Blue Jays Game Recap: Jays Win See-Saw Affair In Dramatic Fashion

Coming into tonight’s game, the Blue Jays had been playing much sharper baseball. The starters had put together an impressive string of starts over the past week after struggling through the first month and a half. Behind R.A Dickey, the Jays were shooting for their 3rd straight win.

Josh Donaldson got the offence started in the first inning with a solo home run off John Danks. Danks had some rough luck in the third. Jose Abreu couldn’t hang on to a foul pop up and Donaldson’s at bat and the inning continued. He then doubled which put runners on second and third. Jose Bautista doubled them both home. After losing the lead in the top of the 5th, the Jays came right back in the bottom of the inning. Steve Tolleson and Josh Thole hit back to back doubles, two batters later Donaldson walked and then Bautista hit a double scoring both baserunners. 

More from Jays Journal

• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King
• Toronto Blue Jays: Has the Shift Killed Kevin Gausman’s 2022 Cy Young Hopes?
• Blue Jays: What Yusei Kikuchi’s latest stumble should mean

R.A Dickey’s night didn’t begin well. In the second, the Jays nearly turned two but Alexei Ramirez was ruled safe on a bang-bang play at first (both Dickey and Tolleson could have made better throws on the play). A bloop single and a sac fly later, the White Sox jumped ahead by a run. Dickey left a baserunner stranded in the 3rd and 4th. Dickey got into trouble again in the 5th. A walk, and bloop single and then a 3 run home run off the bat of Jose Abreu. Dickey was done after 5 IP.

The seesaw affair continued after Ryan Tepera allowed two baserunners and Aaron Loup couldn’t strand both inherited runners. Roberto Osuna pitched a clean 7th. Liam Hendriks was tasked with holding the Jays 4th lead of the game but allowed 3 runs. The Jays almost escaped the inning with only one run against but one out of a double play was overturned and two more crossed the plate. Steve Delabar stopped the bleeding in his 1.1 IP

Bautista doubled (again) home Donaldson in the 7th to give the Jays the lead (again). The White Sox misplayed it to allow Donaldson to score without a throw and Bautista to reach third. The offence was unfairly asked to rally again in the bottom of the 8th and 9th and in the bottom of the 9th they produced some magic. Josh Thole was (questionably at the time) left in to catch and bat first in the 9th. Proving many wrong he reached base. Reyes followed with a double down the line. Donaldson then, in Joe Carter-esque fashion, smacked an opposite field, three run, walk off home run. A bland, predictable game really.

*several rewrites of this recap were required in game but the author is okay with that now*

Game Notes:

– On Bautista’s RBI double in the 3rd a balk was called but play continued as Bautista hit safely. Bautista initially thought the fly wasn’t deep enough and stopped running. A strange play all around.

– Bautista hit two 2 RBI doubles and one 1 RBI double in his first game back after his cortisone injection

– Barry Davis mishandled an easy pop up (he did have a glove) in the camera bay

– Dickey’s start ended a streak of 7 straight games where the Jays starter went 6.2 IP or more.

– The defence of both teams struggled tonight. The Jays infielders fouled up a number of potential double plays. The normally “grade A” Jays defence was grade D tonight.

– The lead changed 8 times

– Danny Valencia had to play second base in the 9th after Russell Martin pinch hit for Ryan Goins

Next: Drew Hutchison, Blue Jays and the Maddux