Jays pull one out in the late innings

Orioles 4 Blue Jays 5

Sometimes we win a ‘must-win’ game. I’ll admit I’m tired of everything being a must-win.

That bottom of the eight was something.

• Bo Bichette reaches when his ground ball is deflected by the pitcher.
• Teoscar Hernandez takes a pitch off the elbow pad.
• Alejandro Kirk crushed one to center. Longest hit ball of the game (402 feet, 102 MPH), but to the biggest part of the park. Both runners moved up.
• Randal Grichuk, having a really rough time at the plate, flies to medium center (294 feet). I thought it wasn’t going to be deep enough, but Bo is quick. The throw-in was terrible. Bo scores. Teoscar went to third, but the throw was cut off and he was out at third. I didn’t think there was any chance it would be cut off, that’s the go-ahead run coming in, you have to try to cut him down. But I did expect a better throw.

Jordan Romano (he’s been so good) had a very quick ninth, a ground out (with Vlad making a nice scoop on Bo’s low throw), and two strikeouts to pick up his 15th save.

Steven Matz struggled through 5 innings. I said that I’m more impressed when a pitcher has to struggle and does well, than when it all goes easy.

Matz gave up 5 hits, 4 walks, 2 earned (both on bases-loaded walks) with 5 strikeouts. He’s looked so good in his last few starts, I’m willing to give him one night when he’s a little off.

He had a very tough second inning. It started with a couple of fairly soft singles (why can other teams miss fielders?). A ground out moved the runners up. Matz walked Jahmal Jones on four pitches. A fly-out got us to two outs, but then consecutive walks brought in two runs. Thankfully he got out of the inning there. But he threw a lot of pitches there.

Matz left the game with the Jays up 4-2.

Tayler Saucedo had a bit of a tough time in the sixth, giving up a leadoff double, and then a one-out single to make it a 1-run. But Kirk helped out by picking Austin Wynns off first (nice tag by Vlad).

And Joakim Soria had a bit of trouble in the seventh, giving up a lead-off walk, and a one-out double to score it. But they managed to get the runner going to third.

Tim Mayza, in the eighth, gave up a one-out walk but got a nice double play to erase it.

On offense, well, we did just enough.

We got a run in the first, on Marcus Semien’s 33rd home run.

And three in the fourth on singles by Vlad, Teoscar, Dickerson, and Lourdes,

In all, 10 hits. Everyone in the starting lineup had one hit, and Lourdes had two, as well as two RBI.

As always we should have scored more.

• Breyvic Valera had a one-out double in the third, but we didn’t bring him in.
• Semien walked in the fifth, and Vlad followed with what I thought was going to be a home run, but was caught at the ball in left.
• Lourdes led off the seventh with a double. Valera took one shot at a bunt but failed, then tried to slap one through but swung through the pitch and ended up grounding out. George Springer lined one to center, Cedric Mullins dove for the ball and got a glove on it, but couldn’t squeeze it. Lourdes had to wait to see if it was caught, so could only go to third. Marcus struck out (when we really needed contact) and Guerrero flew out.

Jays of the Day: Gurriel (.273 WPA), Teoscar (.147), Romano (.173), and Mayza (.112).

Suckage: Soria had the number at -.092.

Tomorrow is an off-day. I think I need one. I was going to take the weekend away, but my plans got erased before have the raising numbers here. Right call, but I was looking forward to some time away.

We had 389 comments in the GameThread. I led us to a, far too nerve-racking win.