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An outstanding performance from Marco Estrada drove the Blue Jays to a third straight win. Toronto got on the scoreboard right away as its second batter, Josh Donaldson, belted a 437-foot solo shot to left-centre field. In case you forgot, Josh Donaldson is a Blue Jay.
Marco Estrada was perfect early-on. Three clean innings to start the game gave the Blue Jays 27 consecutive outs on the mound. Ever since the Twins loaded the bases against David Price in the 4th inning of yesterday's win, the Jays essentially threw a perfect game. All of the sudden this team can really pitch.
Troy Tulowitzki, who is use to being "The Guy", was not going to be out-done by Josh Donaldson. He absolutely crushed a solo shot of his own in the 3rd, which measured 450 feet. Another reminder, Troy Tulowitzki is also a Blue Jay.
Much like yesterday, Toronto ran into some trouble in the 4th. Brian Dozier's ground ball deflected off Estrada's leg for an infield hit. If Estrada avoided the baseball, Ryan Goins looked to be in a good position to get the out. Shortly after, Estrada temporarily lost his command. Two straight one-out walks loaded the bases for Torii Hunter, who came just short of a grand slam. Jose Bautista made the catch on the warning track, limiting the damage to just one run. Estrada then absolutely froze Eddie Rosario with a curveball to get out of the inning with a 2-1 lead.
In the forth, Dioner Navarro came up with Edwin Encarnacion on 3rd and just one out. He struck out, and the Jays soon stranded a key opportunity to add an insurance run. However, Navarro redeem himself in the sixth, as a two-out double would cash in Encarnacion this time around to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
Three runs was more than enough for Marco Estrada, who went back to dominating after the rough forth inning. Other than the ground ball that hit off his leg, a two-out double to the last batter he faced was the only other hit allowed. He finished with a line of 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
Mark Lowe entered the game and needed just two pitches to strand Eddie Rosario at second base. After appealing his three-game suspension, Aaron Sanchez entered the game and pitched a clean eighth. Roberto Osuna would pitch around a two-out walk to secure the win for the Blue Jays.
Jays of the Day: Marco Estrada (.287) had the number. Let's also give one to Ryan Goins for reaching base three times, and the duo of Troy Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson for hitting towering home runs. The relievers were close to perfect, so let's also give JOD honours to Mark Lowe, Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna who combined for a .189 WPA.
Suckage: Ben Revere came the closest with a -0.81 WPA.
With the win, the Blue Jays jump ahead of the Twins in the standings, and could take sole possession of a playoff spot with a Baltimore loss. Game three of the four game series will get underway tomorrow night, with Drew Hutchison on the mound for the Jays. Tyler Duffey will start his first MLB game for the Twins, and probably wishes he was facing a different lineup.
Final Note: Hat Tip to @james_in_to for tweeting out where to find the home run distances. He's a good follow for Jays fans.