Biggio Homers, Jays Win

Blue Jays 3 Guardians 1

That’s a four-game win streak. Let’s keep it going. Jays playoff odds jump to 78.8% (from 74.9% before the game).

For Hyun Jin Ryu, there was good and really bad news.

He went 4 innings, allowed no hits, 1 walk, with 2 strikeouts.

His last pitch of the night was to Oscar Gonzalez, hit back at him, hitting him hard on the inside of the right knee. He got the ball, threw to first for the out and then went down in pain.

But he did walk off the field by himself. The team is saying a contusion. If that is it, he is really lucky. I have doubts he’ll make his next start.

It did make us run through the relievers:

• Jay Jackson pitched the fifth, giving up a hit and getting a K.
• Génesis Cabrera took the sixth, pitching a clean inning.
• Erik Swanson got two strikeouts in the seventh.
• Yimi Garcia started the eighth. He got a ground out, a soft (85.7 mph) line single, and a soft ground single (84.9). He left for
• Tim Mayza with a couple of lefties up. Mayza gave up a single to score a run. Then a ground ball that Cavan Biggio made a terrific play on, tagging the runner from first and then beating the batter to first for an unassisted double play. Just a great play,
• Jordan Hicks got our blood pressure up in the ninth. He hit a batter. Gave up a soft single to Jose Ramirez. Then a ground ball to Vlad, moving up the runners. A fly out. A walk. The next batter, Brayon Rocchio, was slow getting into the batter's box, costing him a strike, then ground a 2-2 pitch to short. Paul DeJong’s throw was slightly off line, but Vlad made a great stretch, keeping his foot on the bag. Thank you, Vlad.

Save #2 as a Blue Jay for Hicks.

Our offense had trouble with Guardians’ starter Gavin Williams. He was great, throwing high 90s and a very nice slider. He didn’t throw down the middle very often. In 7 innings, we had just 1 hit and 1 walk off him with 12 strikeouts.

Thankfully they took him out after the seventh.

In the eighth, Cleveland brought in Enyel De Los Santos. He gave up a one-out single to Daulton Varsho and then a home run by Cavan Biggio. Cavan hasn’t been playing much, but he’s hit .265/.357/.469 in his last 42 games. But he had that terrible start.

And we got one more in the ninth, off Nick Sandlin. Brandon Belt led off with a double. He went to third when Vlad ground out to the right side. And scored on George Springer’s single.

We only had five hits. One each from Vlad, Belt, Springer, Varsho and Cavan’s homer.

Davis Schneider had his first hitless game in the majors. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts, but Williams was tough on everyone. He played left field and made two catches (or that’s my memory). He came out of the game for a defensive replacement for the bottom of the eighth (defense isn’t what got him to the majors). But his batting average is still .429 with a 1.461 OPS.

Danny Jansen got hit on the (I think) hand by a pitch. He’s had nothing but bad luck, but it didn’t seem like he was hurt.

Jays of the Day: Biggio (.316 WPA) and Ryu (.212 WPA). Let’s give an honourable mention to all the relievers, minus Garcia (who gave up the two hits, but then they were pretty soft hits).

The Other Award: Chapman (-.120) was the only one with the number.

Tomorrow Yusei Kikuchi (9-3, 3.67) goes against Tanner Bibee (7-2, 3.14).