Bichette and Merrifield Homer, Jays Win

Diamondbacks 2 Blue Jays 5

I’m enjoying the second half of the season.

Again we got a good outing from our starter. Chris Bassitt went 6 innings, allowed 7 hits, 2 earned, and no walks with 5 strikeouts. He got a bit unlucky on the two runs in the fourth inning. With two outs, Lourdes Gurriel reached on an infield single. Bo Bichette tried to make a bare-handed play and had it go off his hand. I thought it should have been Matt Chapman’s play. Chapman was moving towards first, and so had the earlier play. But tough for Bo to know that. Then Emmanuel Rivera doubled to put runners on second and third.

The next batter, Jake McCarthy, ground one too second. Brandon Belt headed towards the ball, then stopped and returned to the bag. As well, Bassitt went to first. The throw came, and Belt hadn’t found the bag yet. He touched it at almost exactly the same time as McCarthy. Called safe on the field. The replay judges decided it was too close to overturn (and they might have been right). But I thought Belt should have left it for Bassitt, who got to the bag in time and had the easier play. And Bassitt had his foot on the bag before the throw got there.

Belt shouldn’t have gone after the ball, it was right to the second baseman, but once he did, he should have stayed out of the way.

Anyway, the Diamondbacks’ two runs scored on the play.

Offensively, we did enough.

• Two runs in the second: Whit Merrifield led off with a single. And out later, Alejandro Kirk singled him to third (and went to second on a poor throw). Cavan Biggio walked to load the bases. George Springer singled in two. We should have had more, but Bo hit into a double play (nicely started by pitcher Zac Gallen).
• One in the fourth: Whit Merrifield homered (just over the left field wall). 372 feet, a home run in 12 of 30 MLB parks. All that mattered was it was a home run here.
• Two in the eighth: Bo homered. Belt walked. Chapman doubled. Merrifield hit a fly to right, just deep enough to send Belt.

We had 8 hits in all. Merrifield and Springer had two each. Vlad, Varsho (hit one to deep right that I thought would be a home run), and Biggio (just 0 for 1 with a walk) had the 0 fors.

The bullpen did the job again:

• Nate Pearson gave up a leadoff walk in the seventh but got a strikeout and picked the runner off first.
• Erik Swanson gave up a hit in the eighth but had a strikeout, getting his 22nd hold of the season.
• Yimi Garcia filled in for Jordan Romano (please be ok, Jordan), giving up two hits but getting a strikeout, getting his second save of the season.

Jays of the Day: Merrifield (.163 WPA), Springer (.154), Swanson (.118), Bassitt (.117) and Pearson (.094).

No one gets the Other Award. Chapman had the low mark (despite the double), at -.075, but did have a good day with the glove.

Tomorrow it is a 1:30 Eastern start. Yusei Kikuchi (7-3, 4.24) vs. Tommy Henry (5-1, 3.75).