Jays Hit 5 Home Runs, Beat Red Sox

Blue Jays 7 Red Sox 3

Getting a home run in your first MLB at bat much feel game. Congratulations to Davis Schneider.

That’s the best I’ve seen Alek Manoah pitch this year. He did give up the home run in the third (and then another in the seventh), but it wasn’t crushed. Just 100.6 mph, 361 feet, a home run in just 2 of 30 parks. Stupid Fenway.

And John Schneider did a good job in letting him pitch the seventh inning (even though he gave up the home run with two outs). John also did a good job getting him out of there after the home run, with a lefty coming up.

In all Alek went 6.2, allowed 6 hits, 3 earned (all on home runs), 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. His fourth quality start of the season.

Tim Mayza got the last out of the seventh. He gave up a walk in the eighth but got the first two outs and then came out of the game for Jordan Hicks.

Hicks got a pop-out to end the eighth.

Manoah’s night may have been made easier by the offense's quick start, putting the team up 2-0 before he threw a pitch and adding another in the second. It is easier to pitch when you have some runs.

We scored:

• Two in the first: Whit Merrifield started the game off with a home run on the first pitch (101.7 mph, 352 feet over the wall in left). An out later, Vladimir Guerrero hit one also 101.7 mph, but 387 feet and over the monster.
• One in the second: Davis Schneider became the fourth Blue Jay to homer in his first MLB at bat (106.2 mph, 377 feet). What a great way to start your career (no one tell him JP Arencibia was the last to do that).
• One in the fourth: Daulton Varsho beat out an infield ‘single’ (first baseman Triston Casas booted the grounder, it really should have been an error), and George Springer doubled him home. Nice to see Springer hitting the ball hard again.
• Two in the sixth: Varsho homered to start the inning (108.4 mph, 413 feet). An out later, Springer walked and scored on Vlad’s double hit off the wall in left. Vlad had a good night, but his hardest-hit ball of the night (and the hardest-hit ball of the game) was a ground out.
• One more in the ninth: Chapman homered.

The Jays had 14 hits, 5 of them home runs. Merrifield, Guerrero, Jansen, Chapman, Schneider, and Varsho all had 2 hits. Springer had a hit and a walk and also reached on catcher interference. He also had a hard-hit line drive that found a glove.

The only starter not to get a hit was Paul DeJong (who did have a good game with the glove).

Still couldn’t hit with RISP, 0 for 7, but we drove in guys from first base.

Jays of the Day: Manoah (.129 WPA), Springer (.122), and Varsho (.111, 2 for 3, walk and a nice catch in CF). And, of course, I’m giving one to Schneider too.

No one gets the ‘Other Award.’

Tomorrow we have a 4:00 Eastern start. Jose Berrios (8-7, 3.31) gets the start for the Jays. The Sox have TBD listed. They will use an opener, with Nick Pivetta getting the bulk spot.