Jays lose in extras to Angels

Angels 7 Blue Jays 5 (11 innings)

That was a irritating game. Should have been a win. The other team doesn’t score in the top of the tenth, you gotta score in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the tenth:

Trout started on second and Julian Merryweather stranded him. The second out was so close, roller down the first base line, Merryweather glove flipped it to Vlad, and it was incredibly close, but, after a five minute review he was ruled out.

In the bottom of the tenth:

Alejandro Kirk was the runner on second. Davis pinch-run to end the ninth, I’d have left Davis in the game and put Kirk in Grichuk’s spot. As it was, Kirk didn’t move up on a wild pitch. As it worked, Semien ground out to third not allowing Kirk to move up. Cavan watched strike three. And Bo Bichette, after thinking he was walked on a pitch at the top of the zone, chased a pitch below the strike zone. If Davis was in, he possibly could have stole third and scored on the wild pitch (of course time continuum issues would have made it a whole different inning). But Semien is in a much different spot with a guy who can run on second, instead of a guy who can’t.

Top of the eleventh:

Justin Upton starting at second. Ryan Borucki pitching. He walked Jose Iglesias. Kurt Suzuki bunted the runners to second and third. Dexter Fowler got to 3-1 but Ryan managed to strike him out.

Rafael Dolis came in with 2-out and runners on second and third. I want on record I hate this move. Dolis bounces pitches. But that wasn’t the problem. He game up a bloop that landed between the infield and outfield. Not Dolis’ fault, you get soft contact, you’d like it to work out.

Bottom of the eleventh:

Bichette at second. Teoscar struck out looking. Vlad swung out of his shoes on the first pitch he saw, and struck out. Loudes chased on the first pitch, with was well out of the zone, swung wild at the second pitch and wild at the third pitch. We needed them not to be swinging from their heels.

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Earlier in the game his seemed to be the Trout vs. Guerrero show:

• Trout had 3 hits, homer, double and infield single, 3 RBI.
• Vlad had a home and a RBI single, and a walk. 3 RBI.

Beyond that. Cavan Biggio also had a home run.

Ross Stripling had a rough time with Trout, who we were told many many times, has hit him very very well over the years. In all, Ross went 5 innings, allowed 6 hits, 4 earned with a walk and 6 strikeouts. It did seem the batters were having trouble seeing the ball as the sun went down.

Trent Thornton pitched the sixth and got the first out of the seventh. He gave up a one-out single and came out of the game.

Brandon Jordan Romano came in and gave up a couple of hits, allowing Thornton’s runner to score and tie the game. Romano needs to start trying to keep guys from stealing on him.

David Phelps pitched a nice quick eighth, despite my worry that he was the wrong guy to come in.

Julian Merryweather had a bit of trouble in the ninth. He had two on two out and Mike Trout up. Trout lined one hard up the middle and Randal Grichuk made an amazing catch. Merryweather came out for the tenth.

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On offense, well as mentioned it was Vlad and Cavan’s night. Vlad even made a terrific jumping catch of a line drive that Buck called a hit before it got to Vlad, not that I blame Buck, that looked like a sure hit.

Joe Panik had a leadoff double in the seventh, we really should have scored him. He is having a good start to the season with the bat. After the double he was hitting .333.

But others aren’t hitting. Marcus Semien was 0 for 4 with 2k. Teoscar Hernandez was 1 for 4 with 3 strikeouts (he did make a nice catch in the right field corner saving us a couple of runs). Danny Jansen was 0 for 3.

In the ninth, with two out, Rowdy Tellez, pinch hitting for Jansen walked, and Jonathan Davis came in to pinch run. Davis was picked off first. Something that shouldn’t happen. The not keeping Davis in the game rant for the tenth is above.

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Jays of the Day: Merryweather has a .638 WPA, I’m not sure about that, but lets give him a JoD. Vlad (.252), Borucki (.165) and Phelps (.114).

Suckage: Dolis (-.278, somewhat unfair, but I’m in a crappy move, so he gets it), Stripling (-.131), Bo (-.302, 1 for 5, 2 k), Semien (-.265, 0 for 5, 2 k), Hernandez (-.118, 1 for 5, 4 k), Gurriel (-.110, 1 for 5, k, plus let a ball fall at his feet in the outfield), Davis (-.238, all for being picked off at first, something that just can’t happen) and Jansen (-.101 and failed to move up Panik from second base in the seventh). And I’m giving one to Charlie for not leaving Davis in the game to start the tenth on second.

Grichuk had a -.164 but he made two amazing catches, one that saved the game (for a little while) so no Suckage award for you.

Late add:

I could suggest that Lourdes isn’t one of his hottest hitters, but the point is the game could have been won before Grichuk came up.

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It is early and they are only a game under .500, but I really need a win tomorrow win. So please guys, start hitting.

We had 1,046 comments in the GameThread, with, thankfully, no vaccine debate. Thank you. I led us to crushing defeat.