SPENCER HOMERWITZ! #TOTHECORE
Spencer Horwitz’s home run wasn’t enough as the Jays fell 4-3 to the Braves
Photo credit: © Jordan Godfree - USA Today
Sep 8, 2024, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 8, 2024, 17:38 EDT
The good: Spencer Horwitz is incredible. The bad: the Toronto Blue Jays lost the game (and series) despite leading in the bottom of the ninth.
On Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays fell 4-3 to the Atlanta Braves to bring their season record to 68-76.
Jarred Kelenic hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second, and the 1-0 lead held all the way until the top of the eighth. With Ernie Clement reaching via an error and two outs, the Blue Jays turned to Spencer Horwitz, who had hit two home runs in Saturday’s game. On the fifth pitch, he hit his 12th home run with the Jays and his 16th overall.
Heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Jays had a 2-1 lead, but two singles and a sac fly tied the game up to send it to extra innings after a key double play. Thanks to an intentional walk and a Spencer Horwitz single, the Jays were able to take the lead in the top of the 10th, but the Braves once again tied it.
Eventually, Atlanta won the game in the bottom of the 11th as Sean Murphy hit into a fielder’s choice.
Diving into the stats…
Spencer Horwitz will get some American League Rookie of the Year votes. Over his past two games, he’s 6-7 with three home runs, a double and two singles. This season, he’s now slashing .274/.360/.467 with 12 home runs in 311 plate appearances for a 135 wRC+.
George Springer also had an impressive game, finishing the day 3-5 with an RBI and a strikeout. He hit his 18th double of the season, while Alejandro Kirk hit his 15th of the season. Luis De Los Santos and Joey Loperfido each had a single as well.
It was a strong start for Yariel Rodríguez, as he pitched five innings giving up two hits, an earned run, a walk, and struck out six to bring his season ERA to 4.42. Tommy Nance and Brendon Little each pitched a scoreless inning, while Erik Swanson and Génesis Cabera combined for a scoreless inning. Chad Green was tagged with the blown save, while Zach Pop was tagged with the loss.
Toronto returns home on Monday to host the New York Mets in a three-game series. The Jays’ starter is yet to be determined when the game begins at 7:07 PM ET.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.