Matz strikes out 9, Jays beat Rangers

Blue Jays 6 Rangers 2

There are few things better than a Jays win over the Rangers. I’ll be happy for the rest of the day, despite my computer betting ‘at the shop’ and me typing this out on a little tiny keyboard.

Steven Matz was terrific. I’m ready to put Pete Walker on the ‘Level of Excellence’. Matz pitched into the seventh inning (just one batter, but I thought he could go longer, he looked strong, but no reason to push him in his first start, up by 5), allowed just 2 hits, and 1 walk in 6.1 innings with 9 strikeouts. He had one slightly shaky inning but came out much better the next inning.

And the bats had a good day. 7 hits and 4 walks, as well as 4 hit batters (I was a bit worried when Vlad got hit on the hand, I could see 6 weeks on the IL, but thankfully it looks like he’s ok). We could have had more offense, but plate umpire Jansen Visconti’s strike zone had a very casual relationship with the rulebook version. We had a couple of guys struck out on balls well off the plate.

We scored:

• 1 in the first: A walk and singles from Bo Bichette and Vlad.
• 3 in the second: Marcus Semien and Cavan Biggio had back-to-back home runs in the second inning.
• 1 in the sixth: Vlad and Rowdy were hit by pitches and Randal Grichuk drove in Vlad with a single.
• 1 in the seventh: Biggio walks (for his second time in the game, he may be out of his mini-slump). Bo became our third hit batter by Kyle Cody. Cavan scored when a Teoscar Hernandez ground ball went through Rangers 3B Charlie Culberson (who had a tough day).

Our bullpen did the job again.

Tyler Chatwood got four outs, giving up 2 hits.

Tim Mayze got Joey Gallo out with 2 on, a rather important at-bat, after a Bo ‘error’ on a bad bounce grounder.

Dolis made the bottom of the ninth take forever but got out of it. He gave up a run with a hit batter and a fly ball double that Randal almost caught at the wall. It was in his glove but popped out. Likely should have had it. Dolis just have it, so far this year. He did get 3 strikeouts.

Danny Jansen came out of the game after taking a foul ball in the thigh. He is day to day, Montoyo tells us.

Jays of the Day: Matz (.278 WPA), Semien (.133, 2 for 4, 2 RBI, I think I have a new favorite) and Grichuk (.096, 2 for 3, walk). And let’s give honorable mention to Cavan (1 for 3, home runs, 2 walks).

No one had the suckage number. Jonathan Davis had the low mark. -.080, and he was caught stealing third. So he earned the award, but we won, and I’m happy, let’s spare him.

Tomorrow’s game is an evening game, 8:00 Eastern.

We had 850 comments in the GameThread. Takiar led us to victory.