Kirk hits 2 home runs, Jays beat Braves

Braves 5 Blue Jays 13

After the day it has been, we needed a win like this. Thank you, Blue Jays.

Robbie Ray was terrific. Through 6 innings, he had faced the minimum. He had a bit of trouble in the seventh, but we were up by 10, so it really didn’t matter. In the seventh, he gave up a single (but erased it with a double play, just the second hit of the game for the Braves), a Marcell Ozuna double, an Ozzie Albies home run. A single would end his night.

Ray went 6.2, allowing 5 hits, 2 earned, no walks, and 5 strikeouts. His fastball was terrific.

Ryan Borucki came in to get the third out of the inning (a bit of overkill to use Borucki). I was ok with using him when I thought he was just there to get out of the inning, but I was less pleased when he came back for the next. Save him some bullets. Ryan had a tough time in the eighth and ended up throwing more pitches than I would have liked. He gave up a single and a couple of walks (though robbed on a full count pitch that was a strike) and then a ground ball that hit him and went for a single, costing him an earned run and getting him pulled from the game.

Joel Payamps came in with one out and the base loaded. He gave up a 2-run single.

I don’t know why but Jordan Romano came out for the ninth. How to drive Tom crazy in a blowout? Use the back of the bullpen guys.

On offense, it was the home run show. We had:

• A two-run homer in the third inning by Bo Bichette (I thought it would be a medium-deep very high popup). George Springer reached on catcher interference before Bo’s big hit.
• A two-run homer in the fourth by Alejandro Kirk. Lourdes Gurriel singled to set it up.
• Randal Grichuk had a solo homer to start the fifth. Then Kirk had his second two-run homer after a Marcus Semien walk.
• Teoscar Hernandez (in his first game back) had a three-run shot in the sixth. Bo singled, and Vlad walked to set that up.
• Lourdes hit a solo shot, in the eighth.

We got a couple of non-homer runs in the seventh. Santiago Espinal doubled over right-fielder, Kirk walked, Springer walked, and a wild pitch scored Espinal. A Vlad single scored Kirk.

In all, we had 14 hits, 5 homers, and 7 walks.

Lourdes had 3 hits. Bo, Teoscar, Espinal, and Kirk had 2 hits each. Springer reached base 4 times with a hit, 2 walks, and catcher’s interference. Vlad walked 3 times and singled.

Everyone in the starting lineup reached base at least once.

Jays of the Day: Ray (.253 WPA), Bo (.166), and Kirk (.086).

No Suckage Jays.

Tomorrow we have game 2 of 3 with the Braves. Again a 7:30 start. I’m going to be missing on the weekend. I’m going up to see my parents, since they have opened up visits where they are, and to celebrate my son’s birthday.

We had 1,066 comments in the GameThread. I led us to victory.