We’re riding a commendable streak of strong performances lately, with Yariel Rodríguez shining in his second MLB start. Over 4 innings, he allowed just 3 hits, 1 walk, and recorded 7 strikeouts, yielding only 1 earned run off a Fernando Tatis Jr. home run. Tatis now boasts 113 career home runs, so we’ll cut him some slack.
Bowden Francis stepped in for 2 innings plus one batter in relief, conceding only 1 hit (that extra batter) and a walk while striking out 2.
Tim Mayza took the mound with a runner on first and delivered a scoreless inning.
Yimi Garcia dazzled by striking out the side in the eighth inning.
Jordan Romano closed out the game, though it wasn’t a save situation.
The Blue Jays got on the scoreboard early:
– One run in the first inning: Justin Turner smashed a homer.
– Four runs in the second inning: Danny Jansen doubled with one out (his first of two doubles for the night), followed by a walk to Cavan Biggio. With two outs, Kevin Kiermaier doubled, bringing them both home. Subsequently, singles by Bo, Vlad, and Justin extended the lead to 5-1.
As usual, there were missed opportunities for more runs. In the eighth inning, Davis Schneider singled to lead off but was thrown out trying to advance to second on a ball that eluded catcher Luis Campusano. Unfortunately, an out later, Danny Jansen doubled, a hit that would have scored Davis.
In the ninth inning, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was granted a triple after Tatis let his line drive slip past him with no outs. However, Kiermaier, Bichette, and Guerrero all struck out, squandering the chance to capitalize.
Overall, the Jays racked up 11 hits, with Bo, Vlad, Turner, and Jansen each contributing two hits. Contributions also came from Varsho and Biggio.
There were some impressive defensive plays, particularly from Varsho and Kiermaier.
Standout performers of the day were Rodríguez (.099 WPA), Kiermaier (.165), and Turner (.134). Special mention goes to Mayza, Francis, Garcia, and Jansen.
No one earns the Other Award. The lowest mark goes to IFK with a -.045.
