10 runs and good bullpen work get the Jays a win

Blue Jays 10 Red Sox 4

Tonight’s game was a fair bit more fun than yesterday’s.

Jacob Waguespack pitched four good innings, but then ran into troubles in the fifth. He gave up a solo homer to Xander Bogaerts in the first inning. Then he got through the next 3, giving up just two baserunners.

The wheels came off with 2 out in the fifth. We were up 4-1 at the start of the inning. After two quick outs, Michael Chavis singled, Brock Holt doubled, Mookie Betters singled home two, Rafael Devers walked and Bogaerts singled home the tying run. That was the end of Jacob’s day. Justin Shafer came in and got the last out of the inning.

Waguespack went 4.2, allowed 6 hits, 4 earned, 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. He pitched better than the line reads. He did tire in the fifth. He ended up at 80 pitches.

We ran through a bunch of relievers:

• Shafer had some troubles to start the sixth inning. He gave up a double and a walk, but then got two outs. Then Charlie, for some reason, took him out of the game, to bring in Tim Mayza. Again I wish Charlie would leave relievers in longer.
• Mayza got the last out of the sixth. He gave up a single and got a ground out, to start the seventh and then, you guessed it, came out of the game.
• David Phelps came in, gave up a walk then got the last two outs of the inning. And he pitched a nice quick eighth inning.
• Daniel Hudson pitched the ninth.

We had a good day with the bats. 14 hit, 10 runs.

• We scored 3 in the second inning. Justin Smoak and Freddy Galvis got on base and Teoscar Hernandez homered to put us up 3-1.
• We got 1 more in the third inning. Vladimir Guerrero walked, Lourdes Gurriel singled. After Randal Grichuk hit into a double play, Danny Jansen was hit by pitch, then Smoak singled home Vlad. We were up 4-1.
• We scored 2 more in the sixth. Smoak led off with a home run. Galvis singled. Hernandez hit into a force at second. Hernandez started off to steal second, before the pitch and Red Sox reliever Josh Taylor threw behind him but well wide of first and Hernandez went to third and would score on a wild pitch. We were up 6-4.
• We had a big 4 run ninth. Billy McKinney tripled, Eric Sogard doubled and Vlad singled. Gurriel hit into a force out at second. Gurriel stole second and the throw from the catcher hit him in the helmet. Lourdes stayed down for a bit but stayed in the game. I am all for taking guys out of the game whenever there anything off the head. Especially in the 9th inning, but I’m sure all will be ok. Grichuk doubled him home and Jansen singled home Grichuk. We were up 10-4.

The inning ended on a bit of a weird play. Smoak flied out to left, Jansen moved up to second and took one step past, and turned back to first, but didn’t retouch second. It is one of those that happens once or twice a year.

Everyone in the lineup had a hit. Gurriel had 3, and was a homer short of the cycle. Sogard, Smoak and Galvis had 2 each. Smoak also had 2 walks. It was good to see Smoak have a good game. Vlad had a hard hit line single and a walk. He also made a nice catch on a line drive.

Sportsnet had a great shot of a Red Sox hitter glancing away from the pitcher (towards the dugout) apparently getting pitches relayed. I’m ok with guys on second trying to relay signs but not so much when it is coming from off the field.

Galvis made a game of getting between runners on second base and the plate, stopping any sign stealing from there.

Jays of the Day: Phelps (.214 WPA, getting 5 big outs), Teoscar (.336) and Smoak (.280).

Suckage: Waguespack (-.245, hardly fair) and Grichuk (-.172, 1 for 5, RBI, but hit into a double play).

We had 665 comments in the GameThread. I was the most chatty. I’m just getting my comments in because I’m going to be missing next week.