Justin Smoak Walk-Off Homer, Jays win

Tigers 3 Blue Jays 4

That was a nice way to end the game. Justin Smoak takes a 1-0 pitch and hits it out of the part. That’s 2 games in a row with a Smoak homer. I hope he is starting a hot streak.

Beyond that, we didn’t do much offensively. All our other runs came on a home run by Randal Grichuk in the 5th inning. Kevin Pillar started the inning with a ground rule double (our first hit of the game), an out later Aledmys Diaz singled and, another out later Grichuck hit his 8 homer of June. He’s had a super month.

We had 7 hits on the day, all coming after the 4th inning. We should have scored more. We had runners on first and second, with 1 out, in the 8th and Yangervis Solarte singled to left. I thought Devon Travis would score easy, he didn’t, he was out at the plate. It was a great throw. I’m ok with the send, with it being the go ahead run. It did take a very good throw to get him. Kendrys Morales followed and struck out for the 4th time in 4 at bats, which is another reason I’m ok with the send.

Kendrys is 1 for his last 17. After a very nice stretch, I don’t want to see him go back to the way he played April.

Also going 0 for: Teoscar Hernandez (0 for 3, 2 k, but an excellent walk in the 8) and Luke Maile (0for 2, k and a walk).

Sam Gaviglio had a very good start, 7 innings 4 hits, 3 earned, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. 2 of the hits were homers. He was helped out by 2 caught stealing by Maile. One of them was a poor decision to hit and run by the Tigers in the 7th. Grayson Greiner led off with a walk, then they tried to hit and run with Jose Iglesias at the plate. Gaviglio was looking like he was tiring and was having trouble with the strike zone. On the hit and run pitch Sam missed his spot by a good, but off the plate, Iglesias couldn’t reach it and Greiner was out easy. Sam got 2 more fly outs to end get out of the inning.

Joe Biagini fought his way through the 8th. He gave up a soft fly single, in front of Pillar, to start the inning. Next batter, Nicholas Castellanos just barely touched the pitch, but taped it up the third base line, couldn’t have bunted it better and the Tigers had 2 on and no outs. But, the Jays aren’t the only ones who can leave runners on base. Joe got a fly out, ground out (off Biagini, who had to chase it down and make the throw to first) and a line out (nice catch by Randal Grichuk).

Seunghwan Oh gave up a broken bat single, in the 9th, but that was it and he vultured his 4th win of the season.

Aledmys Diaz had an excellent play, but I can’t get it to embed so just go here.

Jays of the Day: Smoak (.234 WPA), Grichuk (.180), Oh (.144) and Biagini (.111) and let’s give one to Gaviglio (.076).

Suckage: Morales (-.222)

We had 282 comments in the GameThread. Alan F. led us to victory. Good job sir.