FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Blue Jays brought a very strong lineup with them for the three-hour bus trip down to Hammond Stadium, but were held to just three hits over the first six innings in what wound up being a back-and-forth, crazy game that ended with a Twins’ walk-off that put the brakes on the Blue Jays’ four-game spring win streak.
Here’s what I liked and didn’t like about the Jays’ 6-5 loss at the former Lee County Sports Complex:
THE GOOD:
COMEBACK KIDS: With some help from the opposition, the Blue Jays put together a couple of late rallies, scoring twice in the 8th to pull back within a run, and twice more in the 9th to tie the game.
Down 4-1 going into the penultimate frame, Jonathan Diaz lined a one-out single to right field, then Russell Martin did the same, sending Diaz to third. But minor league call-up J.D. Williams left Martin’s single on the grass as he charged in, allowing Diaz to score, and after going back to get it, threw it away, sending Martin to third. Jack Murphy followed with a sac fly.
After the Twins tacked on an insurance run, Devon Travis led off the 9th with a single, went to second on an Ezequiel Carrera groundout and to third on a wild pitch by Twins’ reliever Mark Hamburger. Moments later, Hamburger made an even wilder throw, firing Dalton Pompey’s comebacker into right field for what was ruled a three-base error, scoring Travis. Daric Barton lined the next pitch over first for an RBI single and the game was tied.
Sportsnet Magazine’s Toronto
Blue Jays Special: From the heart of the order to the bottom of the bullpen, we’ve got this team covered in our preview issue. Download it right now on your iOS or Android device, free to Sportsnet ONE subscribers.
SILENT BUT DEADLY: Amid all the stories of this Blue Jays’ spring, no one seems to be talking about Josh Donaldson, but the Jays’ new third baseman is quietly delivering an outstanding spring. He belted his third home run of the pre-season and drew a walk in three trips and also made an outstanding play on defence to close out the 6th inning. In 38 plate appearances this spring, Donaldson is hitting .364/.447/.636.
THE SPRING OF DEVO: Travis went 2-for-2 to continue the ridiculous run on which he has found himself since starting the spring 0-for-11. Travis literally knocked Twins’ reliever Brian Duensing from the game in his first at-bat, smacking a line drive right back through the box that caromed off Duensing’s midsection for a base hit. In his second at-bat, he lofted a single to right to spark the game-tying rally in the 9th.
It feels as though I’m writing about this pretty much every day, but it remains noteworthy. Since that 0-for-11 start, Travis has gone 16-for-29 to raise his overall spring average to an even .400.
THE NOT GOOD:
RUNNING YOURSELF OUT OF A RALLY: After Murphy’s sac fly cut the Twins’ lead to a run in the 8th, Caleb Gindl bounced a single up the middle and went to second on a four-pitch walk to Munenori Kawasaki. The tying run was on second with the Jays’ hottest hitter, Travis, coming to the plate. Hamburger bounced a pitch that catcher Eric Fryer blocked, but the ball bounced away a bit. Gindl bounced off second, but didn’t get a good read on the ball. He didn’t take off for third and stayed close enough to second that he was able to scramble back.
Hamburger bounced the next pitch, as well, and Gindl again didn’t get a good read, but this time he strayed too far from the bag and Fryer threw down behind him to second base. Gindl was caught in no-man’s land and wound up being picked off easily, ending the inning and denying Travis a chance to swing the bat with the tying run in scoring position. Of course, when Travis led off the next inning, he got a hit.
ANOTHER TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR CHADDRICK: Chad Jenkins is in a difficult position at this camp. Clearly a major-league worthy pitcher, he’s performed well when given an opportunity with the big club and will be a helpful arm once again this year. However, Jenkins still has one year of options left, so he’s highly unlikely to make the team out of spring training and highly likely to be moving up and down between Toronto and Buffalo all season.
Jenkins started his Grapefruit League season by giving up a three-run home run to Baltimore’s Chris Davis in the Blue Jays’ third game of the spring and Tuesday gave up another three-run shot, this time to Torii Hunter in the 7th, breaking a 1-1 tie. Four Blue Jays’ pitchers had combined to retire 18 of the 20 Twins to come to the plate over the first six innings.
The Blue Jays will try to start another spring win streak when they head to Sarasota on Wednesday for their fifth get-together with the Orioles this month. Daniel Norris will get another chance to stake his claim for a spot in the big-league rotation, and so far he’s looked awfully strong. Joe Siddall and I will have all the action for you live online, beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET!