OOTP Season Sim Game 75: Jays beat Rays

This is Thursday’s game. I’m behind because I’ve been working in the front yard. I’ve decided I hate physical labour, but most of the ‘work’ is done. I have a rock path down the middle of the front yard, with mulch on either side. I worked very hard the last couple of days and I’m sore everywhere, but I really only have little bits of decorating to do now.

Rays 7 Blue Jays 9

We avoid the sweep on the power of four home runs. Bo Bichette had 2 and 4 RBI. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Randal Grichuk had 1 each.

We had 11 hits on the day. Vlad had 3, which is nice to see. He’s been having a crappy June, that was just his second homer and he’s hitting .250/.313/.417 on the month. Hopefully this will be a turning point for him. Bo and Danny Jansen had 2. Derek Fisher (0 for 4) and Cavan Biggio (0 for 2) were the only Jays not to get a hit, but Cavan had 2 walks.

Shun Yamaguchi had a pretty bad start, going just 3 innings, allowing 6 hits, 5 earned, no walks and 2 strikeouts. We haven’t had good starting pitching for the last couple of months, but Ryu will be off the IL in 3 days.

The Bullpen did a good job:

• Jordan Romano: 2.1 perfect, with 5 strikeouts. He got the win and is 4-1 now.
• Eduardo Jimenez: 1 inning, 2 hits, 3 strikeouts.
• Brian Moran: 1.2, 1 hit a home run, 1 earned, 2 k. He gets his 11th hold.
• Ken Giles: 1 inning, 1 hit also a home run, 3 strikeouts. He picked up his 12th save (with 4 blown).

The big inning of the game was the third. The Rays scored 5 in the top of the inning (on a grand slam and a solo home run) and then the Jays scored 6 in the bottom of the inning (3 singles, a walk, a double and a pair of home runs).

We got 2 more in the fifth (Bo homered) and 1 more in the seventh (Vlad’s homer).

The Jays are now 44-31, second in the AL East, but first in the Wild Card race.

The next game (Friday’s) is the first of three in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, who are 28-45, fourth in the NL Central. Nate Pearson (5-3, 3.20 in 15 starts) goes against Trevor Williams (6-5, 3.74 in 14 starts).