The hitters had been having upper hand. It was a game for the pitchers and fielders.
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Right-hander Marco Estrada is coming off the 15-day disabled list to make his season debut against the Boston Red Sox. Along with Donaldson, Bautista had a pair of hits in that matchup. Wright gave up a couple of ringing hits to start the game, leaving Red Sox fans frightened that yet another rotation implosion was incoming. But Pedroia’s throw to first base on the double play attempt sailed over Hanley Ramirez’s head. “It pumped me up”, said Estrada. But against the Rays, after arriving at the Trop during the game due to a family issue, he gave up a two-run homer with an inherited runner on board and the streak was over.
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“They executed it perfectly, ” said Pedroia.
Practically speaking, infield pop ups are just about as valuable as strikeouts for pitchers since they almost always result in outs and don’t advance baserunners. This can turn solo shots into two or three run homers, and help the Jays build up an early lead. So it was big to kind of keep that cushion. “If you’ve got one job to do and you don’t do it well, it makes for a long night”.
Boston Red Sox’ Xander Bogaerts fails to tag Toronto Blue Jays’ Darwin Barney as he steals second during second inning American League action in Toronto on Saturday, April 9, 2016.
Estrada allowed five hits and two walks while striking out eight in seven innings.
After the tough first, Wright really settled into the game and pitched extremely well, inducing two double plays himself and only allowed one earned run in 6.2 innings. “[Bautista] throws a strike, and Goins throws a strike from about 150-160 feet to home plate”. The bullpen blew a lead in three straight games for the first time since 1985 and Gibbons ran afoul of social media when he said “maybe we’ll come out and wear dresses tomorrow” after the Jays lost Tuesday’s game on a replay review of a Bautista slide.
“I wasn’t expecting it to bounce that high”, Bautista said. “But we ran into an outstanding pitching performance by Estrada today”. But a well above-average changeup. “Seemingly you could nearly sit on the changeup and it wouldn’t get to home plate”. “Kept us in the game into the seventh inning. We’ve been swinging the bat well here and on this road trip, and he shut us down”.
The Blue Jays did not exactly get off the the start they were hoping for. Whether we like it or not, it is this decision which has opened the door for the Red Sox to potentially make their move at the conclusion of this season.
Drew Storen worked the eighth and Roberto Osuna finished for his third save to complete the seven-hitter. The victory included seven strong innings from right-hander Marco Estrada, fine defense particularly in the third inning when second baseman Ryan Goins gunned a relay to home plate that snuffed out a potential run, and a homer by Josh Donaldson. Jose Bautista took the ball out of the yard for a 2nd time in the game to have the Jays up 4-3.
The Jays jumped ahead 2-0 in the first when Edwin Encarnacion hit a ball to short with the bases loaded. Wright’s rough first inning was all the Jays needed before both Wright and Estrada started dealing.
Boston got its third double play of the day to end the inning. “So it definitely gives a lot of comfort knowing where they’re going to be slotted at to pitch”. I had a good one and it’s something to be encouraged by.
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Pedroia singled, Bogaerts walked and, with one out, Ramirez was credited with a two-run triple when his hit to right took a weird bounce over Bautista and to the wall.
