Chapman’s Defense Saves the Day, Jays Sweep Red Sox

Red Sox 5 Blue Jays 5

That was just a terrific game to win. I didn’t think Romano would pitch two innings after pitching last night, but he really gutted out the two innings. Big time stress inning.

If you had told me we’d get 5 runs for Kevin Gausman, I would have felt assured of a win.

Kevin wasn’t his sharpest. He gave up 9 hits and 4 earned in 5 innings, with no walks and 6 strikeouts. His velocity was down, but then, end of August, that happens. Some hits were soft contact, but he didn't look like he was 100% tonight.

Our bullpen did an amazing job tonight.

• Trevor Richards gave up one double but got three strikeouts in the sixth.
• Anthony Bass gave up a couple of singles and a walk but was helped out by a double play and got Franchy Cordero to strike out in the seventh.
• Adam Cimber gave up a leadoff hit to Reese McGuire that Teoscar Hernandez nonchalantly played into a triple. Just a terrible moment in right field for Teoscar. Being fair, earlier in the game he threw McGuire out at third. Reese was trying to go first to third. With the runner at third, Cimber got a strikeout of Bobby Dalbec, got to two strikes on Jarren Duran before hitting him, and got another strikeout. Then he came out of the game.
• Tim Mayza came in to face Rafael Devers, who hit a hard grounder that got under Vlad’s glove at first, but Cavan Biggio followed up on the play and Vlad got back into position to take the throw. It was a weird moment, but it worked out.
• Romano tested our blood pressure. He gave up a J.D. Martinez single (Whit Merrifield was playing deep, or he would have had a chance to catch it). Xander Bogaerts doubled him to third. An intentional walk loaded the bases. But a strikeout and a ground ball to Chapman, who touched third and threw to first to end the inning. Just an amazing moment.

On offense, we got:

• Two runs in the first: George Springer started the game with a hard-hit ball off the monster but was easily thrown out at second. I don’t know what he thought was going to happen. He was out by a lot. Vlad followed with a single. An out later, Teoscar walked. And then Bo Bichette doubled them both home.
• Two runs in the fourth: With two out, Santiago Espinal singled, Danny Jansen singled, Springer walked and Vlad drove home two with a single.
• One run in the sixth: Danny Jansen homered.
• And then, of course, the run in the tenth

We really should have scored more. 12 were left on base. Lourdes Gurriel had a particularly tough time, leaving 7 on base.

We had 13 hits, but only 2 (for 12) with RISP. Danny Jansen had 3 hits. Vlad, Bo, and Chapman had 2 each.

But then the Red Sox had 15 hits and were only 3 for 20 with RISP.

Extras:

Top of the tenth:

With Biggio at second and Matt Barnes pitching. Jansen ground one deep into the hole, a nice play by Bogaerts to get him, Biggio to third. Springer up, needing at least a sac fly. He ground a ball to short, and Biggio, running on contact, barely beat the throw home. Terrific job by Cavan. Vlad went to a full count before hitting into a 4-6 force at second. Lourdes hit a soft fly out to right.

Bottom of the tenth:

Enrique Hernandez the Manfred Man. Romano is out for a second inning. Bobby Dalbec ground one hard that Matt Chapman made yet another great ball on. Chapman was amazing with the glove today. Then Romano got Jarren Duran to strike out. A Kevin Plawecki popup ended the game.

Jays of the Day: Romano (.593 WPA), Mayza (.108, all on at bat), Bass (.090), Springer (.204, though he should lose points for getting thrown out at second in the first inning), Vlad (.164), Bo (.231, but a costly error would bring that number down), and Jansen (.231). And Chapman deserves one for his defense.

The Other Award: Gurriel (-.323, 1 for 6, he did make a terrific catch at the wall in left), Gausman (-.175), Tapia (-.201) and Hernandez for that terrible play in right in the eighth.

Cavan had the number too, but the play behind Vlad in the eighth and his base-running in the tenth more than makeup for his 0 for 2.

The Jays played some crappy defense, but Chapman may have had the best game/series I’ve ever seen from a third-baseman. He seems so clutch on defense, if that is a thing.

Tomorrow the Jays host the Angels. Mitch White (1-3, 3.63) vs. Reid Detmers (4-4, 3.66).