DUNEDIN, Fla. – The Blue Jays picked up their second walk-off win of the spring, and for the second time, the game-winning blow was delivered by someone who had been called up from minor-league camp to play in the game. Shane Opitz, who has hit all of nine home runs in 1,698 plate appearances over seven years in pro ball, belted a three-run homer with two out in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Tigers.
Here’s what stood out to me about the Blue Jays’ walk-off win:
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OH ME, OH MY, OPITZ
Well of course he stood out. Opitz, making his seventh appearance of the spring with the big club, took over at shortstop for Ryan Goins in the top of the eighth inning and the odds were that he was never going to come to the plate. The Jays held a one-run lead at the time, and kept it into the top of the ninth inning, when Joe Biagini gave up a three-run home run to Dominic Ficociello. The immediate result was a two-run deficit for the Jays, but ultimately that three-run shot gave Opitz the opportunity to hit his.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Jon Berti reached on an infield single and went to third on Mike Ohlman’s base hit to left. Roemon Fields tried to bunt his way on but popped up, setting the stage for Opitz’s heroics. The 25 year-old belted an 0-1 pitch into the netting above the Blue Jays’ bullpen for the win; it was his first hit of the spring.
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MARVELOUS MARCO
In his third start of the spring, Marco Estrada dominated the visiting Tigers. He gave up a fly ball to deep centre field to the first batter he faced, Dixon Machado, that was run down by Kevin Pillar for an out. Alex Presley followed with a single, and was doubled home by Nick Castellanos but that was it.
Estrada didn’t allow another Tiger to reach base over his five innings of work, retiring the last 14 hitters he faced, five by strikeout. Once Estrada settled in after those first three batters, he was surgical in his precision. He worked a fastball that touched 90 miles per hour while mixing in the Bugs Bunny change-up that’s tough to hit even if you tell the batter it’s coming, and even dropping in the occasional curveball.
He needed one nice play made behind him in order to sit down those 14 straight Tigers, looking strong in what could very likely be a setup for an opening day start in Baltimore on April 3. The Blue Jays could announce their plans for the rotation as early as this weekend.
HAVE GLOVE, WILL TRAVEL
Blue Jays fans have gotten used to Goins making dazzling plays on the infield, and making tough plays look easy, but on Wednesday they got to see him flash the leather in the outfield.
Goins started the game in left field – his first appearance in the outfield this spring after seeing plenty of time out there last March – and was called on in the top of the third with Machado at the plate.
The Tigers’ leadoff man hit a shot to deep left-centre and Goins got on his horse, raced to the wall and hauled it in with a leaping grab. He later moved to third base for a couple of innings and played some shortstop before his day came to an end.
The more things Goins can do, the higher his value, quite obviously, if not for the Blue Jays than for some other team to which the Blue Jays might deal him at the end of the spring. So long as Ezequiel Carrera and Melvin Upton, Jr. are on the shelf, though, Goins’ roster spot is safe.
The Blue Jays have Thursday off, but they’re back in action at The FAES on Friday afternoon. The Boston Red Sox will visit and the Jays will send J.A. Happ to the mound for the start. We’ll have the game on the web beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET – Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt will be my analysts. Listen here.
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