Chris Colabello hits game winning home run in the 9th, Jays beat Twins

Blue Jays 6  Twins 4

What a game that was.

Gotta love Chris Colabello, when he's at the plate. That 2-run homer, in the top of the 9th was just lovely. We need to win some of these close games. Thank you Chris for getting us this one.

After that first inning, I thought it was going to be one of those days. Top of the first, we load the bases, with just 1 out and then don't score.

Then, their half of the inning, they get 3 hits and run before we get an out. 2 more hits and a sac fly and we are down 4-0 and Mark Buehrle is being hit hard. 5 hits and 4 runs. I was wondering if we made a mistake by sending out our long man yesterday.

But Mark would go 8 more innings, allowing just 1 more hit and no more runs. In all 9 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts. If you would have told me he was going to finish this one, during that terrible first, I would have laughed at you.

I was absolutely floored that Gibby sent him back out there for the 9th. But Mark got 3 quick outs. I shouldn't have doubted.

The Jays offense did a nice job coming back from down 4.

• In the 2nd, Kevin Pillar doubled (seems like the first time I've seen him hit a ball hard in weeks) and an out later, Jose Reyes sent him home with a double of his own. Unfortunately Reyes didn't stop at second, he tried to get to third and was just out but it was stupid. Down 3, 2-outs, there isn't much advantage to being on third, compared to second. Especially with a very hot Josh Donaldson following him in the order.
• In the 5th, Pillar and Reyes singled and Donaldson hit a game tying 3 run homer. Josh has home runs in 4 straight games. I'm so glad Alex made that trade.
• And, course, in the top of the 9th, Russell Martin walked and Colabello hits the game winner. Wow.

Jays of the Day: Buehrle (.245 WPA), Donaldson (.204) and Colabello (.225). Colabello also made several catches in left field. None that were overly hard but still, he made the catches, as well as a couple of good throws.

No Suckage Jays, Ryan Goins had the low mark at -.081 off a 1 for 4 night, with 2 strikeouts.

Reyes had a tough day, thrown out at 3rd and then, the next inning he made an error at short. But then, he also drove in our first run and got on base for Donaldson's home run. I guess we'll forgive.

The other interesting thing about Reyes' day was that  Twins manager Paul Molitor  brought in a lefty to face Reyes and just Reyes. In the 7th inning, Molitor pulled starter Trevor May to bring in Ryan Pressly to start the inning, he got two quick strikeouts and then Molitor pulls him for a lefty, Brian Duensing. And he did it again with 2 outs in the top of the 9th, after Colabello's home run and with the pitcher he replaced only facing one batter. It seemed he was just trying to make the game last longer.

Molitor also ran through 6 reliever in the last 3 innings of the game. I often say that using many relievers, you run a greater chance of finding the one that doesn't have it that day. In Molitor's case, the one that didn't have it was the fourth reliever he brought into the game. With the game tied, in the 9th, he brought in his closer, Glen Perkins. I'm a fan of bringing in your best closer in a tie game, but Perkins has been used a lot. Perkins gave up 3 hits (including the game winning home run) and a walk, while just getting 1 out.

And, with Molitor using two more pitchers after Perkins, if he Twins were to tie things, in the bottom of the inning, he would have been down to two pitchers in the bullpen for extras.

Source: FanGraphs

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