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Nice start from Aaron Sanchez, Jays beat Orioles

Aaron Sanchez falling off the mound, going after a ground ball. I guess it says a lot about our recent history that I was worried he hurt his ankle on the play.
Aaron Sanchez falling off the mound, going after a ground ball. I guess it says a lot about our recent history that I was worried he hurt his ankle on the play.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Orioles Blue Jays

Pretty good showing for Aaron Sanchez. He went 3.1, gave up 5 hits,but only one was hit hard. 2 were tappers between the plate and the mound, in the first inning. One that Russell Martin threw wild to first, when he and Sanchez got a little too close to each other picking up the ball.  The runner tried to get to third, but Jose Bautista threw him out. The other was a very close play at first, Russell seemed to take his time with the throw and Travis Snider was called safe. Those were both in the first inning and Aaron pitched his way out of it.

In the 2nd, Jonathan Schoop hit a 1-out, line drive to right that fell just in front of Bautista, I thought he should have made the play on. After a ground out, Caleb Joseph hit one against the shift to right, Bautista made a great throw and came very close to getting the out at the plate. Henry Urrutia followed with the one hard hit off Sanchez, a double to the wall.

In the third, David Lough led off trying for a bunt single, which Martin made a nice play on. Travis Snider bounces one over the mound, and Sanchez slipped catching the ball at the back of the mound. Snider reached on the error. A ground out and a strike out ended the inning. Aaron got Schoop to ground out to start the 4th and reached his pitch limit.

He was trying to throw a slider that isn't a good pitch yet, but he's 3 more weeks of spring training to get it working.

Roberto Osuna pitched a nice 5th inning, allowing a lead off bunt single but getting a strike and then a strikeout/throw out with Martin getting the runner trying to steal second.

Wilton Lopez gave up a single and a walk, but got out of the inning. Colt Hynes and Bo Schultz both pitched a scoreless inning. Greg Burke gave up a run in the 9th.

On offense, the bats seem to be catching up with the pitchers. We had 10 hits on the day.

  • Jose Reyes: 2 for 3, with a bunt single. He was also picked off first. Batting .333.
  • Maicer Izturis: 1 for 4, double. .091.
  • Russell Martin: 0 for 3, k. .214. And had the error.
  • Jose Bautista: 1 for 1, walk and was hit by pitch on the arm, which scared me. Did a great job reading a pop up single to left and scoring on it. .250.
  • Daric Barton: 1 for 4, k. .091.
  • Kevin Pillar: 1 for 4, k, steal. .250.
  • Danny Valencia: 2 for 3, steal. .333.
  • Chris Dickerson: 1 for 3, double. .125.
  • Chris Colabello: 0 for 3. .250.
I'm giving Jays of the Day to Jose Bautista (for the great throw out at third and scoring from second on the single) and Aaron Sanchez, who looked better than his line.

Tomorrow's game is also on Sportsnet, when the Jays host the Yankees, who have Esmil Rogers scheduled to start.