Jays get a comeback win

Blue Jays 6 White Sox 2

It looked like we were going to have another frustrating loss. But tonight our bullpen was great and the White Sox bullpen (and defense) was crappy.

Lance Lynn was terrific. 7 innings, just gave up the one run, a Randal Grichuk home run (he crushed it, 451 feet). Lynn only gave up 4 hits, with no walks and 9 strikeouts.

But we got a 3-run eighth inning to get a lead. With one out:

• Riley Adams, pinch-hitting, chased strike 3 in the dirt, which got past the catcher and Adams got to first.
• Marcus Semien had an infield single.
• Bo Bichette lined a single to right, to load the bases.
• Vlad walked on 5 pitches (other teams walk-in runs?) to tie the game.
• Teoscar got to a 3-0 count and I was yelling don’t swing. He swung. A double-play ball but Tim Anderson (perhaps distracted by Vlad’s slide into second) threw high of first and two runs scored, giving us the lead for the first time tonight.

We would get two much-appreciated insurance runs in the ninth. Joe Panik doubled to the wall. He came out for pinch-runner Santiago Espinal. Lourdes struck out, but Rowdy Tellez (0 for 3 to that plate) lined a single to right, scoring Espinal. After that Adams took a walk and we got another run on another potential double-play ball with second baseman Danny Mendick throwing high this time. This one hit by Semien.

We got a pretty good start from Alek Manoah tonight. Maybe not the best control but seemed to get by through overpowering the batters. He only went 5 innings, allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 1 not, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts.

The unearned run came in the first. With one out, Jake Lamb had a little swinging strike, Manoah fielded it, but his throw to Vlad was hard and low. Not that he bounced it, but 40 some feet away, you throw the ball hard, and miss the target that badly, which makes for a tough play. They gave the error to Vlad, but I’d have given the error on the throw. A passed ball on Reese McGuire (whiffed on a fastball, should have been caught), and then a Yoan Moncada single scored the run.

The other run scored in the 5th, a walk to Leury Garcia and an RBI double by Madrigal started the inning. But Alek stranded Madrigal. Very good work there.

Our bullpen did a great job:

• Anthony Castro had a perfect sixth.
• Tyler Chatwood matched him the seventh.
• Jordan Romano had a rough start to the eighth, walking Tim Anderson on four pitches to start the inning. But, despite two steals, Romano pitched out of the inning. He threw 21 pitches, which I thought would cost him a shot at a 2-inning save. A long top of the ninth totally ended any hope of that.
• Tim Mayza got the ninth. He started the inning with a walk, just because we can’t have a drama-free ninth, but then got three quick outs.

The defensive play of the day came from Lourdes Gurriel’s arm yet again. With two out in the fourth, Yasmani Grandal on second, Andrew Vaughn singled to left. I didn't think there could be a play at the plate, but the home plate umpire called Grandal out. And the White Sox challenged, but the call stood. Gurriel's throw was 92 MPH. Just a great play.

Of note: Nick Madrigal took an awkward stride to the bag at first and suffered some sort of lower leg injury. He couldn’t put weight on it coming off the field. I hope he's ok.

Jays of the Day: Bichette (.149 WPA, he went 3 for 4), Guerrero (.124, mostly for that walk). Teoscar had the number too, but that was mostly on the White Sox error. I’m going to give Adams an honorable mention, heads up to go to first on the passed ball on strike three and he took a nice walk in the ninth

No Suckage Jays. Gurriel had the low mark at -.079, but he also had that throw.

Tomorrow is another 8:00 Eastern start.

We had 1130 comments in the game thread. DangYouToHeck led us to victory.