget. Edwin Encarnacion has been making tape-measured home runs as his calling card since coming to Toronto. And here, did he ever deliver that. He blasted one into the second deck above where I was sitting (Left-field stands, looking over the Toronto bullpen where Joe Carter's blast went back in 1993), and the Jays were up 4-1. Chirs Colabello tried to keep the rally going with a single, but Toronto got no more.
Sanchez, started to settle down and got Seattle 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth, and picked up another K. It was his fourth and last of the day. Toronto looked like they might have some more insurance in the bottom of the frame. But Goins singled and Munenori Kawasaki got a single. That ended Walker's night...
...As Danny Farquhar came in to pitch, and got the third out. It was still 4-1, Toronto.
The challenge facing Sanchez in the top of the sixth was not to become unraveled. Seager got a single. Sanchez threw a wild pitch. Would the Jays implode? A grounder moved Seager to third. The Jays did the smart thing an went about trying to get outs here. Castillo was out on a fly to right, and that scored Seager to make it 4-2. Seager barely beat the throw from Ezequiel Carrera. Dennis Ackley followed with a single to keep the inning alive.
Sanchez was nearing 100 pitches, and there was still an out to go to get to the eighth. But the Jays needed to make a pitching change to get out of this. Roberto Osuna hopped in from the bullpen and got Chris Taylor to fly out to Carrera to end that. Seventh inning stretch!
Then, Toronto brought it all out in the bottom of the seventh!
Martin grounded out. But Encarnacion singled. Colabello doujbled and Edwin held at third. A two run singled by Justin Smoak put Toronto in the driver's seat, 5-2. Joe Beimel came in, but the Jays were still on the attack. A single, two more walks and a force at second brought in another two runs. An 8-2 lead at this point was money in the bank.
Aaron Loup came in to pitch the eighth, and with his ERA over 5 (5.87), I made up my mind to watch. He allowed a leadoff single, but then really started popping the mitt. He fanned the next two batters and got Cruz on a fly, showing much poise. Liam Hendricks was warming up in the 'pen and the ball was just cracking from his delivery to the mitt.
But neither Dad nor I saw him pitch. We left (At my insistence. We had to catch a train, you know!) at this point. Toronto went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth, but Seattle did likewise in the top of the ninth against Hendricks. Liam got 'em all on strikeouts, bringing Toronto's total to nine on the day.
Well, it was my first game on the season, and I hope to come back for more as the season continues. The Jays' bats and arms were clicking. They need more of that!
References
http://www.mlb.com
Aaron Sanchez (3-4, 4.17) last year's bullpen ace, took the hill in this one for Toronto. Seattle countered with Taijuan Walker (1-4, 7.47). Missing from the Toronto lineup was *groan* Jose Bautista. His absence was felt for a while as Toronto struggled out of the gate. And it wasn't just their hitters.
That guy is the Jays cap there wearing black? Well, I didn't realize who it was. Dad, sitting next to me, thought it was Jay Triano, ex-Raptor coach. Turns out he was right. He left the game early, Dad and I hung around until the eighth.
Sanchez started the game on the wrong foot as he allowed a walk to Brad Miller and a single to Seth Smith. Would this be a really short afternoon for Sanchez? It seemed like that for a while. He managed to get out of this jam via a nice double play, not apparent. Originally, Robinson Cano was ruled safe at first on the grounder that erased Smith at second. The replay was obvious that Justin Smoak's foot hadn't left the bag by the time the ball got to him. It was pulled off after the catch. Nelson Cruz ended the inning by grounding out.
But the Jays couldn't seem to get a good read on Walker. They were retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first. To make matters worse, two of the three batters failed to get the ball out of the infield. "If only we had Joey Bats!", I thought. This seemed to set the tone, as Toronto could only manage a walk in the second, another walk in the third, and still another in the fourth. But no runs and no hits through four. Meanwhile, Seattle took a 1-0 lead on a home run by Kyle Seager to start the second.
Sanchez seemed to need the double play to get him out of trouble. Seattle put two more on the third inning via a single and a walk. The Jays did some twin-killing to stop that threat. Sanchez got the first two batters in the top, but then Logan Morrison got the second hit off Aaron, and it was a booming double. Welington Castillo grounded out to end that. Aaron allowed the third Seattle hit of the day in the fifth, but escaped via the third double play turned by the Jays. A nice strikeout-caught stealing play!
Kevin Pillar singled in the bottom of the frame for the first Jays' hit. And then Ryan Goins put Toronto ahead with a two-run home run to right. Now I felt better. After one out, I was about to feel much better!
Russell Martin hit a double, and then came a moment I won't soon forget. Edwin Encarnacion has been making tape-measured home runs as his calling card since coming to Toronto. And here, did he ever deliver that. He blasted one into the second deck above where I was sitting (Left-field stands, looking over the Toronto bullpen where Joe Carter's blast went back in 1993), and the Jays were up 4-1. Chirs Colabello tried to keep the rally going with a single, but Toronto got no more.
Sanchez, started to settle down and got Seattle 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth, and picked up another K. It was his fourth and last of the day. Toronto looked like they might have some more insurance in the bottom of the frame. But Goins singled and Munenori Kawasaki got a single. That ended Walker's night...
...As Danny Farquhar came in to pitch, and got the third out. It was still 4-1, Toronto.
The challenge facing Sanchez in the top of the sixth was not to become unraveled. Seager got a single. Sanchez threw a wild pitch. Would the Jays implode? A grounder moved Seager to third. The Jays did the smart thing an went about trying to get outs here. Castillo was out on a fly to right, and that scored Seager to make it 4-2. Seager barely beat the throw from Ezequiel Carrera. Dennis Ackley followed with a single to keep the inning alive.
Sanchez was nearing 100 pitches, and there was still an out to go to get to the eighth. But the Jays needed to make a pitching change to get out of this. Roberto Osuna hopped in from the bullpen and got Chris Taylor to fly out to Carrera to end that. Seventh inning stretch!
Then, Toronto brought it all out in the bottom of the seventh!
Martin grounded out. But Encarnacion singled. Colabello doujbled and Edwin held at third. A two run singled by Justin Smoak put Toronto in the driver's seat, 5-2. Joe Beimel came in, but the Jays were still on the attack. A single, two more walks and a force at second brought in another two runs. An 8-2 lead at this point was money in the bank.
Aaron Loup came in to pitch the eighth, and with his ERA over 5 (5.87), I made up my mind to watch. He allowed a leadoff single, but then really started popping the mitt. He fanned the next two batters and got Cruz on a fly, showing much poise. Liam Hendricks was warming up in the 'pen and the ball was just cracking from his delivery to the mitt.
But neither Dad nor I saw him pitch. We left (At my insistence. We had to catch a train, you know!) at this point. Toronto went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth, but Seattle did likewise in the top of the ninth against Hendricks. Liam got 'em all on strikeouts, bringing Toronto's total to nine on the day.
Well, it was my first game on the season, and I hope to come back for more as the season continues. The Jays' bats and arms were clicking. They need more of that!
References
http://www.mlb.com
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