Anthony Alford homers in the 15th inning, Jays win

Orioles 10 Blue Jays 11 (15 innings)

I didn’t think the game was ever going to end, then Anthony Alford homered in the 15th inning to win the game. Couldn’t have ended better. Play the man more.

The game was the first that ended after midnight at Rogers Centre since 2001.

Clay Bucholz was very good for 2.2 innings and then the roof caved in.

With 2 out in the third inning, Clay:

• Hit Chance Sisco (I’m not sure he was really hit, but it would have been ball for anyway).
• Gave up a single to Jonathan Villar.
• Gave up a home run to Austin Hays

He gave up another single before getting out of the inning. Our 5-0 game became 5-3 in a hurry. He gave up a couple of 2-out baserunners in the third but he made it out with allowing a run, and I figured he would be pulled from the game, but he was back out for the fifth. Bad idea.

In the fifth inning he gave up back-to-back home runs to start the inning and then a walk and he was done. When he left we were up 6-5, but it didn’t last long.

Justin Shafer gave up the inning’s third home run and we were behind.

Clay’s line was ugly, 4 innings, 6 hits, 6 earned, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts and 3 home runs. Unless they change something, he would be in line for the last start of the season. And that might be the last we see of Sunscreen Boy.

We had a good inning each from Thomas Pannone and Sam Gaviglio (I wish we could use some of these guys for more than an inning.

The fun ran out when Derek Law came in for the eight. Again, two quick out before the roof caved in. Stevie Wilkerson ‘tripled’ (bobbled by Billy McKinney in right or it would have been a double, not that it would have mattered). Chance Sisco walked on a full count pitch. Jonathan Villar lined a single in front of Teoscar Hernandez in left (I thought Hernandez could have made a better effort at it. It was a big moment, go for the catch). An Austin Hays single scored another and we were down by two.

Ryan Tepera came in to get the last out of the eighth and pitched a clean ninth.

Ken Giles had a scoreless inning.

Jordan Romano went 2 innings, allowed 1 run (which we thought lost us the game).

Boshers went 2 scoreless innings.

Jason Adam pitched 1 scoreless and got the win.

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On offense we had 13 hits and 5 home runs.

We got out to a 3-run lead in the first: McKinney singled, Cavan Biggio walked and Randal Grichuk homered before our first out.

In the second we got back-to-back homers from the unlikely duo of Brandon Drury and Jonathan Davis. Up 5-0 things looked good.

We got 1 more in the third. Grichuk was hit by pitch. Vladimir Guerrero singled him to third, but Vlad, for unknown reasons tried to stretch it into a double and was out by 10 feet. Bad baseball there. Rowdy Tellez singled home Grichuk.

After the Orioles had their 4-run fifth, to go up 7-6, Biggio hit a solo homer to tie the game again.

We had a big time clutch ninth inning. Davis was hit by pitch to start the inning. After Danny Jansen struck out, McKinney singled him to third. Alford came in to pinch run. Then Biggio hit one deep and I thought we had the win, but it was well short of the wall. Davis scored. Grichuk singled the other way to move Alford to third and Vlad hit a ground ball single up the middle to tie the game. Unfortunately Tellez hit a pop up to end the fun and put us into extras.

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In extras:

Tenth:

Ken Giles got the inning. He gave up a soft liner for a single to start the inning, to Chris Davis (and the O’s didn’t pinch run for him, I don’t understand). A deep fly to left scared me but Teoscar caught it. Then Pedro Severino bounced one to Giles who started a 1-4-3 to get out of the winning.

Bottom of the inning:

Teoscar ground out. Drury struck out (nearly screwing himself into the ground on his swing). Davis was hit by pitch for the second time in two innings. Jansen hit an easy fly to right.

Eleventh

Jordan Romano came into the game and got a ground out. And then got Orioles’ hero of the game Austin Hays to strikeout. Trey Mancini singled. Anthony Santander chased a pitch that bounced to end the inning.

Bottom of the inning:

Anthony Alford, actually getting to swing a bat, made contact on a checked swing and it ended up just in front of the plate, he was just out. Cavan walked. Randal lined one right at the second baseman, and Biggio was doubled off first. Bad luck.

Twelfth

Romano still in the game. Ground out. Ground out. Chris Davis homered on a full count pitch. Single. Ground out.

Bottom of the inning:

Vlad almost got hit in the head (I was sure it touched his hair), then hit a ball into the fifth deck but just foul. Then he reached second on a Rio Ruiz error (great hustle from Vlad). Rowdy become our fourth hit batter of the game. Teoscar struck out on a pitch 6 inches off the plate. Brandon Drury walked to load the bases. Davis hit a sac fly to center to tie the game. Jansen lined on right at the shortstop.

Thirteenth

Buddy Boshers in. Villar bunted, Boshers’ throw was over the bag, but Biggio (now playing first) made a nice catch and brought his hand back before he got run into. Hays struck out. Mancini walked (the replay showed that Mancini swung at strike three but we didn’t get the call). Santander ground out.

Bottom of the inning:

Alford, robbed on the first pitch, well off the plate, but called a strike. He had a 9-pitch at bat and beat out an infield hit on a ground ball to third. With Biggio up Alford stole second. Biggio walked. Grichuk popped out on the first pitch. Not what we wanted. Vlad hit into a 5-4-3 double play. After Alford and Biggio had good at bats, Randal and Vlad were impatient.

Fourteenth

Boshers still in the game. Nunez popped out. Alberto singled. Davis struck out. Wilkerson ground one and Drury made a great diving grab but his throw wasn’t on line. Amazing stop though. Wynns ground out.

Bottom of the inning:

Breyvic Valera hit a gentle fly out. Teoscar also hit a fly out. Drury ground out. Very quick inning.

Fifteenth

Jason Adam comes in to pitch and Reese McGuire comes in to catch. 14 innings is enough on a catcher. Villar flied out to left. Hays struck out. Mancini popped up to short.

Bottom of the inning:

Davis popped out. Reese, getting his first at bat of the game, flied out deep, I thought there was a hope but no. Then Anthony Alford homered to win the game. PLAY THE MAN MORE.

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Alford went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs. Also had a steal.

Biggio was 1 for 3, a homer, with 3 walks.

Vlad was 2 for 7 and reached on error. He hit a ball into the 5th deck but foul.

Davis 1 for 4, homer, and was hit by pitch twice.

Tellez 1 for 3, 2 walks.

McKinney 2 for 5, home run.

Drury 1 for 6, home run.

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Jays of the Day: Alford (.579 WPA), Vlad (.407), Biggio (.195), Tellez (.136), Davis (.090), Boshers (.278), Giles (.139) and Adam (.139).

Suckage: Teoscar (-.367, 1 for 7, 1 k), Jansen (-.345, 0 for 6), Law (-.364), Buchholz (-.254), Shafer (-.173) and Romano (-.158).

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We had 690 comments in the GameThread. I led us to victory. Yay.