TORONTO – In the sixth inning of Thursday’s game at Rogers Centre, John Schneider jogged out to the mound to chat with right-hander Chris Bassitt. The Blue Jays manager didn’t motion to the bullpen, so it was clear the purpose of this trip was to talk with his starter.
The stakes were about as high as they could get. Runners on first and third, one out and the Blue Jays clinging to a 1-0 lead. With left-handed hitter Jake Cronenworth coming to the plate, Toronto left-hander Tim Mayza was ready to go in the bullpen and watched the mound conference from afar.
All four Blue Jays infielders plus catcher Alejandro Kirk stood on the hill as Bassitt spoke to his manager, glove covering his mouth. Less than a minute later, Schneider jogged back to the dugout leaving the ball in Bassitt’s hand.
Whatever was said or debated, Bassitt certainly held up his end, retiring the next two Padres hitters to escape the jam and the preserve the narrow margin in what eventually became a 4-0 Blue Jays win in front of 43,196 fans. The conversation and ensuing pitches by Bassitt ended up being a defining moment in the contest that helped the Blue Jays avoid a three-game sweep and ensured the club finished its homestand with a 4-2 record.
Bassitt earned the “W” with a scoreless performance in which he allowed just four hits and one walk, striking out five over six innings. The right-hander lowered his season ERA to 3.92 and improved his team-leading innings total to 121.2, a number that ranks third in the American League. He was followed by Blue Jays relievers Mayza, Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano — pitching for the first time since exiting the All-Star game a sore lower back — who each tossed an inning of scoreless relief.
The Blue Jays needed every ounce of what Bassitt could offer, given the state of its offence during most of this weekend. The lineup didn’t record an extra-base hit during the series until Vladimir Guerrero’s opposite-field solo home run off Padres reliever Luis Garcia in the seventh inning on Thursday. Kirk added a two-run homer in the eighth inning to push the score to 4-0 and provide some breathing room for his pitching staff.
Padres left-hander Blake Snell, who sits second in the National League with a 2.67 ERA, was erratic on an afternoon in which he essentially mimicked a trapeze artist. He issued seven walks and five hits over his innings, but surrendered only one run. At one point, 10 of the first 17 Blue Jays batters reached base, but the club had just a lone run to show for it.
George Springer walked in the first inning but was erased when Bo Bichette grounded into a double play. Guerrero Jr. followed that with a walk but was promptly picked off at first base. In the second, Whit Merrifield singled up the middle and stole second base but was caught trying to steal third.
Right-fielder Jordan Luplow put the Blue Jays on the board with an RBI single in the second, but the club also squandered prime opportunities when they stranded the bases loaded in the fourth and a two-on, none-out situation in the fifth.
While those failings can’t be easily forgotten, they won’t exist as primary talking points, thanks in large part to Bassitt’s work on Thursday.
