TORONTO – Amid this trying period of hard knocks are some important days of discovery for the Toronto Blue Jays. Important decisions loom in the weeks ahead on how to reinforce a talented team with obvious needs, and the front office must need to be sure about what’s in place before cashing in on some of the farm system’s prospect capital.
Perhaps most pivotal in that regard is Alek Manoah, who allowed two runs over five fighting-through-it innings before the Blue Jays rallied with an opportunistic eighth in Wednesday’s 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The rookie right-hander made his third start in the majors and after dominating the New York Yankees in a brilliant debut and then grinding through an off-kilter outing versus the Miami Marlins, his performance against the AL Central leaders is perhaps the most informative.
While his four-seam fastball was overpowering, generating eight whiffs on 19 swings, and his slider had its moments, he wasn’t at his best, losing his command at times while coming in and out of his delivery.
Despite that, he kept one of the best offensive teams in the AL largely under wraps, allowing an unearned run in the first when Yoan Moncada cashed in Jake Lamb, who reached on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. error, and then another in the fifth when Nick Madrigal’s double plated a Leury Garcia leadoff walk.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did Manoah a solid by throwing out Yasmani Grandal trying to score on an Andrew Vaughn single to end the fourth, with an assist to a seemingly sketch replay decision to let the play stand.
Regardless, the intriguing 23-year-old never let the game unravel — and it easily could have in the fifth, when Madrigal’s double put the White Sox ahead 2-1 with none out. Manoah, after trading some words with Tim Anderson, got the star shortstop on a flyout, struck out Lamb and popped up Moncada to hold the line.
There was a lot there to demonstrate what he’s made of, and the Blue Jays very much need him to help maintain the recent stability in the rotation.
As the starters have settled, the depleted bullpen has become all the more uncertain, which is what made clean innings from Anthony Castro and Tyler Chatwood heartening. Castro, with an opportunity to earn more leverage work, was up to 98.4 m.p.h. and all three swings at his whiffle-ball sliders were misses, while Chatwood turned the page on some recent command issues by throwing nine of his 12 pitches for strikes in an efficient seventh.
Those frames helped set the stage for the rally in the eighth, which was started by pinch-hitter Riley Adams reaching on a wild-pitch strikeout. Adams eventually came around on Guerrero’s bases-loaded walk off Aaron Bummer to tie the game 2-2, and the Blue Jays plated two more when Anderson threw away the relay on what should have been a double-play ball from Teoscar Hernandez.
Adams, who debuted Tuesday, remained in the game at catcher, and when Jordan Romano’s first five pitches of the eighth were not-even-close balls, he visited the mound to settle the right-hander down. Romano did just that, popping up Lamb, striking out Moncada and getting Jose Abreu on a groundout to strand Anderson at third base.
That’s a pressure-packed spot for Adams to jump in, but he’s looked very strong behind the plate thus far, capably blocking balls, while providing a big target with nice quiet movements. This is an important look for him, as the Blue Jays will have some surplus at catcher once Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk, due to begin a rehab assignment, are ready to return.
After Rowdy Tellez’s single made it a 5-2 game in the ninth, Adams followed with a walk and slid hard into second base to break up a potential double-play ball from Marcus Semien, and Danny Mednick’s high throw off Abreu’s glove allowed Tellez to score from second.
The collective combination of attention to detail and opportunism after a handful of White Sox miscues is encouraging for the Blue Jays, especially after squandering a Robbie Ray gem in the series opener. One night later, they turned the tables after Lance Lynn shoved for seven innings, learning more about their evolving roster along the way.
