Great start from Borucki, but Snell was better, Jays lose to Rays

Rays 5 Blue Jays 2

We got another really good start from Ryan Borucki.

He went 7 innings, allowed just 3 hits, 2 earned, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts. He gave up a single run in the 4th and 6th innings, the only innings a Ray reached second base against him. Between today’s start and yesterday’s Thomas Pannone start, the future of the rotation is looking good.

That was Ryan’s 11th quality start of the season, tying him for team lead with Marco Estrada. Not bad considering that was only his 16th start for the Jays.

Unfortunately, Blake Snell was just as good, or maybe a little better. He went 6.2 with 3 hits, 2 walks and 11 strikeouts.

We finally got a couple of runs in the 8th inning. Danny Jansen led off with a single and Richard Urena followed with another single. Jansen went to third and Urena, in a nice bit of baserunning went to second when the throw from right went to third. Other teams have outfielders who throw to the wrong base too.

Jansen would score on a ground out by Lourdes Gurriel (he almost beat it out) and Urena scored an a Aledmys Diaz single.

We had 8 hits on the day, all singles. Pillar, Jansen and Ureña had 2 each.

We had a shot at getting to Snell in the 5th inning. Kevin Pillar reached on an error, but he was thrown out trying to steal. Thrown out very easily. After that we had back-to-back walks from Teoscar Hernandez and Jansen. We could have had the bases loaded and 1 out.

And we had chance to tie things in the 9th. Pillar singled and, a couple of outs later, pinch hitter Kendrys Morales singled in front of an outfield playing way too deep, considering Kendrys wasn’t the tying run. But Ureña grounded out to end the game.

Our bullpen had some troubles. Joe Biagini (solo homer) and Jose Fernandez (walk and 2-run homer) combined to give up 3 runs in the 8th.

David Paulino had a 1, 2, 3 ninth inning, with a long fly ball that was thankfully, foul.

Rays had a couple of players hurt. Kevin Kiermaier hit the scoreboard panels of the outfield fence and seemed to hurt his shoulder. He stayed in the game and then came out after a checked swing in the 8th inning. And catcher Jesus Sucre took a pinch off the forearm. It swelled up right away, but the Rays left him in the game.

Jay of the Day: Borucki (.107 WPA).

Suckage: Tellez (-.159, for an 0 for 4 with a strikeout, and he also made an error at first base), Jonathan Davis (0 for 4, k), Randal Grichuk (0 for 4, 2 k) and Gurriel (0 for 4, 3 k, 1 RBI).

We had 282 comments in a very pleasant GameThread. I led us to defeat, again. I seem to win only in losses.