Break-out Second Inning Sinks The Jays

Blue Jays 5 Braves 9

The Blue Jays decided that anticipation and uncertainty provide unhealthy amounts of stress for their fans and did us all a favour by deciding the outcome by the bottom of the second. Gaviglio was ineffective, allowing plenty of hard contract to Atlanta’s talented line-up. For a brief moment in the 6^th, Smoak and Travis provided some power that hinted at a chance of a comeback, but Atlanta’s bullpen was able to lockdown the rest of the game, blanking the Jays offense.

In the bottom of the 2^nd, Johan Camargo dropped a hit in front of Randal Grichuk in centre. After Acuna flied out, Camargo broke for second, pulling the infielders out of position for Dansby Swanson to lash a single into centre and put Camargo on third. Mike Foltynewicz dropped down a bunt and Smoak, trying to get the runner at home pulled Maile out of position. Maile would air-mail the throw to first, putting runners on second and third with one out. Ender Inciarte ripped a double into left, scoring Swanson. Ozzie Albies sacrificed Foltynewicz home with a fly ball to left. Gaviglio, having trouble locating any pitch, gave up a double to Markakis to left. Instead of throwing to third, Teoscer Hernandez unleashed a throw well off-line to home, allowing Markakis to move all the way to third. Tyler Flowers would single him home and end Gaviglio’s night. Petricka would get out of the inning without further damage, but the Jays were in a 6-0 hole against a dominent Mike Foltynewicz.

Jake Petricka and Tim Mayza combined for 3.1 innings of solid relief, shutting down the Atlanta bats. Mayza especially had the hitters guessing, chasing high heat for four strikeouts. But, in the sixth, Luis Santos ran into trouble, giving up a home run to Ozzie Albies. He would get out without allowing another run, but Flowers took him to the wall, just missing a two run shot.

In the top of the 7^th, the Jays finally got to Mike Foltynewicz with a towering Justin Smoak homerun off the sign of their restaurant in right field. Gurrial collected his second hit of the night, and Diaz poked a single up the middle to put runners on first and second with two out. In a nine pitch duel, Luke Maile chopped a very cheritably scored infield hit that Dansby Swanson could come up with to load the bases for Devon Travis. Mike Foltynewicz , visibly flagging in the muggy heat, left a pitch up for Travis to drive over the centre-field fence for a grand slam to get the Jays back in the game.

In the bottom of the 8^th, following a hustle double by Danny Santana, Ozzie Albies hit a bomb to dead centre field off of Aaron Loup, putting Atlanta up 9-5.

In the top of the 9^th, Diaz ripped a one out single just past the glove of a diving Swanson. But Atlanta closer Arodys Vizcaino took advantage of a generous outside strike zone to punch out Maile and induce a tough ground out to Camargo at third.

Jays of the Day: Travis earned the high score for his grand slam (.090).

Suckage Jays: Sam Gaviglio s the leader, although no surpises there (-.344).

We had 276 comments in a GameThread, which is surprising because the game very easily seemed over by the bottom of the second. DangYouToHeck hung in for 62 comments for the win.