Red Sox 3 Blue Jays 5
Despite Dylan Cease not having his usual great start, it turned out to be a good game. Cease went 5 innings, allowed 5 hits, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts, but gave up 2 home runs. Neither one was crushed; one just barely cleared the wall. For anyone else, it would be pretty good, but we’ve come to expect more from Cease.
We used a lot of guys in the pen:
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Chase Lee got five outs, giving up a hit and two walks.
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Brandon Little got the last out of the seventh, striking out the lefty.
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Spencer Miles got the save, giving up a double on a ball I expected Myles Straw to catch, but I think Straw thought the wall was closer than it was.
On a day they rested Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers, our pen was terrific.
Our offence? Well, we did get five runs, which is like other teams scoring 12.
We had 10 hits. No homers, just two doubles for extra-base hits. Bateman, Straw and Kirk had two hits each. Clement was the only Jay not to reach base, and he hit into two double plays. It just wasn’t his day. But he did get an RBI.
We scored:
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One in the third: With two outs, Lukes singled, McAdoo walked, and Bateman doubled in Lukes.
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Two in the fifth: Andrés Giménez started it with a single. Straw hit into a force at second. Lukes put down a nice bunt. And McAdoo hit a sac fly. And Bateman in another.
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One in the sixth: Springer led off with a walk. Kirk singled him to third. Clement hit into a force at second (but not a double play) and Springer scored.
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One in the eighth: Springer again led off, this time with a single. Kirk hit into a force at second. Josh Smith came in to pinch run. After Clement popped out, Giménez was hit by pitch, right on the knee. It looked very painful. And Straw doubled home Smith.
We should have scored more, but the double plays hurt. And Vlad, with Bateman on first, lined one into the right field corner, but Wilyer Abreu did a great job getting to it before it made the back wall and made a perfect throw into second, getting Vlad. I thought it was a double off the bat, but the play in the corner was great. Likely Vlad had turned at first and didn’t see the pickup, but we’d have been gett off with him sticking at first.
And there was some amazing Jays defense. In particular, Giménez made a super play on a ground ball to his right, diving, popping up and throwing a perfect bounce throw to first—just an amazing play. Charles McAdoo looked far better at third than I expected. Kirk threw out a runner stealing, terrific throw.
Jays of the Day: Bateman (0.26 WPA, I thought he did a great job in the post-game interview with Hazel), Kirk (0.17, plus the throw), Straw (0.16, maybe subtract a little for the missed catch in the ninth), Lee (0.12) and Fisher (0.12). Honourable mention to Spencer Miles for the save.
Other Award: Clement (-0.15), Vlad (-0.12) and Cease (-0.12).
Tomorrow is game 3 with the Red Sox—another 7:00 Eastern start. Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.32) vs. José Soriano (9-6, 3.24), making his second start for the Jays.
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