Article content
The bottles were popping and the champagne flowing as mayhem erupted in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse in the aftermath of their beatdown of Boston on Friday night at the Rogers Centre.
Advertisement 2
Article content
It was the same Red Sox team that helped the Jays officially clinch a post-season berth by beating the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, an off-day for Toronto.
Article content
The Blue Jays promised to throw themselves a bash and they did.
For the record, the Jays showed no mercy in handing the Red Sox a 9-0 loss Friday night, the first of a three-game series that will wrap up their final home stand before the post-season begins.
Article content
When the assembled media was allowed access to the jubilant clubhouse, the strains of Lil’ Wayne were being belted out. On the field, the Jays belted three home runs in support of Alek Manoah, who didn’t need much help on this night.
After the initial celebration in the clubhouse, the players gathered on the field for group pictures, to soak in the moment and swill more of the bubbly.
Advertisement 3
Article content
Given the recent history of the team and its itinerant existence during the onslaught of COVID, the scene was expected and justified. The Jays needed to exhale and they left no bottle unopened.
The Jays, however, still have games to be played — two more against the Bosox, then three in Baltimore — which will determine where they begin their wild-card series.
For fans of the team, they may have seen the last of Manoah, for the time being anyway.
What has been made abundantly clear is that the big right-hander must be on the mound when the playoffs begin. However, Manoah is lined up to pitch in the season’s final game — with the operative word being ‘needed.’ If Wednesday’s finale in Baltimore carries any home-field repercussions, turning to Manoah is a no-brainer.
Advertisement 4
Article content
The hope, however, is that home field will already be clinched with Manoah being a tabbed to start baseball’s second season. Heading into Saturday’s action, the Jays lead the Seattle Mariners by a game and a half, and the Tampa Bay Rays by two in the chase for wild-card seeding. The top WC team gets home field for the entire best-of-three series.
Manoah was marvelous Friday night against the Red Sox. He didn’t exactly steal the show, but he did show why he’s the ace of Toronto’s staff.
In the sixth, leadoff hitter Jarren Duran hit a broken-bat single to centre. Manoah then got Rafael Devers to ground into a double play and ended the inning ended with a meekly hit ground out by Xander Bogaerts.
Turns out it was the end of the line for Manoah, who was met with well-deserved congratulatory handshakes in the dugout.
Advertisement 5
Article content
Boston didn’t get its first base-runner in scoring position until in the top half of the fourth inning, when Devers and advanced to second on a wild pitch. But he would be left stranded after J.D. Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning.
With out in the fifth, Manoah induced a grounder behind first base to Abraham Almonte but was slow coming off the mound and wasn’t able to even take the throw. Almonte easily reached base as Boston recorded its first hit off Manoah.
VLAD THE IMPALER
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted one of his patented no-doubters in the third inning, a two-run blast that gave the home side a 4-0 lead.
For Vlad, it was his 31st long ball of the season to drive in his 94th and 95th runs of the season.
While he’s nowhere near last year’s 48-homer campaign, a hot-hitting Guerrero heading into the playoffs will go a long way in determining how deep Toronto can make a run.
Advertisement 6
Article content
Friday’s bomb was his first homer since Sept. 21 when the Jays were in Philly.
He ended the month of September with just four homers.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
George Springer didn’t waste much time in getting on base. On the first pitch he saw from Boston starter Nick Pivetta, Toronto’s leadoff hitter hit a shot to centre for a single.
Up stepped Bo Bichette. On the second pitch Bichette saw, he stroked a single to left.
Springer and Bichette both advanced on a passed ball.
Springer would come around to score the game’s first run on a groundout by
Alejandro Kirk, who batted cleanup.
In the eighth inning, Bichette knocked in his 47th run of September to tie Tony Fernandez and Lloyd Moseby for the most in any calendar month in franchise history.
Advertisement 7
Article content
TO CELEBRATE IS GREAT
The Jays took to the field knowing they had already clinched a berth in the post-season when Boston defeated Baltimore on Thursday night.
The plan, according to interim manager John Schneider, was for the team to celebrate its accomplishment regardless of Friday night’s outcome.
“I think whenever you have a chance to do that you have to embrace it,” said Schneider prior to opening pitch. ”That doesn’t happen all the time and I can’t wait to have a good time with that group.”
For Bichette, who watched the Red Sox defeat the Orioles with teammate Santiago Espinal, the Jays have every right to bask in the glow of a playoff appearance.
“All the hard work paid off,’’ he said. “We put a lot in and we had high expectations of ourselves and we were able to accomplish it.
Advertisement 8
Article content
“There’s still more work to do, obviously, and we expect more but we definitely need to enjoy this.”
SOBERING MOMENT
As part of the team’s recognition and acknowledgments to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a moment of silence was held.
The Survivors’ Flag was featured throughout Rogers Centre to honour survivors and all the lives impacted by the residential school system.
The anthem was performed in Blackfoot, English and French.
CATCH-22
Kirk was behind the plate in the series opener serving as Manoah’s unofficial personal catcher.
In fact, only once hasn’t Kirk been Manoah’s battery-mate this season when the big right-hander was on the mound.
The pitcher-catcher combo seems to be working and there appears to be no discernible reason why the Blue Jays would deviate from this pattern once the post-season begins.
Danny Jansen, Toronto’s other catcher, was also in the lineup in the rare role as DH, batting eighth in the order.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMie2h0dHBzOi8vdG9yb250b3N1bi5jb20vc3BvcnRzL2Jhc2ViYWxsL3Rvcm9udG8tYmx1ZS1qYXlzL2JsdWUtamF5cy1hbGVrLW1hbm9haC1zaW1wbHktbW91bmQtbWFydmVsb3VzLWluLWJlYXRkb3duLW9mLWJvc3RvbtIBAA?oc=5
2022-10-01 13:39:22Z
1586664015
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar