Jays win one! Great start from Happ

Rangers 2 Blue Jays 7

Nice to see good offense, defense and pitching all in one game again.

When we needed innings from J.A. Happ, he went 7 innings. Early in the game it didn’t look like he would make it through 5, he was going full count on everyone, but he smartened up and started challenging guys. He ended up allowing 5 hits, no walks, with 9 strikeouts. He did give up a Rafael Nunez home run, but he looked very good out there.

Ryan Tepera pitched the 8 and Aaron Loup the 9th. Loup gave up a double off the wall in left, on which Hernandez made a very nice play and throw, almost getting the runner at second. And a second deep fly to left, that Teoscar made a nice catch on.

I thought we would get to see Carlos Ramirez but no such luck.

Offensively, we did enough. We had 3 solo homers (from Yangervis Solarte, Teoscar Hernandez and Kevin Pillar), plus a Randal Grichuk sac fly (great speed and slide from Pillar) in the first 4 innings.

And we tacked on some runs late. In the sixth, Martin reached on error (really tough error call, Martin hit it 105mph at the 3B (Nunez) who knocked it down, found it and rushed a throw, late and wide. A very tough play. Lourdes Gurriel singled Martin to third, and Martin scored on a Grichuk ground out.

In the seventh, Pearce walked, Hernandez doubled off the wall and Smoak had a sac fly. Solarte singled home Hernandez.

We should have scored more. In the fourth, after Pillar led off with a homer, we loaded the bases (Martin and Gurriel walked, Grichuk singled) with no outs, but Aledmys Diaz struck out and Steve Pearce lined one hard right at the second basemen for an easy double play. I worried it would come back to haunt us.

We had good games from Hernandez (2 for 3, homer, double and a walk), Solarte (2 for 4, homer), Pillar (1 for 3, homer, walk) and Gurriel (1 for 3 and first MLB walk). Grichuk was also 2 for 3, plus the sac fly, with 2 RBI. He was hitting the ball pretty hard.

Diaz looks lost at the plate. He was 0 for 4, with 2 strikeouts and a double play.

Grichuk also made a great/lucky play in the field:

He got up quick and doubled Delino Deshields off second.

We also had a challenge go against us, for reasons I don’t understand. Diaz popped one along the third base line, left fielder Ryan Rua ran a long way, dives and, clearly, trapped the ball. But the replay officials blinked or something and called it a catch.

Jays of the Day: Happ (.195 WPA, 9 k, no walks for the second start in a row), Hernandez (.137, plus a couple of good plays in the field), Martin (.102), Pillar (.099) and Solarte (.093).

Suckage: Pearce (-.104, 0 for 3, walk, most of the negitive was for the line out double play) and I’m giving one to Diaz (-.063, 0 for 4, 2 k, one with the bases loaded, no outs, and Smoak saved him from errors twice with nice scoops at first).

We had 564 comments in the GameThread. lalalaprise led us to victory. Great job.