Game Threat: Salvaging A Split On Sunday, Blue Jays (44-39) vs Clevelanders (49-31)

Let’s salvage the series! And everybody gets a goddamn bobblehead! 

Since Friday’s marathon game chewed up their entire bullpen and they were forced to use Trevor Bauer, who was scheduled to pitch on Saturday, the Clevelanders were forced to navigate through yesterday’s game with their already taxed bullpen. The Jays, on the other hand, since they went ahead and used middle infielders as pitchers, still had Marco Estrada, their scheduled starter ready to go, even though he was labouring through an injury. 

The Jays scored three runs in on an Edwin Encarnacion homer in the first inning off of middle reliever Zach McAllister, but Cleveland tied it back up by the fourth with a couple of homers and a triple. In the fifth, the Jays lineup finally got to Shawn Morimando, as Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run bomb to get back the lead. 

But the Jays coughed the lead back up right away after that, as Joe Biagini had one of those strike-three-guys-out-but-don’t-get-three-outs kind of fuck fest, and then in the seventh, Drew Hutchison, freshly recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, allowed a couple runs to give Cleveland the lead. 

Getting Hutch in there was probably the best thing you could do to wake up the bats, though, because the Jays, for whatever reason, will do whatever they can to give that guy run support. Josh Donaldson tied the game with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, then he gave them the lead in the eighth on a single that (barely) scored Zeke Carrera before Michael Saunders blew the game open with a double. 

Roberto Osuna came in for the save in the ninth, but allowed a single to Rajai Davis so that he could become the first Cleveland Baseballman to hit for the cycle. But then he got Jose Ramirez to ground out, so the gesture didn’t end up hurting the team or anything. 

And there goes Cleveland’s winning streak! It’s too bad it couldn’t have come on Friday, but whatever. The Clevelanders have been damn near unbeatable recently, so getting a win off of this group right now is great. 

Acestrada tossed five innings yesterday, allowing three runs on five hits and zero walks, while collecting seven strikeouts. It was a good, but not great outing from a guy who has been as good as literally anybody in baseball over the past calendar year. That said, Estrada was grinding through a back injury, so the fact he even managed to pound out what he did is damn impressive. 

Aaaaaand there it is. Some serious bullshit. Edwin Encarnacion has been suspended one game for bumping into home plate umpire Vic Crapazzasshat on Friday’s game. He’s appealing, obviously. But yeah, this further extends the joke that was the umpiring show on Canada Day. 

It’ll be former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and Jays Ace Happ today, which will likely lead to another tight game, as we’ve seen all weekend from there teams. Just win, goddamit, Cleveland has enjoyed their time in the sun. 

Ezequiel Carrera (L) CF
Josh Donaldson (R) 3B
Edwin Encarnacion (R) DH
Michael Saunders (L) LF
Russell Martin (R) C
Troy Tulowitzki (R) SS
Justin Smoak (S) 1B
Junior Lake (R) RF
Darwin Barney (R) 2B

Clevelanders 

Rajai Davis (R) LF
Jason Kipnis (L) 2B
Francisco Lindor (S) SS
Mike Napoli (R) DH
Carlos Santana (S) 1B
Jose Ramirez (S) 3B
Yan Gomes (R) C
Abraham Almonte (S) CF
Lonnie Chisenhall (L) RF