A three pitch ground out, a four pitch strikeout, and a five pitch fly out was all the work he needed to close out Tuesday night’s affair in the Great White North.
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There was one he would have liked to have back, though.
He also added his 17th home run on the year, a solo shot in the seventh inning, which is a new career high (16 in 2015).
The Toronto Blue Jays continue to slide in September and they continue to struggle against the Tampa Bay Rays.
While I could criticize the batting order on most nights – like on September 12th when Michael Saunders was hitting at the two slot while Jose Bautista was batting clean up – I’d rather just dish out what I believe is the optimal batting order. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case right there”. Alex Cobb (0-0, 4.09 ERA) takes the mound for the Rays while the Jays counter with Marco Estrada (8-8, 3.68 ERA). Entering play on Wednesday, the Blue Jays have fallen to two games back of the Red Sox in the American League East and into a tie for the first wild card spot with the Baltimore Orioles.
“But it does take 25 players, it does take a team to win, and we have depth in those areas (utility infielders). and we feel good about our offence”. They bring their A game every day, and so it kind of forces us to bring our A game.
Martin said Stroman deserved a better fate. Vin Scully says the last ballgame he will broadcast is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ regular-season finale – regardless of whether they reach the playoffs.
“I’m not really looking day to day at where the numbers are as people cross the gates”, Shapiro said before the game when asked about the significance of three million. He’s throwing the ball well.
Jays starter Marcus Stroman was wild, walking four Rays on the night, but he kept his team in the game, giving up three earned runs – all of them on a home run by shortstop Alexei Ramirez – in six innings, allowing just four hits while striking out four.
Tampa responded to Martin’s homer with Souza Jr.’s in the top of the seventh.
Ryan Garton replaced Smyly after Martin’s homer. He has given up three in his last four. With Tampa Bay LHP Drew Smyly starting Tuesday, it marked the 380th consecutive game in which the Rays’ starter was younger than 30, the longest current streak in the majors.
“We sit back and wonder”, RF Steven Souza Jr. said. “If we could harness that and play the rest of the league like that, we’d be a pretty good ball club”.
Reigning American League MVP Donaldson will miss his third straight game as the Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon.
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He jammed his hip stepping on first base in Sunday’s loss to Boston. The victory improves the Rays’ season record against Toronto to 10-8 securing their eighth winning season versus the Jays in the last nine years. Smyly hasn’t lost a game since July 18 at Colorado, his first start after the all-star break.
