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| Hey, can I get a beer in here? |
Today I took in the Toronto / Boston game at Rogers Centre. The Jays weren't playing well. After taking two of four from Tampa to start this season, Toronto had lost four straight. The Red Sox, meanwhile, had pounded the Blue Jays' hurlers. They'd scored eight runs on Friday (Erasing a 7-2 deficit) and another eight on Saturday. Would this Sunday bring about any change?
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Estrada has just completed his warm up pitches. Play Ball!
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Well for starters, you had Marco Estrada making his first start. But he wasn't alone in throwing for the first time this season at the big-league level.
Estrada started the game fast. He got Boston 1-2-3 in the top of the first. But for Steven Wright, his counterpart on the mound, it looked like he was right on his way to a short night. Or day, since the game started at 1:05.
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| Wright out of here? |
Toronto wasted no time in scoring. Wright's knucklers weren't dancing enough, and Kevin Pillar got it all going with a single. Josh Donaldson, DH'ing, followed suit. Jose Bautista presents an imposing challenge for any pitcher, and this rattled Wright. He threw one that catcher Blake Swihart could not block. It was more the catcher's fault than the pitcher's. But no matter. Toronto had two on and not a man out. That's the kind of start you need.
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| @JoeyBats19 @ the dish! |
Bautista walked on a full count. Edwin Encarnacion grounded to short. Double play! Well, it looked like it. The Red Sox got Bautista out at second on the force. But the relay to first? Well off the mark. Not only did Pillar score, but right behind him came Donaldson. 2-0, Toronto!
The batter way now Troy Tulowitzki. Swihart could not handle another of Wright's knucklers. The second passed ball of the inning allowed Encarnacion to move into scoring position. There was still only one out. I felt like this could be a big inning. The Red Sox had nobody up in the bullpen. I figured they soon would.
But gaining control of his prized pitch, the heroic and still defiant Steve Wright fanned Tulowitzki. In the best plate appearance of the inning, Michael Saunders fell behind 1-2. But then Wright missed twice. Saunders fouled off two pitches, then sent one to Mookie Betts in right. That was the end of that. Granted, Toronto had scored twice, but I had a bad feeling in my mouth. That delicious sausage that I'd gotten for $4 (Outside Rogers, of course) had warmed me up on this cold day (Also outside Rogers), but this was a grand wasted opportunity. I turned to my father and warned him if Wright settles down, Toronto might not get another opportunity. Never trust a knuckleballer. I ended up being right about Wright.
The Red Sox almost tied in the next inning. With one out, Hanley Ramirez got Boston's first hit of the afternoon. And it was a splendid one! A double. It was also the game's first extra-base stroke. For Ramirez, it was the first of three hits. However, Estrada did not falter from there. A K and a pop up ended the threat.
But the Blue Jays could do little with Wright over the course of the next two innings. He faced the minimum batters in the second and third. The one batter, Ryan Goins, that reached was quickly erased via the double play. Toronto would hit into three before the game was over. Goins had made the big play behind Estrada.
Boston had looked like they'd get on the board in the top of the third. Jackie Bradley got it all started with a single. Two outs later, and with Bradley erased on the base paths via a force, Boston got the big hit. Xander Bogaerts hit a double to right. Bautista fired it to Goins, the second basemen. Goins was out in short right. He relayed it to home, where catcher Russell Martin slapped the tag on Dustin Pedroia. Out!
Ramirez got his second hit of the game in the top of the fourth, but was stranded as Marco Estrada continued his fine pitching. Toronto saw their first two batters go down, and then saw Wright nearly come undone.
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| The bottom of the fourth: Goodnight Wright? |
Saunders drew a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. Singles by Martin and Goins (His first of two hits) brought Darwin Barney to the dish. On Wright's first pitch, another knuckler (And a 75 Mile-Per-Hour one!), Barney forced Martin at third.
But even though Swihart started the Boston half of the fifth with a single, Estrada wasn't about to let the Sox get anything. He got the next three batters out. When Pedroia fanned to end the top of the frame, Estrada was up to five strikeouts. There were more to come.
Wright was staying right with Estrada, however. Having thrown 14 pitches outside the strike zone in the bottom of the first, he threw a grand total of one in the bottom of the fifth. Pillar could only ground out. Donaldson and Bautista fanned.
Only six batters batted the next inning. Marco had a 1-2-3 inning. Wright allowed a leadoff single by Edwin Encarnacion. Troy Tulowitzki hit into a double play. Saunders grounded out.
The seventh inning saw Estrada pitch his last frame. It was pretty good as he walked a man, but did not give up a run. Fanning two more batters, he ran his K total up to eight.
Wright would leave in the bottom of the frame. Martin fanned. Goins hit a nice double the opposite way to right. That made him 2-2 with a walk on a perfect day at the dish. Barney grounded out to Travis Shaw, the third basemen. Shaw made sure Goins didn't go anywhere.
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| Two runs against don't make a (W)right. |
That, however, was the final batter Wright faced. His knuckler was now in the low 60s. He'd thrown over 100 pitches. Noe Ramirez came in and got the final out. It was still 2-0, Blue Jays. But after giving up two hits and a walk in just a 1/3 of an inning to start the game, Steve Wright allowed just four hits and one walk over the next 5 1/3 innings. A good solid, gritty effort.
Drew Storen took over the top of the eighth for Toronto. Although he gave up the Red Sox seventh and last hit, he wasn't scored on. Toronto, however, got a run. Josh Donaldson just tore into Ramirez's first pitcher. I was too busy chatting to my father to see it, but I sure heard the crack. The moon shot finally hit the facing of the second deck in deep left! 435 feet? 3-0, Toronto Blue Jays for sure. Toronto looked like they might get more as Bautista walked. But Encarnacion hit into a double play (Uhhhh) and Tulo flied out. Now, Toronto was just three outs away. Osuna time.
And, Oh Suna, it was gonnahh be ovahhhh!
Big Dave Ortiz fanned. Roberto Osuna then gave up a single to Hanley Ramirez. But Travis Shaw became Osuna's second victim of the K. Pablo Sandoval batted for Chris Young. Ramirez went to second on defensive indifference. No matter, Osuna fanned Sandoval. But at least no belt was broken. The Jays had a 3-0 win!
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| Proof of attendance! |
References
Official Toronto Blue Jays Website. Toronto Blue Jays. Major League Baseball. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tor>
"MLB.com Gameday." MLB.com | The Official Site of Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball. 10 Apr. 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jspgid= 2016_04_10_ bosmlb_ tormlb_1#game=2016_04_10_bosmlb_tormlb_1,game_tab=play-by-play,game_state =Wrapup>
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