That’s 2 straight in Toronto!
The Jays got a couple of great performances out of Alek Manoah and George Springer, and got a perfect performance out of the bullpen in a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals. They are now 3.5 games behind Oakland for the second wild-card spot.
Let’s break it down.
A Quick One
The Jays and the Royals got this game over and done with in a crisp 2 hours and 18 minutes. That’s almost Mark Buehrle level. How did they do it?
They did it with a phenomenal performance from Alek Manoah in his return from the IL, and a couple of big home runs from the top of their lineup.
Manoah looked like he hasn’t missed a beat after missing a couple of starts with an injury. His velocity wasn’t at its best, but he had great command of all his pitches and his slider had some great depth to it.
You’re not gonna give up much when you throw pitches like that. Manoah finished the day going 7 scoreless innings, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 5. He retired 16 straight Royals hitters at one point.
Manoah has now pitched at least 6 innings in 5 of his first 9 MLB starts, and has the lowest opponents batting average through his first 9 MLB starts in Jays history.
In terms of offence, George Springer wasted no time getting the Jays started.
What makes Springer such a brilliant lead-off hitter is his ability to ambush the first pitch. He came up there looking for one pitch in one spot, he got it, and he crushed it to make it 1-0 Jays.
After Alejandro Kirk led off the 3rd with a single, Springer decided to double-dip, this time to right field.
After a bit of a slow start, Springer is REALLY starting to heat up. He is up to a wRC+ of 156, just one point below his career-high set in 2019. This man is a weapon, and he’s enjoying his new home.
After the Jays added 1 more run in the 6th, Ryan Borucki was brought in for the 8th, and he looked a bit shaky once again, fighting his fastball command and not able to throw his slider over the plate.
After allowing a walk and getting 2 outs, Adam Cimber was brought in the game, and after allowing a hit, he proceeded to strike out 4 consecutive batters, showing off some Jason Grilli-style celebrations in the process.
He was AMPED UP. And rightfully so, as he sealed the Jays 3rd straight win, as they remain undefeated in Toronto. What a great find Adam Cimber has been for the Blue Jays.
Also, this.
God, I love this team.
Some Final Thoughts
Man, it feels so good to win.
Let’s keep it going.
Barring any changes, it looks like Jose Berrios will make his Blue Jays debut tomorrow afternoon in Toronto, as the Jays will look to finish off a 3-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.