TORONTO – It’s uncanny, really, how often these Toronto Blue Jays end up in close games and as a result, the little things always get magnified when the result doesn’t break right. Hence, it’s always better to evaluate process rather than outcome, because good decisions can backfire and bad decisions can work out. Bottom line, make the right calls often enough and in the aggregate you’ll end up ahead.
There wasn’t much to nitpick in their doubleheader opener Friday, when they jumped out to leads of 3-0, 5-2 and 8-4 and held on for an 8-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox. But in the sixth inning of the nightcap, Charlie Montoyo’s decision to let Derek Fisher hit with the bases loaded and two out when Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was on the bench certainly raised some questions.
Guerrero ended up hitting for Reese McGuire in the team’s final at-bat in the seventh after Travis Shaw’s infield single, and ended up hitting into a 5-4-3 double play against closer Matt Barnes. Cavan Biggio then struck out for the final out in a 3-2 loss, the club’s 19th one-run game this season.
But why not let the young slugger face righty Robinson Leyer with the Blue Jays down one and an opportunity to deliver a big blow the previous inning? Fisher, 3-for-18 with four walks heading into that at-bat, isn’t someone you’d want in that spot and saving Guerrero for the team’s final at-bat when the same leverage wasn’t there doesn’t seem like the right play.
The decision came after Ross Stripling allowed three runs, two earned, in 4.1 solid innings in his Blue Jays debut. The third run will be a painful one, as it came around when McGuire tried a backpick at second base from his knees in the fifth, throwing it into centre field which allowed Yairo Munoz to score.
Fundamentals were the focus as the day began as the Blue Jays met with their position players in the early afternoon to discuss an area of concern that’s come up all too often this season, especially this week – the club’s baserunning.
Montoyo summed up his message like this: “Be aggressive, just be smart.”
“Sometimes you don’t want to make mistakes and now you stop being aggressive and you could have been at third base on a base hit to right-centre but you stay there (at second) because you’re afraid to get thrown out,” he continued. “Just be smart. See where their guys are playing. Stay aggressive. But be smart.”
More disciplined on the basepaths and a lot more production at the plate made baserunning moot in the first game, as a trio of Blue Jays who’d been cool recently at the plate did the heavy lifting.
Shaw, in a 6-for-41 rut with a .417 OPS in his previous 14 games, delivered three hits, including a homer in the second that opened the scoring.
Danny Jansen, riding an 0-for-10 slide and a 4-for-39, delivered a two-run homer later in the frame, while Randal Grichuk broke out of an 0-for-18 slump with a pair of hits, including a two-run single in the sixth that opened up an 8-4 lead.
Even still, nothing comes easy for the Blue Jays, who three times failed to get a shutdown inning right after they scored in the top half of the frame. Eventually, Anthony Bass locked things down in the ninth.
Tanner Roark had another uneven outing, dominating at times with six strikeouts but ultimately couldn’t get through five, leaving after surrendering a pair that cut the Blue Jays lead to 5-4, with two on and one out.
Julian Merryweather took over and got Xander Bogaerts on a lazy liner to right field before striking out J.D. Martinez to maintain the lead.
That appeared pivotal when the Blue Jays tacked on three more in the sixth but Merryweather got touched up in the bottom half, as Munoz, who had three hits and three RBIs, doubled in a run before an RBI single from Michael Chavis and a run-scoring groundout for Jose Peraza.
A.J. Cole limited the damage there, setting the stage for Bass to collect his fifth save.
The victory comes on a day when the Blue Jays (21-17), New York Yankees (21-16), who won their first game, and Detroit Tigers (17-19), who lost both games, all played doubleheaders.
Reinforcements appear to be on the way for the Blue Jays, who on Saturday will have shortstop Bo Bichette face closer Ken Giles in a simulated game.
Bichette “is doing a lot better than we thought he was going to be at this time,” said Montoyo, and while he wouldn’t speculate on timing, his return is on the horizon.
Assuming all goes well, the Blue Jays may set up another sim game versus a taxi squad pitcher like Jacob Waguespack or Patrick Murphy on Sunday and then consider setting up some extra work for him in Rochester.
Giles, meanwhile, could be ready to return after his second live batting practice, although that assessment will only come afterwards. He could, in theory, get a third session but could also be activated for next week’s clash with the Yankees.
