Things worth mentioning…

• Baltimore tagged Sean Reid-Foley for five runs over two innings, though only three of them were earned as the defence behind him didn’t make life very easy. Though the pitching line suggests he was terrible, I don’t think Reid-Foley was thaaaaaat bad. Jonathan Villar hit a home run in the first inning on a pretty good pitch and he could have been out of the inning much sooner if not for an error at second base from Freddy Galvis. The fifth run came from a hit batter, a blooper, and a sacrifice fly, so, whatever. At the very least, Reid-Foley showed high-quality stuff, picking up three strikeouts over his two innings.
• The scoreless streak came to an end with that Villar homer. All told, Blue Jays starters went 24 1/3 innings without allowing a run to start the season. At least Reid-Foley got that one out so he could technically be a part of it!
• On a more positive note, Thomas Pannone came into the game in relief of Reid-Foley redeemed himself for yesterday afternoon’s loss. Pannone tossed four innings, scattering just one hit and one walk while collecting five strikeouts. For what it’s worth, Pannone looked a lot more calm and confident this game than he did pitching in the 11th inning against the Tigers. Sammy G also pitched well in mop up duty. He went three innings after Pannone allowing one run on a solo homer while picking up four strikeouts.
• David Hess started for the Orioles and inexplicably tossed six-and-a-third no-hit innings. He was cruising, and then after getting the first out of the seventh inning, Baltimore’s manager trotted out and pulled him from the game. Hess was just standing there with this “what the fuck is happening” awkward smile on his face. Immediately after, the scrub the Orioles brought in to relieve Hess allowed a walk, a homer, and a single before ending the inning on a double play. Thank the lord for sensitivity around pitch counts, otherwise we could very easily have witnessed a no-hitter at the hands of the fucking Orioles.
• An incredible stat that perfectly sums up how impossibly bad the Blue Jays’ bats have been is the fact they’re 1/45 the first time through the order so far this season. The only time the Jays have managed to get a hit their first time through the order was that one time Brandon Drury led off the game with a triple and the team went on to strand him with back-to-back-to-back strikeouts.
• But the bats came alive late in the game! Randal Grichuk broke up the no-hitter with two-run homer, Freddy Galvis hit a solo homer in the eighth inning, and then the team scored a couple more in the ninth inning. They had the tying run at third base as Dwight Smith Jr. helped Toescar Hernandez hit a triple with some terrible defence (letting us know why the Jays, uh, decided to cut ties), but Lourdes Gurriel struck out to end the game. It was great to see the team rally and bring the game back to life in the final few innings. Like I said, at the very least, they’ll be fun to watch this year.