A good win. Jose Berrios bounced back from an ugly first start, and while the offence didn’t hit for any power they got on base and manufactured some runs. You have to take advantage of playing a bad team at home, and with the series win they’ve done that.
The first inning was uneventful. Jose Berrios looked great, picking up a pair of Ks. Bo Bichette lined a single, but a Vladimir Guerrero jr. double play ball (which in fairness was very well hit) erased the runner.
Berrios continued to cruise in the second, with two more strikeouts. The Jays got to Trevor Williams though. Andres Gimenez, Alejandro Kirk, and George Springer all singled to make it 1-0 with two on and none out. Will Wagner laid down a bunt for a hit to load the bases, and Ernie Clement grounded into a fielder’s choice to make it 2-0. Alan Roden grounded a ball hard over the second base bag that shortstop CJ Abrams made a diving catch to stop, but he wasn’t able to complete the throw to second and all runners were safe, extending the lead to 3. Bo and Vlad struck out to stop the scoring there.
A one out walk broke up Berrios’ perfect game in the third, but a double play ensured he still had faced the minimum. Kirk lined a single, but the Jays couldn’t capitalize.
Washington’s first hit was a broken bat liner that Abrams legged into a double. Berrios walked the next batter, but a line out caught Abrams off the bag for a double play. Wagner and Roden lined singles, but a double play and a fly out prevented them from extending the lead.
In the fifth, Berrios recovered from his minor wobble, whiffing two more in a 1-2-3 frame. In the bottom half, an Anthony Santander single was left stranded.
Things fell apart a bit for Berrios in the sixth. A pair of singles and a stolen base put two in scoring position with two out. Keibert Ruiz hit a soft fly to right that dropped in and scored both, cutting the lead to 3-2. He walked the next batter, and that was it for his night. It was a very solid overall effort, with n runs on four hits and three walks over 5.2, with eight strikeouts. Surely a huge improvement on the last time out. Yariel Rodriguez got the call to try to preserve the remaining lead. He walked his first batter, just to heighten the tension, then got a deep fly out to centre. The Jays challenged in the bottom half, on a Springer walk and a Roden hit by pitch, but couldn’t capitalize.
Yariel Rodriguez got two outs in the seventh, but allowed a double in the middle that advanced on a ground out. Mason Fluharty got the call to make his MLB debut with the tieing run on third, facing Abrams. Welcome to the show, kid. He gave up a double that tied it, but at least got tue next batter to roll over one and preserve the tie at three. The Jays again couldn’t score, with only a Vlad walk in their half.
Fluharty did well to start the eighth, getting a ground out and his first MLB K before giving way to Chad Green, who got his 560th. Springer singled, and Wagner and Clement followed with bunts. Wagner’s went back to the pitcher, who bobled it for a sac hit, while Clement advanced the runners but was thrown out. Davis Schneider was called on to pinch hit for Alan Roden. That seemed odd in the moment, as they needed a ball in play and for all his virtues Schneider isn’t a contact hitter while Roden is. Predictably, he struck out. Bichette bailed his manager out, though, chopping a ball over the first base bag for a two RBI single, putting Toronto in front 5-3.
Jeff Hoffman came in for what was now a save situation and closed it out without drama, retiring the side on eight pitches.
Jays of the day: Bichette (0.288), Springer (0.139), Wagner (0.156)
Not so much: Schneider (-0.164)
It’s a getaway day for the Nats tomorrow, so first pitch goes at 3:07pm ET. Erstwhile top prospect MacKenzie Gore finally put together a solid season in 2024, and he kicked off 2025 with a great start, punching out 13 in six shutout innings. He’ll look to build on that. The Jays haven’t officially announced a starter, but it’s Kevin Gausman’s turn, so he’ll probably be the one to pursue the sweep.