TORONTO – On a few occasions this spring, John Schneider described the Toronto Blue Jays’ approach as trying to “out-team the other team,” and Tuesday night, game No. 5 of the regular season, demonstrated that ethos in action.
Cody Ponce’s knee injury 2.1 innings into his outing Monday left the team in need of a lengthy outing, one that Max Scherzer delivered over six strong innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Catcher Tyler Heineman closing out the previous night’s 14-5 drubbing with two innings of mop-up duty meant that relievers Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher were available to work clean seventh and eighth innings behind Scherzer, with Jeff Hoffman fresh for the ninth.
A three-run seventh that opened some margin for error on a tight 2-1 Blue Jays lead also allowed Tyler Rogers, who’d pitched in three of the first four games, to get at least a partial breather, as he warmed just in case in the eighth but wasn’t needed.
Heineman, meanwhile, despite the physical toll of throwing 27 pitches, was behind the plate and had two hits while scoring once, while also helping the Blue Jays match up better in Wednesday’s series finale when Alejandro Kirk will start versus lefty Kyle Freeland.
All the marginal gains in that interconnectivity was a fundamental part of their success a season ago, and a dynamic they’re seeking to maintain and build on this season.
The starting point, of course, was Scherzer, who signed March 2, looked close to ready then and kept the Rockies in check in the first start of his 19th season in the majors, burned only by a Hunter Goodman solo shot in the sixth that ate into a 2-0 Blue Jays lead.
They took control in the fifth off reliever Juan Mejia, subbing in after starter Ryan Feltner left the game after three innings with a right glute contusion from an Andres Gimenez liner, loading the bases with one out.
Jaden Hill took over and Jesus Sanchez ripped an RBI single that opened the scoring before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. worked a bases-loaded walk to bring home a second run. Hill kept the Blue Jays from blowing it open, though, catching Kazuma Okamoto looking on a slider that survived an ABS challenge before getting Nathan Lukes swinging.
No matter, Sanchez and Guerrero opened the seventh with base hits before RBI singles by Okamoto and Lukes extended the lead. After Okamoto was thrown out trying to stretch to third, Ernie Clement’s RBI double made it 5-1.
