Lower than 24 hours after being held comparatively quiet save for just a few random moments of cheering and chants, and naturally, the singing of “O Canada,” which is fairly cool to see, Blue Jays followers returned to T-Cellular Park in better numbers and with better depth fueled by Saturday afternoon sunshine and, effectively, ice-cold refreshments.
Making up simply greater than half — maybe nearer to two-thirds — of the introduced crowd of 38,264, Toronto followers had a lot to cheer about as their crew re-exposed the entire Mariners’ seasonlong warts and weaknesses for the primary seven innings. Within the closing two innings, the Blue Jays additionally supplied a reminder to their touring devoted as to why they’ve a dropping document this season.
Ultimately, a late and livid comeback by the Mariners that included a three-run homer from Mitch Haniger within the eighth inning and a solo homer from Luke Raley within the ninth inning fell quick in a 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.
“We nonetheless have an opportunity to win the collection tomorrow,” supervisor Scott Servais mentioned. “You’re seeking to hopefully come out, and we simply need to do extra offensively, that’s simply the place it’s at early within the ballgames. I give our guys credit score, they didn’t give up. We’re capable of get some huge hits there late to place strain on them, however it’s going to take greater than that.”
The Mariners primarily performed your entire recreation with out beginning middle fielder Julio Rodriguez, who was lifted from the sport after the highest of the primary inning because of tightness within the decrease a part of his proper quadriceps. He was anticipated to bear an MRI after the sport.
Rodriguez felt the quad tighten up whereas warming up earlier than the sport.
“He got here on this morning and felt wonderful,” Servais mentioned. “When he was out earlier than the sport and the blokes have been operating sprints within the outfield, he felt one thing.
It tightened up and didn’t really feel nice.”
As a substitute of getting a part of the sport off and certain coming off the bench late within the recreation, Ty France was inserted into Rodriguez’s spot because the cleanup hitter and batted within the high of the second.
“You type of have an thought going into the sport the way you’re going to make use of your bench,” Servais mentioned. “When certainly one of your principal guys comes out like that, you’ve received to pivot shortly.”
Whether or not Rodriguez, who has appeared significantly better on the plate the previous few video games, would’ve made a distinction in opposition to Toronto starter Yariel Rodriguez is unsure. However the Mariners offense did little in opposition to the Blue Jays right-hander.
That they had simply three base runners in opposition to him in six innings — a fifth-inning single from Raley and a pair of walks within the fourth inning.
Inserted into the rotation instead of Bryan Woo, who’s on the injured listing with a light hamstring pressure, Emerson Hancock gave the Mariners a serviceable if not prolonged outing. The rookie right-hander pitched into the fifth inning, however didn’t document an out earlier than being lifted. His closing line: 4 innings pitched, two runs allowed on six hits with a stroll and 4 strikeouts.
He wanted 62 pitches to carry the Blue Jays scoreless over the primary three innings regardless of permitting a base runner in every of them.
The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead with two outs within the fourth inning. Daulton Varsho singled up the center and got here round to attain from first when Alejandro Kirk jumped on a 2-0 sinker, sending a line drive over the pinnacle of Dominic Canzone in left area. Hancock was capable of restrict the injury to only one run, placing out Kevin Kiermaier to finish the inning.
“They drove the pitch rely up after which I simply keep in mind getting by way of the fourth and type of what number of pitches I used to be at,” Hancock mentioned. “They type of grinded by way of at-bats, however I didn’t do a superb job of type of placing them away once I received two strikes both.”
Down 1-0, the Mariners thought they may have answered within the backside of the fourth. Josh Rojas and Cal Raleigh labored back-to-back, one-out walks for the Mariners’ first base runners of the sport.
It appeared France had the Mariners’ first hit and a doable RBI when he hit a gentle liner to left area. However Varsho, who additionally made a ridiculous catch in left area on Friday, made an much more tough catch, diving ahead and getting his glove slightly below the sinking ball earlier than it hit the outfield grass.
Rojas wasn’t sure what to do. He began to interrupt for third, hesitated after which was going to go once more as he was third-base umpire Mark Carlson to make a sign on the play. Carlson made a delayed out sign with Rojas effectively away from second base. Varsho scrambled to his ft and fired to the bottom to double him off and finish the inning.
“He’s a extremely good defender,” Servais mentioned. “He’s most likely one of the best, effectively, him and (Stephen) Kwan, clearly, are one of the best left fielders within the recreation. It confirmed up for them on this collection. Final evening, he took a pair runs away from us and he took a run away from us right here on that ball.”
Hancock began the fifth inning, however gave up an infield hit to George Springer on a swinging bunt and hit Spencer Horwitz with a pitch to finish the Mariners starter’s outing.
Servais known as on Collin Snider to work out of the scenario with Vlad Guerrero Jr. coming to the plate.
Snider received up 0-2 instantly and tried to place the Blue Jays slugger away with sliders off the plate. Guerrero made an ungainly lunging swing at a 1-2 slider that was nearly within the different batter’s field. He received the barrel of the bat on the ball and it floated into middle for an RBI single and a 2-0 Toronto lead.
The Mariners bullpen couldn’t hold the deficit to 2 runs. After Snider and Tayler Saucedo held the Blue Jays scoreless within the sixth, Trent Thornton allowed a run within the seventh, giving up a pair of hits to start out the inning after which uncorking a wild pitch to place them into scoring place.
Toronto added two extra runs within the eighth when Mike Baumann gave up a leadoff double and walked the following two batters to load the bases, creating all types of issues.
Within the backside of the eighth, Mitch Garver led off with a single for the Mariners’ second hit of the sport and Canzone adopted with a single to deliver Haniger to the plate.
The veteran outfielder has performed sparingly in latest weeks because of struggles on the plate. He labored a 3-1 rely in opposition to right-hander Trevor Richards after which crushed a fastball into the Mariners’ bullpen for his eighth homer of the season.
Dylan Moore adopted with a single to deliver the tying run to the plate with no outs. Toronto supervisor John Schneider known as on lefty Brendon Little.
He received J.P. Crawford to come out in foul territory for the primary out. With Rojas batting .115 vs. left-handed pitchers this season, Servais introduced in switch-hitter Jorge Polanco to pinch hit as an alternative of Ryan Bliss or Victor Robles — the final two gamers on the bench.
Polanco had been out of the lineup for the previous two video games because of struggles on the plate. He struck out as Little threw seven pitches within the at-bat, none of them within the strike zone. The Jays introduced in nearer Chad Inexperienced and he struck out Raleigh for the ultimate out of the inning.
Requested about going with Polanco, Servais replied: “Polo’s struggles have come from the left aspect. I believe his right-handed swing has been good. He hasn’t had a ton of right-handed at-bats, however in that spot, giving him a possibility there as a result of we just like the matchup and he’s received a ton of expertise. He didn’t get nice pitches to hit. However it occurs, he’s gonna keep aggressive and attempt to make one thing occur there.”