Marlins Demolish Jays 11-0

Marlins have been known, on occasion, to leap up into boats and spear fishermen with their beaks (I recommend against watching the video in the link). That’s pretty much how it went tonight.

The Jays couldn’t get a handle on spot starter Bryan Hoeing. Through four innings, they managed three hits (including a Danny Jansen double that was their only extra base hit of the night), striking out five times and not walking. There were a couple of hard hit balls, but the Jays never really threatened.

Huascar Brazoban, J.T. Chargeois, and Archie Bradley would combine for five innings of shutout relief, surrendering a total of four hits and striking out five.

Jose Berrios struggled from the start. He gave up hits in each of the first two innings, although he was able to avoid runs in part thanks to some sterling defence from Kevin Kiermaier in centre field.

The Marlins got to him in the third, though, with a Luis Araez line single (his second of 5 hits on the night, raising his average to .400) and a Jorge Soler home run staking Miami to a 2-0 lead. They added a third on a Jesus Sanchez double and a Garrett Cooper single to bring him home.

The woes continued in the fourth. A walk, a hit batter and another Araez single loaded the bases with noboty out, and a sac fly made it 4-0. Another single loaded them again, and a groundout scored the Marlins’ fifth run.

That would be it for him. Trent Thornton, recalled today from Buffalo, was brought in for mop up duty. He went two innings, allowing two hits but striking out two and avoiding more runs.

Nate Pearson started the seventh. Unfortunately, his struggles from his yesterday carried over and compounded. He gave up four hits in a row and then a walk before he even recorded an out, plating two more runs. He left with the bases loaded and the Jays down 7-0. Mitch White kept digging, giving up two more hits that cashed three runs, pushing the lead to double digits.

The extra runs were actually a mercy, as they allowed the Jays to put Ernie Clement instead of a regular pitcher in the eighth. He gave up one more run but was able to get the beleaguered Blue Jays to the finish line.

Jays of the Day: Nobody

Not so Much: Berrios (-0.251) and Vlad (-0.145), Pearson didn’t have the number because the game was basically over by the time he came in but boy did he deserve it.

Things get tougher tomorrow, as the Jays face Eury Perez (4-1, 1.80), the recently graduated #1 pitching prospect in baseball. They’ll counter with Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 4.31), who looks to continue a run of solid form over his last four starts and hopefully help Toronto exit its skid. Things get underway at 6:40pm ET.