On Wednesday night, Marco Estrada threw six very good innings, giving up only one run. Then, the 32-year-old hit a rough patch in the seventh inning, allowing back to back home runs to Chase Headley and Didi Gregorius. Thankfully they were both solo shots, so the damage was extremely limited, and it didn’t impact the Blue Jays’ chances of winning too much, as by that point in the game, the offense had already scored seven runs for their ace (okay, one of them).
This game was a lot easier to watch than the series opener and for good reason. The offense strung together a bunch of hits and even some home runs, while the pitching was, as usual, phenomenal. Joe Biagini continued what Estrada started, but Chad Girodo came into the game in the ninth inning and gave up a home run to Austin Romine to allow the Yankees to climb back within four. After giving up a single, Roberto Osuna came in and shut the door to preserve the victory.
Top Play of the Game by WPA
Down 1-0 in the fourth inning, Kevin Pillar and Devon Travis hit back to back infield singles to put runners on first and second with two out and Ryan Goins coming to the plate. Then, this happened.
In play, miracle(s).
— James G (@james_in_to) May 26, 2016
Ryan Goins worked the count to 3-1, and Ivan Nova was forced to throw him a fastball because Jose Bautista was on deck. With Goins looking for the the heater, he was able to drop the ball into the outfield, driving in Pillar, and giving Travis the opportunity to score thanks to an error by Didi Gregorius. This gave the Blue Jays the 2-1 lead, and increased their win expectancy by 24.9 percentage points.
Bottom Play of the Game by WPA
The Yankees were able to load the bases to start the third inning off of Marco Estrada. Jacoby Ellsbury was hoping to cash in on the opportunity, at least with a deep fly ball to score a runner. But Estrada had other plans, inducing a weakly hit fly ball to left field that made all the runners hold. This kept the score tied at zero, and while the Yankees would go on to score one run in the third, this play lowered their win probability by seven percentage points.
Devon Travis Returns
In his first major league game since July 28th 2015, Devon Travis went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts. His rust was clearly visible as he looked pretty helpless against the breaking ball of Nova, which is understandable given that he hasn’t faced major league pitching in more than three hundred days. On the defensive side of things, he looked quite normal, making all the plays expected of him. He isn’t Ryan Goins out there, but he is definitely better than some previous options that have rotated through the position in years past since Aaron Hill left the club, so you have to be happy with his play.
Spreading the Offense Around
Three home runs and 11 hits. That was nice to see from a struggling offense. Every player in the Blue Jays lineup recorded a hit tonight against the combination of Nova, Chasen Shreve, and Nick Goody. Specifically, Russell Martin broke out of his terrible start to the season hitting two home runs, which were his second and third extra base hits of the season, respectively. I’m definitely not ready to declare the offense back after just one game, but it was nice to see this from them. If they can keep it up for a little bit, they will have no trouble getting back into the AL East race.
Up Next
The Blue Jays will try to leave New York with a series win tomorrow at 4:05 PM eastern. It will be a battle of lefties, as J.A. Happ (5-2, 3.43) will face Yankees hurler C.C. Sabathia (3-2, 3.41).
Lead Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports