The Blue Jays got swept, this series was unpleasant, so here’s a puppy video

https://twitter.com/wildNature_/status/1030460554165415936

 

Game 1: Friday, August 17^th
Jays lose, 5-7
Starting Pitcher: Marcus Stroman
Losing Pitcher: Joe Biagini

 

The Blue Jays got off to a hot start, sending nine batters to the plate and putting up a 4-0 lead in the 1^st against Lance Lynn, but eventually the lead evaporated. After Lynn issued a leadoff walk to Curtis Granderson, Devon Travis reached on a forceout and advanced on a wild pitch. Justin Smoak also walked, then Kendrys Morales scored Travis with a single. Kevin Pillar flared a single to right, scoring Smoak. Then a two-out walk loaded the bases, and Aledmys Diaz drove in a pair with a single before the inning ended.

 

 

The Yankees wasted on time chipping away at that lead, with two runs scoring on a walk, a triple and a double in the bottom of that inning. All three baserunners came with two outs in the inning. Marcus Stroman held on to the lead until the 4^th, when three more runs scored, capped by a Neil Walker home run. Lynn allowed two hits, including a game-tying RBI from Travis in the 5^th, before being lifted from the game. The Jays got another hit off Chad Green in that inning, but Russell Martin and Travis were both stranded. Green didn’t allow another runner after that, including during a four-pitch 6^th inning.

 

Stroman left the game after 4 innings, having allowed five runs on six hits. Both of the batters he walked came around to score. Joe Biagini walked the first batter of the 5^th , and he also came around to score after a single and a forceout. Tim Mayza came in to end the inning, and then threw the 6^th on 10 pitches. Luis Santos only got one out, after allowing a leadoff home run to Giancarlo Stanton in the 7^th. The game was called in the bottom of the 7^th, due to the rain.

 

Game 2: Saturday, August 18^th
Jays lose, 6-11
Losing Pitcher: Sean Reid-Foley

 

The Jays could take little solace in the fact that they out-hit the Yankees 13-11. Sean Reid-Foley, in his second career start, was a little battered by the Yankees. After walking the first batter of the game, he got two outs but then allowed a two-run homer to Didi Gregorius. He allowed another run in the 2^nd, but that one was unearned because Gleyber Torres singled, then pulled off a delayed steal on a wild pitch, and got to third when Danny Jansen’s throw went into center field. He scored on a sacrifice fly from Austin Romine.

 

Three Yankee runs scored on two hits and a walk in the 3^rd, but again an error contributed when Devon Travis made a throw on the run and airmailed the first baseman. Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo home run in the 4th, then Miguel Andujar padded the lead with his own in the 5th. Reid-Foley’s day was over with one out in the 5^th, after he allowed another single to Torres. The Blue Jays had been kept scoreless against Luis Severino to that point – despite four hits and two walks, he’d struck out eight.

 

Curtis Granderson led off the 6^th with a double, his third time on base. He advanced to third when Brett Gardner chased comically after the ball, then scored on a Justin Smoak single, forcing Severino’s exit from the game. Danny Jansen plated another run, then with two outs Richard Urena walked to load the bases. In his Blue Jays debut, and facing his former team, Billy McKinney made things interesting by clearing the bases with a single, and reaching second on an error. He was thrown out at third to end the inning, but it was now 8-5 New York.

 

First multi-hit game ✔️
First 2 @MLB RBI ✔️@billy_mckinney had a strong debut in blue! 🙌 https://t.co/v2VMdnNYx7

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 19, 2018

 

The Jays wouldn’t get a better opportunity than that. They wasted a leadoff walk against Dellin Betances in the 8^th, and did get a run on three hits in the 9^th, but that was after Luis Santos allowed three runs in the bottom of the 8^th. After a leadoff home run to Greg Bird, back-to-back singles, Travis flipped a throw across his body for a forceout, and then Santos hit Stanton, loading the bases. Ryan Tepera entered, walked one to force in a run, then allowed a sac fly to plate another.

 

Game 3: Sunday, August 19^th
Jays lose, 2-10
Losing Pitcher: Ryan Borucki

 

Ryan Borucki was not long for this game, and neither was John Gibbons. But first, the Jays actually had a lead. Randal Grichuk hit a home run deep into the stands over the bullpen in left field. His seventeenth of the year came with two outs, and gave the Blue Jays an early lead. They then hit two singles, but Teoscar Hernandez struck out with a full count to end the frame. Then Borucki got to work, and it was downhill from there.

 

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1031232366147264513

 

He walked the first two batters, then they pulled off a double-steal before Miguel Andujar singled in a run, and Didi Gregorius singled to the second baseman and collided with Morales at first base while another run scored. This all happened with no outs. Gleyber Torres reached on a grounder in front of the plate (although the play at first was close, they did not challenge) and that set up Greg Bird for a grand slam – still with nobody out. Borucki retired the next two batters before the Jays brought in Joe Biagini. Biagini ended the inning on one pitch.

 

He then pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, got double plays in the 2^nd and 4^th, along with stranding a leadoff single in the 3^rd. Justin Shafer made his MLB debut in the 5^th, and allowed a single, a walk and a hit batter before stranding the bases loaded. Kendrys Morales hit a leadoff home run in the 6^th, before Kevin Pillar doubled and was thrown out stealing third for the third out.The Yankees touched up Tim Mayza for four runs on four hits in the 6^th – twice the Blue Jays nearly turned a double play, but the close call at first base didn’t go in their favour. John Gibbons was ejected the second time that happened, because he went on the field to yell at the first-base umpire. Mayza also walked two (one intentionally) and Ronald Torreyes doubled on a ball that Pillar dove for but missed. The Blue Jays had nine hits; the Yankees had 12.

 

Overall Notes:

Luke Maile went on the paternity list for the birth of his daughter on Friday, and Billy McKinney was called up because there are already two additional catchers on the roster.

Marcus Stroman was placed on the disabled list Saturday, after dealing with a blister for his last several starts. They brought up Thomas Pannone in his place, optioned Luis Santos to Buffalo, and selected the contract of Justin Shafer. To make room for Shafer on the 40-man roster, Aaron Sanchez was transferred to the 60-day DL (although he’s already been out for more than 60 days).

 

Weirdly Specific Record Alert:

• Danny Jansen is the first catcher in Blue Jays history with a hit in each of his first four games. He accomplished that on Saturday, with his first career double, then went on to record a hit in his fifth game as well.
• When John Gibbons was ejected from the game on Sunday, it was his 50^th career ejection as a manager. That moves him into a three-way tie for the 15^th-most ejections in MLB history (Charlie Manuel and Clint Hurdle are the others.)

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1030879615235973121

 

Where we are now:
55-69, .444
4^th in the AL East, 32.5 games back of Boston

 

The Jays are now headed home for a series against Baltimore, against whom they’ve gone 10-1 in their first 11 matchups of the year. Thomas Pannone will make his first MLB start on Wednesday, which is an afternoon game.

 

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