Jays Split Series in Baltimore

 

                                                                    
                                                                            Photo From The Score

Following their series win in Boston, the Jays traveled to Camden Yards to conclude their road trip against the Orioles. The series was scheduled to start on Friday, but the game was rained out. As a result, Friday’s game will now be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 29th. So, the final series of the road trip didn’t officially start until Saturday, and the Jays got off to a very strong start. Bo Bichette kicked the game off by hitting a double to center off O’s starter Tomoyuki Sugano. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then came up and scored Bichette with a double of his own, giving Toronto the early lead.

Toronto added to their lead in the second inning when Bichette drove in Nathan Lukes with an RBI single. The scoring continued in the third, when former Oriole Anthony Santander hit his first home run as a Blue Jay, a shot to right field, giving Toronto a 3-0 advantage. It looked like smooth sailing for the Jays, with Bowden Francis pitching his usual solid game, but unfortunately, some old issues from last season resurfaced. Toronto had multiple innings with a runner in scoring position but repeatedly hit into inning-ending double plays, doing so five times on Saturday.

When you fail to capitalize on scoring chances as often as Toronto did, you give your opponent life, and the Orioles took full advantage. In the bottom of the fifth, Heston Kjerstad got Baltimore on the board with a two-run homer. The game was tied in the sixth when Adley Rutschman hit his third home run of the season. Baltimore pulled ahead for good when Cedric Mullins hit a bases-clearing double. Toronto did claw back within one after an RBI groundout by Bichette, but ultimately, the Jays lost 5-4.

On Sunday, José Berríos got the start and struggled once again. Baltimore opened the scoring on a wild pitch, but Alejandro Kirk answered with his first home run of the season. The Orioles retook the lead, only for Guerrero to respond with an RBI single. The O’s pulled ahead again in the third inning after an error and later doubled their lead in the sixth, putting Toronto on the brink of being swept.

But the Jays had other plans. At the top of the eighth, the rally began. First, Kirk hit an RBI double, scoring Andrés Giménez. Next, Davis Schneider scored Tyler Heineman with an RBI groundout. Then, with two outs, Bichette delivered again with an RBI single, scoring Ernie Clement. The game headed to extra innings, though just before that, Nathan Lukes was caught trying to steal third base, which was a baffling decision with nobody out. I highly doubt the third base coach told him to steal in that situation. Lukes redeemed himself, though, by making a clutch sliding catch on a pop-up in the bottom of the ninth.

In the 10th inning, the Jays pulled ahead when Myles Straw hit a single to right field, scoring Giménez. Jeff Hoffman then retired the side to seal the comeback, and Toronto walked away with a 7-6 win. As a fan, I loved seeing Hoffman glance toward the Baltimore dugout and blow them a kiss after the final out, especially knowing they had planned to sign him before backing out due to something in his medical report. So far, that decision has turned out to be a win for the Jays.

I know a lot of fans are still concerned because Vladdy and Bo haven’t hit home runs yet. I’ve even heard people say Guerrero isn’t living up to his contract. First off, that’s ridiculous. Secondly, after just two weeks of the regular season, both Vladdy and Bo are doing just fine. The home runs will come. The bitter critics need to relax — so far, Vladdy has 19 hits, 7 RBIs, and is batting .302. He’s doing perfectly fine. Bo has 22 hits and 10 RBIs. Sure, the home runs haven’t shown up yet, but the key players are still producing.

And let’s not forget — even though Toronto isn’t getting power from the usual suspects, the team is still finding ways to win ballgames, and really, that’s what matters. It doesn’t matter how you win, as long as you win in the end of the day.

Toronto now returns home for a three-game set against the struggling Atlanta Braves, with Easton Lucas scheduled to get the start. This will also be the first home game since Vladdy signed his extension with Toronto, so the crowd will be in a celebratory mood. This series against the Braves should be a fun one.

Thanks for reading!