Jays Hold Off Guardians, Win 2-1

In a series where the bats have looked overmatched by Guardians starters so far, the Jays bullpen managed to bounce back and hold off Cleveland. The game featured a first pitch from Jaida Lee, the first woman to pitch in the men’s Canada Games. The Jays hit a lot of balls hard and seemed time after time on the cusp of a big inning. Instead, they won based on a pair of solo homeruns from Chapman and Hernandez to deliver the Jays a much needed 2-1 win.

White had difficulty right off the bat finding the strike zone, walking Kwan before getting two shallow flyballs for Tapia to catch – making a nifty sliding catch on the first. But Kwan stole second, and Naylor walked, before Gimenez poked a single through the infield to plate Kwan. Gonzalez ended the inning grounding out to second. McKenzie got Gurriel Jr quickly to open the game before Guerrero Jr. hammered a double into the gap. Unfortunately, like last night, he was stranded with a Kirk flyout and a Hernandez strike out. Later, Chapman worked a one out walk in the second, but a strikeout and a fly out ended the inning. Second verse, same as the first.

Fortunately, White settled down, going 4.2 with only the single run allowed. In the bottom of the fifth, Chapman hit his 23^rd home run to left field. Espinal punched a single into right but was erased trying to steal second. In the bottom of the 6^th, Pop allowed a single to Gimenez before Cimber was able to get the next two outs.

Bass replaced Cimber to pitch a scoreless 7^th. McKenzie came out to work the bottom of the 7^th and Hernandez greeted him with a bomb to centre field to give the Jays the lead at 2-1. McKenize got the next two outs before Tapia pulled a double up the right field line. Espinal nearly took a single into the hole, but Gimenez pivoted and got Tapia trying to come home. The review made it look like Tapia had got a hand in before the tag, but the call was upheld.

Garcia got the first two in the 8^th, but Naylor blooped a double into no man’s land that turned into a call for Romano to make the four out save. Romano walked the first hitter on sliders, squeezed a little with the strike zone. Romano ended the inning by getting Gonzalez in swing mode and burying a slider down and in for a swinging strike.

Romona got a flyout for the first out in the 9^th. Unfortunately, a comebacker to Romano bounced off his glove and was then thrown away by Bichette to put the tying run at second. Straw flew out to Bradley for the second out, holding Benson at second and bringing lead off hitter Kwan to the plate. Romano got a call on the edge to strike him out looking for a four out save.

Game three will see an aces duel between Shane Bieber and Kevin Gausman in an afternoon game starting at 1:05ET tomorrow.