Ray comes up huge in big get-well win for Blue Jays

Article content material

It wasn’t the dominance we now have come to count on from the main contender for the American League Cy Younger Award, however Robbie Ray gave the Blue Jays simply what they wanted.

Article content material

Ray gave the Jays time, time to get again to constructing a lead and re-building a few of that confidence that appeared to be waning because the losses began to mount on the worst doable time of the season.

Ray improved to 13-6 in a gutsy begin that noticed him stroll 4 however restrict the nothing-to-lose Minnesota Twins to a single run over six innings.

Nevertheless it was the offence that actually wanted the kick begin on this one and Ray’s decided effort made positive that when issues did begin to flip round for Toronto’s hitters, it was for a function because the Jays would go on to win a sport they desperately wanted to win by a 6-1 closing.

The Jays hit three house runs within the sport and with full respect to No. 43 of the season from Marcus Semien that matched probably the most ever by a second baseman within the historical past of the sport (Davey Johnson, Atlanta Braves, 1973) and even No. 31 by Teoscar Hernandez that bought the offence jump-started, none was larger than the two-run homer by George Springer within the seventh inning to push the result in 4 runs.

Article content material

Springer has struggled mightily on the plate since he went on the injured checklist again on Aug. 14 with a knee harm. He got here into Saturday evening’s sport on an 0-for-16 skid. Even after getting on in his first two at bats with a stroll and on an error, the frustration was evident in his third at bat when he struck out on three consecutive pitches and hammered his bat into the infield dust earlier than doing the identical with this batting helmet.

It was pure frustration.

That frustration was changed with equal quantities of reduction two innings later when Springer squared up Kyle Barraclough and drilled his 2-1 providing over the fence in left for simply his second house run since he jacked two out of the park method again on Aug. 11 in a rout over Anaheim.

Article content material

The reduction shortly gave solution to the form of pleasure and happiness this Jays membership has made an enormous a part of their sport as Springer celebrated along with his teammates within the dugout with loads of dancing and loads of laughter.

It felt just like the form of second a crew may look again on because the second all of it got here again collectively.

There’s no denying the Jays thrive when Springer is performing to his skills. And it wasn’t simply Springer who appeared to get proper yesterday.

Catcher Alejandro Kirk was mired in his personal slide, an 0-for-19 skid that he bought off of two hitters earlier than Springer had his second of reduction. It was Kirk who had singled in entrance of him that scored on the Springer homer.

As a lot because the Jays wanted this end result to maintain from falling three video games behind each the Yankees and Pink Sox within the wild card race, they wanted to see a few of these slumps come to an finish.

Article content material

In that respect it was a fairly good day throughout for the Blue Jays.

The Jays now path the Sox and Yankees by two video games with seven video games remaining. The Mariners, who had climbed right into a tie with Toronto, fell a sport off the tempo with a loss in Anaheim.

WAITING ON GURRIEL

Montoyo made some noise about probably getting red-hot hitter Lourdes Gurriel Jr. again within the lineup at the least as a hitter on this Minnesota sequence, however a report from Sportsnet’s Arash Madani earlier than the sport mentioned the crew has now determined to let the 2 stitches in his proper hand he suffered when Randal Grichuk inadvertently stepped on his hand have at the least till Tuesday earlier than they take into account placing him again within the lineup.

With out Gurriel, the Jays fielded an outfield of Corey Dickerson in left, George Springer in centre and the aforementioned Grichuk in proper.

Article content material

The Jays have an off-day on Monday earlier than opening that pivotal sequence with the Yankees on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.

OH THOSE RED SOX

Simply when it regarded just like the Pink Sox may truly do the Jays a favour and take out the Yankees, the Bronx Bombers turned the tables on them.

The Pink Sox took a 2-1 lead into the eighth earlier than Tanner Houck, who escaped a self-made jam within the seventh when he bought out of the inning with out giving up a run, once more created a jam strolling two ultimately resulting in a game-turning grand slam by Giancarlo Stanton off reliever Darwinzon Hernandez.

It meant the Yankees and Pink Sox had been each 2 1/2 video games up on the Jays as they took the sector in Minneapolis, a deficit that fell to 2 video games even after the Jays received later within the day.

Article content material

The Jays have some management over their destiny the place the Yankees are involved with three video games towards them on the Rogers Centre starting Tuesday.

They’ve a lot much less management the place the Pink Sox are involved with no video games remaining towards them.

MORNEAU HONOURED

Each the Jays and the Twins had been of their dugouts pre-game to soak up New Westminster, B.C.’s Justin Morneau being inducted into the Twins Corridor of Fame.

Morneau started his acceptance speech saying he discovered as a five-year-old he would by no means be a public speaker. Morneau then proceeded to make himself a liar with a humorous and appreciative acceptance speech.

mganter@postmedia.com