The game chart basically says it all:
Source: FanGraphs
From the outset, this one didn't go the way of Aaron Sanchez in his first MLB start since mid-May. George Springer singled leading off, and then Jose Altuve hit a weak chopper so poorly that it ended up an infield single as Josh Donaldson didn't have a chance. Sachez induced a double play and it looked like he might nonetheless get out of the jam unscathed. But Carlos Correa was apparently still fired up about his grievances from last night, and took Sanchez yard.
It didn't help matters that Sanchez was not getting anything at the bottom of the strike zone from home plate umpire Dana DeMuth. He issued a walk featuring a couple non-calls at the bottom of the zone before retiring Carlos Beltran on a ground ball, and then was considerable jawing between John Gibbons and DeMuth.
So it was a bad start, but the first inning was merely the prelude to the real meltdown. Sanchez issued a couple walks sandwiched around a ground ball single, and then Springer went yard to make it 5-0. Another Altuve grounder got through and was followed by a walk, at which point incredibly things managed to get even uglier. I humbly suggest the following music accompaniment for what comes next:
Sanchez induced a routine ground ball to Troy Tulowitzki, the classic tailor-made double play. Tulo shoveled the ball to second, where Ryan Goins was...not. Instead of being out. Instead of the inning being over, the bases were loaded. A grounder to second scored another (6-0), and another bouncer to second should have ended the inning again. But Goins couldn't handle it, another run scored, and the beat went on. Evan Gattis clubbed a double to bring home another run to make it 8-0, and that was it for Sanchez.
Mike Bolsinger stranded the two runners with the strikeout, and ended up pitching the next 5 innings as well. He got into a jam in his full inning, the 3rd, with a double-single-single to score another run, but induced a double play grounder to get out of it and basically cruised until the 7th. Then he ran out of gas, and gave up solo blasts to Gattis and Springer. Not that it really mattered much. In all he pitched 5.1 innings, giving up 4 runs.
Jeff Beliveau cleaned up the last two innings in shutout style, so at least the bullpen should be in good shape for the last two games of the series and first half.
Highlights? There were a few. Tulo did this in the 5th:
Troy Tulowitzki hits the first #BlueJays run of the game, a solo shot to centre for his 6th of the season. pic.twitter.com/bJ8dfAoDGt
— Andrew Hockridge (@drewhockridge) July 8, 2017
Tulo was the only batter was multiple hits, though Donaldson reached twice with a single and walk. Ezequiel Carrera added a solo home run in the 9th to account for the Jays' other run. They were outhomered, but the 4-2 margin there looks a lot nicer than the score.
Jays of the Day: Haha, that's funny.
Suckage: HP umpire DeMuth (let's call it -0.200), Aaron Sanchez (-0.419), Ryan Goins (-0.004, 0/3 with the defensive misplays)
Tomorrow, the Jays will look to get back on track in the penultimate game of the first half with Mike Fiers taking on a hopefully blister free Marcus Stroman at 1:05 EDT.