Jays score 9 without a home run, beat the A’s

Blue Jays 9 A’s 4

For the longest time, that did not look like it was going to end well.

We scored two in the first, on four straight singles from Bo, Vlad, Teoscar, and Randal.

Then the bats went silent.

For a while, it looked like Robbie Ray was going to make those two runs hold up. But solo homers in the first and fourth tied things. And a popup that fell between the infield and the outfield (with the infield in) put the A’s in front. I’m not a big fan of bringing the infield in.

Ray was very good once again. 6 innings, 6 hits, 3 earned, no walks (again) and 9 strikeouts.

Until the top of the eighth, it looked like a loss for Ray.

But we scored 5 in the eighth:

• Reese McGuire led off with a walk (after chasing high for two strikeouts tonight, it was a pretty amazing at-bat). Jonathan Davis came into pinch-run.
• Marcus Semien singled, runners on first and second.
• Bo Bichette hit into what I thought was going to be a double play, but he beat out the throw to first. That was very important. Bo would beat out another double play in the ninth.
• A wild pitch brought Davis in from third to tie the game. With Bo moving to second Vlad was intentionally walked.
• Bo stole third.
• Teoscar Hernandez singled Bo home.
• Randal Grichuk (getting his third hit of the night) singled home Vlad and sent Teoscar to third.
• Cavan Biggio put down a very nice squeeze bunt, scoring Teoscar. And suddenly we were up 7-3.

Two more runs scored in the ninth. Davis and Semien walked. Bo beat out another double-play ball. And Vlad crushed a double over the left fielder. 114 MPH.

We scored 7 runs on 10 hits, but only had 2 extra-base hit, a Gurriel double and Vlad’s double in the ninth. Happily, we don’t have to listen to Buck and Pat complain that we can’t score without a home run anymore. Hernandez had 3 hits. Vlad and Grichuk had 2 each.

Jordan Romano pitched a very nice seventh.

David Phelps came out for the eighth, but, before he faced a batter, he came out of the game with an apparent arm injury. It is the Year of the Injury.

Tyler Chatwood took his place and gave up a run on a walk and a double. I thought it was a terrible send by the A’s third-base coach. The throw home was in time but Danny Jansen (in the game because Davis ran for McGuire) couldn’t hold on to the short hop. Not an easy play, but the word catch is in his job title.

Fortunately, Chatwood got a strikeout to end the inning there.

Ryan Borucki pitched the ninth. He gave up a leadoff walk. But was helped by a terrific catch from Randal in right, then got a strikeout and a nice play on a ground ball by Espinal at second.

Jays of the Day: Teoscar (.238 WPA), Grichuk (.145, plus a great catch in the ninth) and Davis has the number (.145) but that would just be for the leadoff walk in the ninth, so no I’m not giving him one.

Suckage: Ray had the number (-.103) but I can’t give him one for a 9 strikeout, no walk outing.

Tomorrow we have an afternoon game, 3:30 Eastern. Hyun Jin Ryu will be activated to make the start. I hate to say it, but I’m guessing Phelps will go on the IL to make room.

We had 593 comments in the late-night GameThread. DangYouToHeck led us to victory.