In an attempt to give the rotation a little bit of a rest, Drew Hutchison was called up from Buffalo to make his first start of the season for the Blue Jays this afternoon. He has made 3 starts this season for the Bisons, and has racked up 20 strikeouts and a 4.11 ERA. He did the job today though, going 5.2 innings, giving up just two runs on two solo homeruns. He struggled a bit with his command, walking four, but did what was necessary to get this team a win.
On the offensive side of things, it was the Ezequiel Carrera show early on. He singled in the first, then he led off the third inning Ezequiel Carrera a solo homerun. The Blue Jays offense followed suit when Justin Smoak, Kevin Pillar, Darwin Barney, and Jose Bautista strung singles together to score four runs. Bautista then added to the total when he homered in the bottom of the 4th inning, bringing his tally to four on the year.
After Jesse Chavez gave up a home run to Chris Coghlan to cut the lead to three, Brett Cecil, Drew Storen, and Roberto Osuna shut the door to preserve the win. Drew Hutchison got the win (1-0), and Roberto Osuna got the save (6), bringing the Blue Jays back to .500 on the year at 10-10.
Top Play of the Game by WPA
With the A’s leading 1-0 heading into the third, Ezequiel Carrera crushed a solo homerun to tie the game. The blast increased the jays chances of winning by 12.2 percent (.122). He finished the game 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Bottom Play of the Game by WPA
There weren’t many big negative swings in this game, as the “worst” play of the game came all the way back in the bottom of the first inning. With runners on the corners, Troy Tulowitzki struck out to end the inning, which decreased the chances of winning by 4.8 percent (-.048). They were unable to cash in on a lead off single by Carrera and a walk by Bautista.
Carrera Stays Hot
In last night’s game, Ezequiel Carrera went 4 for 5, and scored 3 times and stole a base. He continued swinging the hot bat this afternoon, going 2 for 4, with his first RBI of the season. In both games, Carrera had 5 total bases.
Martin injured
During the tough loss Friday night, Russell Martin left the game with neck spasms. We were told that he was removed as a precaution, but then today he was a late scratch in favour of Josh Thole. This will be a situation to monitor, as Josh Thole is not someone who should be playing every day for a team that considers itself to be contenders.
No Bobbles on Bobblhead Day
It was Josh Donaldson Bobblehead day in Toronto, which saw his mother appear to throw out the first pitch. He also collected his Silver Slugger Award in front of a sell-out crowd chanting “M-V-P.” It was a nice moment for the star to share with his family.
Up Next
The Blue Jays welcome the White Sox to Rogers Center for a 3 game series starting tomorrow night. The Blue Jays will send Marcus Stroman to the hill for his 5th start of the season. The White Sox have yet to announce who their starter is for tomorrow evening.
Lead Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports