Blue Jays Offer A Father’s Day Gift Sweeping the Nationals

Jays 8 Nationals 6

For the second time in three series, the Jays broke out the brooms to sweep Washington in a dog fight under a hot June sun. Neither starter was particularly effective but the Jays bullpen was able to outlast the Nationals long enough for the Jays to break out the lumber, led by the surging Randal Grichuk.

The back and forth affair started in the second, when Michael Taylor stole second, took third on a ground out and was singled home by Wilmer Difo. Difo stole second and moved to third on a pickoff attempt that Russell Martin threw into the outfield. Dancing off third, Difo was able to make Sam Gaviglio balk, bringing home the run. The Jays responded in the bottom of the inning with a rocket to left field by Grichuk, which was just a preview of things to come. The Nationals got the run back in the top of the third when Daniel Murphy singled home Anthony Rendon.

The Jays tied the game in the bottom of the third, starting with an RBI double from Kevin Pillar to bring home Yangervis Solarte. Tanner Roark loaded the bases only to walk in a run after losing Grichuk after a long battle at the plate. Kendrys Morales added an RBI single in the fourth, driving in Curtis Granderson. Grichuk crushed a solo shot to left centre in the fifth. The Nationals knotted up the score in the sixth, on an RBI double by Brian Goodwin and an RBI double by Adam Eaton. However, Teoscar Hernandez made a feed to Solarte to tag Difo out by a whisker trying to advance to third.

Grichuk brought in another run in the seventh with an RBI single, but the Nationals responded the next inning when Brian Goodwin dropped a single in front of Hernandez with Juan Soto at third. Hernandez made an awkward throw off his back foot, eliminating any chance to tag Soto at home and tying up the game. In the bottom of the eighth, Hernandez made up for the mistake with a no doubt homer to left. Solarte followed with a low hanging liner that just cleared the right field wall for another run.

Sam Gaviglio started off strong with a pair of strike-outs but struggled afterwards, lasting just four innings, giving up three earned runs. Biagini also struggled, giving up two more runs in his 1.1 innings of work. Clippard blew the save at the top of the eighth, but Tepera came in to get the final four outs.

Jay of the Day: Grichuk (+.437) Hernandez (+.382)

Suckage: Clippard (-.207)

The Father’s Day game thread had 305 comments, with Alan F. leading the way with 65 on the way to this victory.