Jays Lose in Extras

Cleveland 5 Blue Jays 2 (10 innings)

We really have to score more than two runs if we want to win. Brad Hand had a rough time, but you aren’t going to win with two runs very often.

That was not Robbie Ray’s most impressive start. He pitched into and out of trouble in almost every one of his 6 innings, having just two clean innings. But he held the soon to be, Guardians to two runs.

His two runs allowed came in the third inning, giving up four singles, a walk, and a double steal, with a throwing error mixed in.

He was up about 97 pitches after five innings, and I thought he would be out of the game but threw a quick sixth. Likely he would have come out if he gave up a base runner.

Adam Cimber pitched a nice seventh.

In his first action for the Jays, Joakim Soria had a very impressive eighth inning, mixing a high 60s curve with a mid-90s fastball. He was fun to watch.

Jordan Romano allowed a leadoff walk in the ninth but pitched out of it with the help of a really nice catch by Randal Grichuk.

On offense, we didn’t do much against Eli Morgan until the sixth inning. In that inning, George Springer led off with a single, and Vladimir Guerrero followed that by crushing a home run. It left his bat at 115.2 MPH and went 424 feet, well over the left-field wall. The .880 expected batting average statcast gave it was surprisingly low.

We had 6 hits in all, 4 of them from number one and number two hitters in the batting order. Springer had two singles, Vlad had a single to go with his home run.

Teoscar Hernandez led off the bottom off the ninth with what looked like it was going to be at least a double but CF Myles Straw made a terrific catch, running back to the track.

Our 3, 4, 5, and 6 hitters went 1 for 15 with a walk.

In extras:

Cleveland tenth:

The Jays had pretty bad luck to have Straw on second as the Manfred Man. And it didn’t get better when Brad Hand (not a great spot to use Hand) threw his first pitch to the backstop. Amed Rosario singled him home. Jose Ramirez followed with a long home run off the foul netting thingy in left. After that, he got 3 quick outs.

Jays tenth:

Reese McGuire came in as pinch-runner as the Manfred Man. I don’t know why we’d pinch-run down by three. Cavan Biggio hit a weak line drive to short. Springer ground out to third. And Vlad ground one back to the pitcher.

Jays of the Day: Vlad (.197 WPA), Romano (.147), and Soria (.113).

Suckage: Hand (-.279), Kirk (-.266), Bichette (-.181), Grichuk (-135) and Biggio (-.091).

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