TORONTO – In the span of two pitches Tuesday, a rather quiet game turned into something more dramatic.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Toronto Blue Jays had a 2-1 lead thanks to some strong pitching led by Spencer Miles. Yet with former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara on the mound for the Miami Marlins, the direction of the game switched in a matter of moments.
First, Jesus Sanchez turned on a 99 m.p.h. fastball, hitting it over the right field wall for a grand slam against his former team. Then, on the very next pitch, Alcantara hit Kazuma Okamoto in the muscle of his arm.
It was the fourth hit batter of the game for Alcantara, which naturally leads to some degree of suspicion. But mitigating any concerns, all four came on off-speed pitches and Alcantara looked to Okamoto as he left the field, patting his chest as if to say, ‘that’s on me, my bad.’
Regardless of the former Cy Young winner’s intent, Sanchez’s swing set in motion an 8-1 Blue Jays win as they improved to 26-29 on the season.
“That’s the kind of swing we want to see from him,” manager John Schneider said. “Kind of a no-doubter. Up and down we had good at-bats against Sandy, who’s a tough pitcher.”
Speaking of Alcantara, let’s start there. Neither Schneider nor Sanchez saw any intent from the right-hander or Marlins manager, Clayton McCullough.
“No,” Schneider said. “They were all breaking balls … I’ve got all the respect in the world for Sandy and for Clayton. He runs a tight ship over there, so I think the ball just got away from him. It looked worse because it was right after a home run.”
“Knowing Sandy, he's not that type of pitcher,” Sanchez added through interpreter Hector Lebron. “He's not going to try to hurt anyone.”
Asked about his approach against his longtime teammate, Sanchez said he feels comfortable and “very confident” hitting against Alcantara despite the pitcher's six-foot-five frame and big fastball velocity. This time, Sanchez hunted a fastball and got one, exacting a little revenge on the team that traded him to Houston last summer.
“I mean, I understand it's a business, but they let me go,” Sanchez said. “Every time I play against them, I'm ready to compete. Adrenaline against the Marlins is always going to be there.”
Sanchez had some help on offence, as Ernie Clement got the scoring started with a solo homer in the second, and Yohendrick Piñango bounced back from a difficult game Monday with a solo homer to lead off the eventful sixth inning.
These last two games offer a reminder that there’s still “give and take” with Piñango’s game, as Schneider put it. He’s a talented hitter, but he’s struggling defensively, as evidenced by two plays Monday that should have been outs but were instead costly hits.
With that in mind, Blue Jays outfield coach Mark Budzinski worked extensively with Piñango before Tuesday’s game, reminding him that he can call off infielders on any ball he can reach.
“It's just having intent to go catch it as opposed to waiting for someone else to call it,” Schneider said. “A learning moment for sure and he's working on it every day.”
“He's done so much good,” Schneider added later. “I don't want one game to be the highlight of Yohendrick Piñango. He's a damn good player.”
Pitching bulk innings for the fourth time this season, Miles did his part once again. The right-hander allowed just one run on three hits over 4.1 innings, lowering his season ERA to 2.16. His fastball sat 95.3 m.p.h. and he struck out three while walking only one.
Also significant: the Rule 5 pick continued adding volume to his workload. Not only did he match his season high in innings, but he pushed into new territory with 66 pitches, setting him up for his next turn Sunday in Baltimore.
“He's mixing his stuff really well and he's understanding what we're asking of him,” Schneider said. “He’s on a good little run right now and I think he's trusting his stuff more and more every time he goes out there.”
It’s a lot to ask of a pitcher who’d barely pitched professionally before this season, but Miles has responded to every challenge. It’s no coincidence that the Blue Jays have won each of his last three appearances.
Not to be overlooked, Braydon Fisher got things started as the opener with a scoreless first inning. The appearance marked his 28th of the season, tying teammate Mason Fluharty for the American League lead.
“He understands what we're looking for right now,” Schneider said. “And he can neutralize both sides of the plate.”
On Wednesday, the Blue Jays will turn to Kevin Gausman as they look to climb closer to .500. And with the Marlins in town for one more game, perhaps Sanchez can exact a little more revenge against his former team.
"Baseball, it's going to be ups and downs," he said. "Mentally, you've got to stay strong, keep trusting your work and good things will happen."
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