Blue Jays drop Canada Day marathon and everything happened

The Toronto Blue Jays tied a record for their longest game and sent two middle-infielders to the mound, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Cleveland Indians from finding their 14th consecutive win.

After over six hours, it’s over.

Controversy found the Blue Jays early as Josh Donaldson and home plate umpire Vic Carapazza disagreed on a called third strike. Edwin Encarnacion was then called out on strikes in the next at-bat and, while walking away from the plate, was tossed. Manager John Gibbons was ejected, too, amid a heated argument between the three.

Devon Travis took over for Encarnacion at DH after originally receiving the day off. After a full game of back-and-forth, Russell Martin was ejected in the bottom of the 13th and had to be restrained by a pair of Blue Jays coaches.

Marcus Stroman exited after six and two thirds innings, ending in a stare-down with Carapazza after another close call. The right-hander left the bases loaded for Brett Cecil to clean up, but took a significant step forward by allowing just one run on five hits while forcing 12 ground ball outs.

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Jason Grilli entered to pitch a clean eighth, striking out two. Roberto Osuna handled the ninth inning allowing just one runner to reach first before handing off to Joe Biagini in extras. Biagini hit Kipnis and allowed a single in the 10th before Kevin Pillar saved the day with a diving catch in centre for the third out.

Jesse Chavez was next in line and gave the Blue Jays three perfect innings with two strikeouts. Drew Storen was reliever number six, stranding a single in his first frame. Storen was pulled for Bo Schultz with runners on the corners and one out in the top of the 15th.

Schultz escaped with a 5-4-3 double play and walked the tightrope again in the 16th, stranding a base runner on third. He then battled through the 17th, throwing 48 pitches and clearly dealing with some physical discomfort by the end.

Then it happened. 

After warming through the 17th, infielder Ryan Goins trotted in from the bullpen and hit 90 MPH on the radar gun. He even uncorked a breaking ball, but back-to-back singles led off the inning. After getting involved in a run-down and loaded the bases with an intentional walk, Goins forced a 6-4-3 double play to escape the jam.

Darwin Barney took over on the mound in the 19th and gave up a solo home run to the first batter he faced in Carlos Santana to make it 2-1. He then locked it down, though, even striking out Mike Napoli with a breaking ball to end the inning.

At the plate, Justin Smoak first broke Toronto through in the bottom of the sixth with a home run over the left-field fence, it was the 100th of his career.

After stranding the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, Kevin Pillar and Darwin Barney opened the fifth with back-to-back singles. Ezequiel Carrera moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt and Josh Donaldson was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Travis was sat down on strikes before Michael Saunders lined out to centre.

Toronto stranded the bases loaded for a sixth time in the bottom of the 14th as Joba Chamberlain forced Donaldson into a check-swing ground out.

Next: GM Ross Atkins speaks on trade market, Hutchison

Carlos Santana first sparked the Cleveland Indians offence in the third with a double over the head of Kevin Pillar and was was driven in on a ground ball single from Jason Kipnis that just snuck past the outstretched glove of Darwin Barney.

After pinch-running for Smoak late in the game, Junior Lake made his MLB debut at first base. Cleveland was also forced to use tomorrow’s scheduled starter Trevor Bauer in the 15th.

Game three of the series goes tomorrow afternoon at 1:07 p.m. ET with Marco Estrada (5-3, 2.81 ERA) scheduled to start for the Jays.