Through the first 15 innings of this series, the Chicago Cubs had outscored the Toronto Blue Jays by a margin of 21-2. Which is not what you’d consider ideal as a Jays fan. Things turned a corner in the bottom of seven, though, and an 8-1 stretch gives them the win and the chance to take the series tomorrow.
The lineup could not lay a finger on Colin Rea early. He sat the first dozen Jays batters down in order, and following a Brandon Valenzuela line single to open the fifth looked to be back in control as he retired the next three as well. It was the bottom of the order that rallied to knock him out of the game in the sixth, with Andres Gimenez and Myles Straw opening the frame with back to back singles. Rea got George Springer to fly out, though, and reliever Ryan Rolison induced a double play off the bat of Nathan Lukes to preserve the Cubs’ shutout. The offense would have to wait one more inning to wake up.
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Meanwhile, Patrick Corbin started well. He worked around a single in the first with a K and a pop up. It fell apart right away in the second though. Alex Bregman and Ian Happ singled, setting the table for a three run Matt Shaw blast to left field. Corbin Rallied to get the next three batters and then worked around a walk and a single in the third. In the fourth, though, a Dansby Swanson double and back to back walks by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner forced him out of the game.
Lazaro Estrada took the reins. He got out of the fourth, and managed a clean fifth with the help of a double play to erase a Michael Busch walk. In the sixth, though, a walk to Swanson and a Crow-Armstrong homer to right increased Chicago’s margin to five.
That’s where things stood when Vladimir Guerrero jr. stepped to the plate to open the seventh, facing old friend Trent Thornton. He lined a single, and one batter later was followed by a hit by pitch to Kazuma Okamoto. Daulton Varsho brought the runners home with a line drive down the right field line and out, putting the Jays on the board, 5-3. Thornton got Davis Schneider and replacement Caleb Thielbar got Ernie Clement (pinch hitting for Gimenez) to hold it there for now.
They gave the Cubs a chance to rebuild the lead with some mistakes in the bottom of seven. First, Ernie Clement misplayed a Seiya Suzuki soft liner, allowing him to reach. A double play erased that runner, but then Jeff Hofman hit Bregman, advanced him to second with a wild pitch, and walked Happ. He recovered to strike Shaw out looking to keep the Jays within two.
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That was all the offence needed. Myles Straw opened the eighth with a walk. Springer singled the tying run aboard. Both managers made moves at that point. John Schneider called Alejandro Kirk to hit for Nathan Lukes, and Craig Counsell swapped Jacob Webb for Thielbar. Schneider won the exchange, as Kirk ripped a single through the gap to score Straw and put the go ahead runner on. Guerrero followed with a soft line single of his own that plated Springer and tied the game. One out later, Okamoto launched one into the left field bleachers, putting the Jays out in front 8-5.
Mason Fluharty gave the Cubs yet another chance, walking Miguel Amaya and giving up back to back line singles to Swanson and Crow-Armstrong to load the bases in the bottom of the eighth with none away. That forced the Jays to ask Louis Varland for a six out save. He was more than up to the task. He traded an out for a run on a Hoerner grounder, punched out Suzuki, and got Busch to fly out softly in foul territory. Straw made an impressive leaping catch for that last out, leaning into the stands to bring the ball back. He got a pop out from Bregman to open the ninth. Happ reached on Varland’s throwing error and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Louis sat Shaw down looking and got a routine grounder from pinch hitter Pedro Ramirez to end the game.
Jays of the Day: Varland (0.36, which jumps him in front of Jacob Misiorowski for the MLB lead with +2.84 on the season), Okamoto (0.32), Vlad (0.20), Straw (0.12), Kirk (0.12)
Less so: Fluharty (-0.27), Corbin (-0.19), Lukes (-0.14), Valenzuela (-0.10)
Same time, same place tomorrow (2:20pm ET, Wrigley Field, Chicago, Il., for those who weren’t paying attention). Dylan Cease (4-3, 2.71) will hope for an easier ride after an effectively wild outing last time in Boston, while the offence takes on Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.26).
