Jays Clinch A Playoff Spot!

Blue Jays 8 Royals 5

JAYS WIN! JAYS CLINCH!

I love watching the guys celebrate.

Unfortunately, the Yankees won (stupid Orioles bullpen).

We did actually scored today.

Really, all that I want to talk about is the challenge on Daulton Varsho’s catch. Because that is what it was, a catch. I don’t know about ‘definitive proof’ but it looks very much like a catch to me. I think we are in the zone that, had the umpires called it a catch, it would have stayed a catch. Unfortunately, you do have to rise above bad calls, but this was tough for the players to battle through. I felt that in Varsho’s next time up to bat, he was trying to makeup for that with one swing.

After the game, Varsho said “I caught that ball.”

Anyway, before that play, the Jays were up 6-2. At the end of the inning it was 6-4. If that was correctly called a catch, it would have been a much more relaxing day.

Let’s talk about about the game in order:

George Springer started the game off with a single, but we couldn’t get him past second base, and we all thought “here we go again, we aren’t going to score.

Then came the second inning. Davis Schneider led off with a walk. After a force-out, putting Nathan Lukes on first, Ernie Clement singled Lukes to second. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Andrés Giménez who seems to have a bit of clutch in him, singled home one. Then Tyler Heineman put down a sac (no Tom, not sax) bunt to the first baseman, who really should have thrown home, but instead he tagged Tyler and we had two runs. Springer followed with a double. 3-0 Jays.

Trey Yesavage was great through three innings, giving up just a walk. He had some troubles in the fourth. After a lead off line drive caught by Davis Schneider (very nice catch), he gave up a walk and a single. A Sal Perez strikeout, was followed by two singled, making it 3-2 Jays. The first single was a soft ground ball to short, Giménez waited for it, but Barger cut in front of him, missing the pickup, and apparently missing with Andres’ concentration, he booted it too. I thought that Barger was the only one that had a play, if he came up with it, a throw to second likely would have gotten an out. I don’t think Giménez had that play at second, and I don’t think he could have had the out at first.

Anyway, the Jays got three more in the fifth. Heineman singled. After Springer struck out, Varsho singled and Vlad doubled both home (hitting it high off the left-center wall, three or so feet short of a homer). Addison Barger followed with a double, bringing home Vlad. Schneider and Lukes made outs, but it was 6-2. No worries.

Bottom of the fifth. Mike Yastremski singled, then there was the challenged catch by Varsho (not ruled a catch). Yesavage was pulled. Four innings, five hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Not the same as his first start, which is going to make life harder on the ones choosing the playoff rotation.

Brendon Little came in and got a 3-6 groundout. Giménez threw back to first, and Little missed the catch (I don’t think they would have gotten that second out) but the runner went to second on the play. A single brought home two. Sal Perez also singled and it was 6-4 Jays. Thankfully, Little got a double play ball to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Little still in. He got a ground out and then a fly ball down the third base line that Davis dived at but was well short of catching. It turned out to be a triple. Randal Grichuk (who I used to line) singled one home, but Little got Yastremski to ground out. Seranthony Dominguez came in to get Bobby Witt to strikeout. 6-5 Jays.

In the bottom of the seventh, Vlad singled with two out. He tried to steal second but was caught. Questionable move, but with two outs, getting into scoring position would have been important.

Seranthony pitched a quick seventh, helped out by a tremendous catch in right field by Lukes. That was one of the

In the eighth, John decided to pinch-hit for Barger with Myles Straw, with the lefty up. The move wasn’t universally loved in the GameThread, but Straw lined a singled to center. After Davis popped out and Ty France lined out (nice catch). Straw moved to second on a ‘disengagement violation’ (which my wife asked me about, but she understood it within a few seconds of me explaining. She has adequate sports knowledge). Clement lined a singled to left, scoring Straw. Giménez tripled home Clement (he has a way of coming up big more than I expect). 8-5.

Eric Lauer pitched a quick eight.

And Jeff Hoffman pitched the ninth, giving up a double. Save #32.

We had 12 hits on offense. Springer, Vlad, Clement and Giménez had two each. Schneider (with a walk) and Lukes had 0 fors.

And our bullpen went five innings, giving up just one earned run.

Jays of the Day: Dominguez (.152 WPA), Gimenez (.134), Vlad (.133), and Clement (.128).

Other Award: Little (-.096) and Yesavage (-.089) had the number, but, had the catch been called properly, neither would had that number.

Tomorrow is an off-day (so the guys can sleep off the party), and Tuesday the Jays start their last home stand of the season with three games against the Red Sox.

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