Blue Jays 2 Red Sox 0
Yet another great start for Bowden Francis. He’s been so good, I’ve remembered his name is Bowden Francis, I haven’t typed Francis Bowden in weeks.
Francis went seven innings and allowed just one hit, no walks, with five strikeouts. He came out after just 70 pitches, which puzzled the Red Sox radio guys, but after 118 last time out, I’m ok with them cutting him short tonight—just another terrific start.
Bowden only had two base runners all game, one on the single and one on a Leo Jimenez error, throwing wide of first. He’s been very good at short, so we can forgive the odd error. Loperfido helped him out with a great catch right at the wall in right, banging his head of the wall.
I can’t wait until we find out that Bowden was very hittable.
Genesis Cabrera pitched a quick eighth, giving up a hit with a strikeout.
Chad Green got his 16th save (pretty good since he got his second save on Monday). He hit a batter (or almost hit a batter) to bring Tyler O’Neill to the plate as the tying run. But O’Neill ground out to end the game.
For the third game in a row, our offense was missing. We scored only two runs on seven hits, but two were enough.
We scored:
- One in the third: Brian Serven led off with a double. After George Springer and Daulton Varsho ground out, Vlad doubled him home (off that stupid metal mesh thing in center field).
- One in the sixth: Addison Barger hit a two-out ground-rule double, and Ernie Clement followed with a normal-type double.
Three players had six of our seven hits: Vlad (double and single), Clement (double and single) and Servin (two doubles). Barger had the other hit.
We couldn’t get a hit off Rich Hill, who pitched to Johny Bench in his first MLB game. Well, not quite that old, but he’s 44.
We had a shot at adding to our lead in the ninth. Ernie Clement singled, and Davis Schneider walked to start the inning. But, when John Schneider saw Rich Hill in the game, he thought it was the 1940s and decided to try that new-fangled strategy, the sac bunt. Leo Jimenez popped the bunt up, and pitcher Greg Weissert made a diving catch and doubled Clement off first (they almost got the triple play),
Jays of the Day: Francis (.482 WPA), Green (.105), Cabrera (.100), Clement (.105), Vlad (.095) and Serven (.085, plus helping Francis through the game, and throwing out a base stealer).
Other Award: Jimenez (-.098, plus the error), Horwitz (-.093, 0 fo 4) and Springer (-.089, 0 for 3, walk).
Tomorrow, amazingly enough, we don’t play the Red Sox. It is the Twins tomorrow. Kevin Gausman (12-9, 4.10) vs. Pablo Lopez (12-8, 4.26).