It was Josh Donaldson Bobble Head Day, and the Bringer of Rain did not disappoint. J.D took Tyler Clippard ‘Oppo Taco’ to put the Blue Jays out in front, and Bob Osuna threw a clean 9th to close the deal with a 3-2 victory.
Donaldson put them out in front but it was the Blue Jays all-star who would give the team the life they needed. I am talking about Justin Smoak. Fuck off… really, well yeah, unless Marcus Stroman or Marco Estrada can win the rest of their starts before the Mid-Season Classic, Smoak is going to be an all-star this year. He belted a two-run home run in the 6th inning to tie the game and it inserted some much-needed life into the ball club, who was down 2-0 until Smoak’s blast.
The game was a pitchers’ duel, as expected with the matchup of Marcus Stroman and Luis Severino. Stroman battled getting squeezed early on with the strike zone to pitch 6 strong, scattering 5 hits while striking out 4. He was solid, as he has been for much of the year. He was pissing off the Yankees hitters early on with some quick pitches. I’m not sure the little guy would want to piss off the New York Giants all that much, but it was effective.
Devon Travis got beaned in the left hand late in the game and it appears he is probably going to miss some time. Poor guy can never stay healthy. The Goins/Barney duo will fill in at second base if Travis makes a trip to the DL. This would open up a roster spot… Could it be the time we see Dalton Pompey with the big club? Hope so. He is their best option for left field.
Blue Jays now sit just one game under .500 on the season. Don’t hold your breath, but this team may have finally turned the corner. We will have to wait and see what JA-Rule Happ and the boys can do Monday night in Oakland. Let’s hope they baseball, and baseball well.
