He was as good as his word – and then some.
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The Blue Jays open the homestand by hosting a risky Boston Red Sox team in the first of a three-game series on Friday.
If he were returning in the middle of the season this would be a complete non-issue, but come playoff time, the Blue Jays will be facing their most important game of the season. “It’s really pretty remarkable”. “Stro’s different. I don’t think there’s many guys that could pull that off”. After recovering from March knee surgery, he returned September 12 to beat the Yankees in New York – where he gave up three earned runs and four hits in five innings. He said he felt strong and liked the movement on this pitches, especially his sinker. “I’ve got to be sharper than I was tonight and stay on top of that”.
This means the Yankees won’t leave the New York area until the wee hours of Monday morning with a 7:05 p.m. on tap at the Rogers Centre that night.
“Thought I had it off the bat”, Holt said.
“Right when I jogged out there, the whole crowd started cheering, ” Stroman said.
BRAVES: In the opening game of a series which could decide last place in the NL East, RHP Williams Perez will face Phillies LHP Adam Morgan on Friday night.
The Blue Jays starting pitcher allowed one earned run, six hits and one walk while striking out three in seven innings.
The Braves have 88 home runs this season, while the Blue Jays lead the majors with 207, including Josh Donaldson’s ninth-inning homer off Sugar Ray Marimon, the 39th of the season for the American League MVP candidate. Second baseman Cliff Pennington lofted a sacrifice fly to left to score the other run.
Porcello fell behind Justin Smoak, 2 and 0, the third mistake of the inning.
Estrada is 5-2 with a 2.87 ERA and.177 opponents’ average in his past nine starts, but here’s an oddity: He’s allowed 10 home runs among the 25 hits he’s given up in his past six starts (34 2/3 innings), including multiple homers in four of those six games.
“He was having trouble with his curveball”, interim manager Torey Lovullo told reporters after the game.
“For the future, we’re doing all it takes and when the times comes, I can’t wait to throw our the first pitch“, said Coderre.
“You have to give Stroman a little bit of credit”. The changeup was very effective. The left-hander is showing he can also be the team’s stopper, the pitcher who can be trusted to halt losing streaks. Liam Hendriks and Aaron Sanchez came in for the 8th and 9th respectively, working dominant innings that were unremarkable but for two strikeouts apiece and a attractive snag by Smoak on a line drive.
Toronto (84-62) enters Friday’s play two games back of the Royals for the AL’s best record and 3 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees atop the AL East.
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Things unraveled for the Red Sox in the fourth, which began with Porcello walking Jose Bautista. Two batters later, Goins knocked an RBI triple to deep right, increasing the Toronto lead to a commanding 4-0. The fifth inning was Boston’s only real run-scoring opportunity of note, with a couple singles putting runners on the corners with one down. Revere grounded out to first baseman T.Shaw, Pillar scored. Rutledge infield single to shortstop, R.Castillo scored, Swihart to second. “He was mixing it in on both sides of the plate”. Stroman just pounded and pounded and pounded the edges of the zone.
