Blue Jays Allow 4 Runs In The First, Fail To Sweep Red Sox

Baseball can really be a game of inches. The first batter of the game, Mookie Betts, hit a line drive into the gap in right that looked to be a sure extra-base hit. After a terrific route, Kevin Pillar laid out, managing to trap the ball towards the end of his glove. It looked to be another outstanding catch from Pillar, until contact with the ground popped the ball out of his glove.

Dickey managed to get two of the next three hitters out, which would have ended the inning if Pillar managed to make the catch. However, a two-out double from Pablo Sandoval preceded a three-run home run from Mike Napoli, giving the Red Sox an early 4-0 lead. If Betts' line drive had landed in the centre of Pillar's glove, he may have maintained control of the ball through the catch and changed the game dramatically.

The Jays' offence hit into three double plays, hurting a possible comeback attempt. Devon Travis, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Chris Colabello and Josh Thole all managed to reach base multiple times.

On Offence:

• Devon Travis: 1 for 3. Double, BB, 2 groundouts.
• Josh Donaldson: 1 for 4. Double, fly out, groundout, GIDP.
• Jose Bautista: 1 for 3. Single, BB, 2 groundouts.
• Edwin Encarnacion: 1 for 3. Single, BB, fly out, GIDP.
• Kevin Pillar: 0 for 4. 2 groundouts, foul out, K.
• Chris Colabello: 3 for 4. 3 Singles, K.
• Ezequiel Carrera: 0 for 3. 2 groundouts, K.
• Josh Thole: 1 for 3. Double, BB, groundout, GIDP.
• Ryan Goins: 0 for 3. 2 groundouts, K.

• Danny Valencia: 0 for 1. Grounded out while pinch-hitting for Carrera in the 9^th.
• Justin Smoak: 0 for 1. Grounded out while pinch-hitting for Goins in the 9^th.

Pitching:

• R.A. Dickey: 6 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0K. Gave up a three-run homerun in the first, followed by a two-run homerun in the fifth. With no strikeouts, it was definitely not an impressive start for Dickey.
• Ryan Tepera: 2 IP, 0 H, 0BB, 1K. Two clean innings in his MLB debut. The strong outing should buy him more time on the MLB roster.
• Brett Cecil: 1 IP, 1BB, 1K, Pick off. He needed some work, so he pitched in a 6-3 game.

No Blue Jay had the number, but I will give one to Chris Colabello (0.77) for his three-hit day. I'll also give one to Ryan Tepera (0.26), for pitching two clean innings in his MLB debut. R.A. Dickey gets the suckage (-3.2) after a weak start.

The Blue Jays will now travel to Baltimore for a three-game series starting tomorrow night. Marco Estrada goes to the mound and will be up against Ubaldo Jimenez.