Blue Jays score 6 in the first, get their 6th straight win

Marlins 3 Blue Jays 11

Gotta like batting around in the first inning. 6 hits and a walk added up to 6 runs and the game was pretty much over. I really like knocking out the starter in the first inning. When Munenori Kawasaki hits an opposite field ground rule double, you know it is time to pull your pitcher.

We got another run in the 2nd inning, Josh Donaldson crushed a home run to straight center field. We got 1 more in the 5th, runners on the corners and Ezequiel Carrera steals second, the throw from the catcher goes into center field and Russell Martin walks home from third.

We got 3 more in the 7th. Doubles by Danny Valencia and Ezequiel Carrera. Then a couple of walks and a Josh Donaldson 2-run single.

Everyone in the Jays starting lineup had at least one hit. 12 hits and 7 walks, with 4 doubles and a home run. Of note:

• Donaldson was 2 for 5, 1 home run, with 3 RBI.
• Danny Valencia was 2 for 5 with 2 doubles.
• Kevin Pillar went 2 for 3, with 2 walks and 2 RBI.
• Munenori Kawasaki 1 for 3, double, walk.

Marco Estrada was pretty good, he pitched 7 innings, allowed an opposite field 2-run homer to Giancarlo Stanton and Stanton scored again in the 6, he doubled and came in to score on Marcell Ozuna's single. In all 7 innings, 7 hits, 3 earned, 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. Estrada has been much better than I thought he'd be.

Steve Delabar and Ryan Tepera pitched the 8th and 9th respectively and didn't allow a run.

The interesting moment of the game was Angel Hernandez ejecting John Gibbons in the second inning. Jose Bautista was at bat and was called out by Angel on a check swing strike three (it didn't look to me like a swing). Bautista stared at Angel for 3 or 4 seconds and Angel made the ejection sign. We thought Bautista was thrown out without saying a word, but it turned out to be Gibby, thrown out on his birthday. Now you have to understand that Gibby is in the dugout on the third base side and Angel is umpiring first, so how he heard Gibby, I have no idea and I don't know what Gibby said.

Here it is:

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There is no other umpire, other than Angel Hernandez, who would toss a guy like that. Angel is....one of a kind. If, by one of kind, one means a joke.

The Marlins used 4 pitchers, I like that in the first game of a series, tire the bullpen.

I didn't like their fourth pitcher plunking Jose Bautista.

Jays of the Day: Estrada (.096 WPA), Chris Colabello (.113) and Valencia (.122)

We had 974 comments in the GameThread (pretty good considering the draft is going on at the same time). Pikachu led us to victory again.