Cardinals 2 Blue Jays 3
We got another nice start from Yariel Rodríguez. Just 4.1 innings. He started the fifth by giving up a hard line drive single, a deep fly out, and then a hard-hit RBI double, which Nathan Lukes almost caught at the wall. He was only at 62 pitches, but he looked done to me.
Ryan Yarbrough got out of the fifth and had a nice quick sixth, but he gave up a home run to start the seventh, and that was his day.
Erik Swanson got the first two outs of the seventh, giving up a walk. Genesis Cabrera got the last out of the seventh and the first two of the eighth. Zack Pop finished the eighth.
Chad Green came in for the one-run save. He’s been so bad lately that he gave up a leadoff single (just to get our heart rates up). But he got Lars Nootbaar (who homered earlier in the game to strikeout. A fly to a fairly deep right got us one out from the win.
Then was the bad play of the game. A bouncing ball to first, Horwitz looked unsure of whether he should go get the ball or wait on the base (why are our infielders so bad in the ninth inning?). Finally, he went to the ball but didn’t toss it to Green covering. Instead, he tried to beat the runner to the bag. He didn’t. Thankfully, Green got Jordan Walker to hit a popup to short. Save number 17 for Green.
We didn’t score or do much on offense until the fifth inning, when Spencer Horwitz was hit by a pitch, and then Davis Schneider homered (the rumours of his demise may have been exaggerated; he’s homered two games in a row now).
And then, in the eighth, George Springer hit a one-out pinch-hit single. That was followed by a Nathan Lukes double down the left-field line. Helped by a bobble in left, Springer scored. Getting more would have been nice, but Ernie Clement ground out (moving Lukes to third), then the Cards intentionally walked Vlad for the second time today and Horwitz ground out.
We only had six hits. Two each for Schneider and Lukes. Jimenez and Springer had the others.
Vlad was intentionally walked twice.
The play of the game was by Leo Jimenez. With a runner on first, Jimenez dove for a ball hit to his left and did a kind of backhanded throw from his knees back to second base to start one of the best double plays of the season.
Chat, clip that pic.twitter.com/5y3qcL2tuw
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 15, 2024
Jays of the Day: Lukes (.267 WPA), Schneider (.193), Green (.160) and Cabrera (.122). And to Jimenez for the fantastic defensive play. And Springer deserves an honourable mention for that scamper home from first. All that running is hard on an old man.
The Other Award: De Los Santos (-.138 for an 0 for 3) and Clement (-.084, for an 0 for 4).
Tomorrow is an off-day. Then the Jays are off to Arlington, Texas (our old friend Hugo’s favourite place).