Blue Jays keep moving in right direction with dramatic win over Cardinals

ST. LOUIS — For seven and a half innings Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays appeared to be headed for an easy, drama-free win.

Then, with two out and two on in the bottom of the eighth, Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera hit a go-ahead three-run home run off Yariel Rodríguez to give St. Louis a 4-3 lead and erase all the Blue Jays' momentum.

Almost immediately, though, the Blue Jays built it back again. With one out in the top of the ninth, Jonatan Clase hit a game-tying home run. An inning later, as the game stretched into extras, Alejandro Kirk drove in Addison Barger for a 5-4 lead — and this time the Blue Jays would hold on.

Now 36-30, the Blue Jays are a season-high six games above .500. Perhaps more importantly, they continue proving that they have the talent and the resiliency to overcome deficits. Their 20th comeback win of the season gives them a 3-1 record on their road trip and adds to the confidence building within the clubhouse.

“It’s part of the growth from last year,” Kirk said through interpreter Hector Lebron. “When you come back like that you can enjoy it as a team.”

Of course none of this would have been possible without a strong start from Jose Berrios. With uncertainty persisting in the Blue Jays’ fourth and fifth rotation spots, they’ve been able to count on consistency from Berrios, who pitched 6.2 scoreless innings Monday.

“Our chemistry is pretty high,” said Berrios. “It’s fun to win a game like this.”

Early hits from Bo Bichette and George Springer gave the Blue Jays the lead and Kirk later added his fourth home run of the season, but the Blue Jays didn’t do much damage against Cardinals starter Andre Pallante. 

Yet if that put pressure on Berrios, he embraced it, allowing just two walks and four hits while lowering his season ERA to 3.38. He struck out just one hitter against a Cardinals lineup known for making contact, but still saved the bullpen on the way to a win for his team.

“He’s been like that for a lot of his career, really,” manager John Schneider said. “The poster boy for being a consistent major-league starter.” 

Afterwards, both Schneider and Berrios praised Kirk for the work he’s done managing the Blue Jays’ pitching staff while also hitting .316 thanks to many clutch hits late in games.

“The best way to say it is it’s Kirky,” Schneider said. “That’s kind of all I’ve got. It’s just Kirky. He’s one of a kind.”

“Kirky’s an unbelievable player,” Berrios added. “He’s been getting more confidence and experience. Now he feels comfortable and ready to compete. He’s been doing well behind the plate and also in the box. That’s the Kirky we want to see.”

But while Kirk's contributions are nothing new, Clase's first home run of the year could hardly have come at a better time.

“Great for him,” Kirk said. “It was unbelievable for all of us. We were very, very emotional and very happy for him.” 

From Schneider's vantage point, this game stood above the others for Clase.

“He’s good tools, man," Schneider said. "Just dripping with potential. It’s taking a little time for him to get his feet grounded a little bit, but that was, I think, his best game by far.”

Elsewhere with the Blue Jays these days, there are plenty of reminders that this pitching staff has its share of questions. Before the game began newcomer Spencer Turnbull told reporters he’s hoping some mechanical changes pay off soon while Schneider expressed optimism that no change in role is necessary for Bowden Francis.

Where all of that leads wasn’t immediately clear, but Turnbull and left-hander Eric Lauer are both expected to pitch in Wednesday's series finale against the Cardinals, and if Turnbull doesn’t start this time, he’s a candidate to join the rotation later in the month.

Turnbull’s fastball averaged just 89.7 m.p.h. in his last triple-A appearance, down from 92 m.p.h. a year ago, but he said some mechanical adjustments have helped him get more power out of his legs. Plus, he says never quite got comfortable with minor-league baseballs, which are slightly different than the MLB version.

All things considered, Turnbull likes where he’s at physically and mentally.

“It feels better just walking out there,” he said, looking out toward the Busch Stadium outfield. “There's a different energy. The jitters, the adrenaline starts to kick back in, and it's just hard to replicate that.”

As for Francis, the Blue Jays plan for him to make his next start against the Phillies this weekend despite his 6.12 ERA and league-leading 19 home runs allowed.

“Right now he’s locked in,” Schneider said. “We need Bowden to be good. I’m not saying take a no-hitter into the eighth or ninth every outing, but we have confidence that he can pitch in this role at this level.”

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays' best alternatives will likely take some more time. Max Scherzer likely needs at least two rehab starts and triple-A starter Adam Macko’s “in the mix for sure,” according to Schneider, but likely needs a couple more starts with Buffalo as he continues building back up from meniscus surgery. 

Those questions are significant — and real solutions will be needed. But as long as the wins keep coming, the Blue Jays are moving in the right direction.

“They do not quit and they have each other’s back,” Schneider said. “That’s a really good feeling.”