TORONTO – After sweeping one of their most exciting series in years, the vibes were good for the Toronto Blue Jays Friday afternoon but the roster was far from full strength.
Closer Jeff Hoffman and right-hander Braydon Fisher were unavailable — and other relievers were best avoided after a taxing four-game sweep over the New York Yankees. On a day Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was out of the starting lineup and Andrés Giménez left early due to a sore ankle, the lineup was depleted, too
A win in the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels would be hard to come by under the circumstances, but the Blue Jays have been playing exceptionally well of late, with sound defence, big hits and a willingness to put the needs of the team first.
If they could only generate enough offence to provide the bullpen with some breathing room, then maybe they could support another strong start from Eric Lauer and find a way to win once again.
So, how about a walk-off sac bunt in extra innings?
Thanks to Ernie Clement, that’s exactly what happened in this one, as the Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-3 in 10 innings to improve to 50-38 on the season. With the win, the Blue Jays extend their winning streak to six and expand their AL East lead to 2.0 games over the Yankees and Rays, who each lost earlier in the day.
“I’ve never done it,” Clement said of the bunt that scored Myles Straw for the win. “But we’ll take it for sure.”
As Lauer said afterwards: “That’s wild, isn’t it? We can do it in any way. We’re grinders.”
Sustainable? Well, that depends on who you ask, but there’s no debate about this: these 50 wins are banked and they put the Blue Jays in an enviable position as clear buyers with a chance at their first division title in a decade.
“It’s fun, man,” Lauer said. “It’s so fun. Winning’s fun.”
And while no one expects sac bunt walk-offs on a regular basis, manager John Schneider likes that his team can put pressure on opponents in different ways, whether it’s through small ball, baserunning or power.
“I think it’s pretty sustainable when there’s not one way to do it,” he said. “Great offences can score in a lot of different ways and they don’t have one way to beat you.”
In a way, it’s perfectly on brand for the Blue Jays to walk this off on a sac bunt. They’re now tied for the MLB lead with 20 — partly a reflection of personnel and the close games they’ve been playing and partly a reflection that this team plays for one another, not simply for personal numbers.
“We just keep relying on each other,” Clement said. “Crazy (crap)’s going to happen … we just continue to pick each other up, and that’s what our team’s all about.”
Lauer’s performance deserves some recognition, too. The left-hander relied heavily on his slider and cutter to pitch a season-high six-plus innings, holding the Angels to two runs on just three hits while striking out six. With each passing start, he’s proving himself more and more.
“That was my game plan the whole time,” said Lauer, whose season ERA now sits at 2.65. “Show what I can do, hopefully edge my way into the rotation as a permanent spot and put up some good innings for the team.”
To be fair to Lauer, his line could have looked a lot cleaner if Nick Sandlin hadn’t allowed two of Lauer’s inherited runners to score on a majestic three-run homer by Jo Adell. But on a night the Toronto bullpen was well below full strength, the Blue Jays needed others to step up, including Sandlin.
Brendon Little, Yariel Rodríguez and Chad Green combined to keep the Angels off the board from the eighth inning onward and if the game had continued, recently recalled Lazaro Estrada would have been the next — and potentially final — arm of the evening.
“You can’t say enough about Yariel and Chad,” Schneider said. “I mean, these guys are running on fumes.”
As for Giménez, he pulled awkwardly into third base in the sixth due to a sore left ankle. Soon afterwards, the Blue Jays pulled him from the game and replaced him with Leo Jiménez, but the situation’s at least a little concerning as Giménez twisted the same ankle on a tag play at second base just two days ago.
The Blue Jays are sending him for an MRI to learn more before determining next steps.
Guerrero Jr., meanwhile, got a rare day off after fouling a ball off his right foot in Thursday’s series finale against the Yankees. As Schneider put it: “Got to get the big boy off his feet at some point,” and Friday was a logical time to do so.
With Clement at the plate in the 10th inning, Guerrero Jr. stood on deck to bat for Will Wagner if needed, an indication his foot had improved. But thanks to the dramatic finish, the Blue Jays managed to extend their winning streak without him.
“Guys are going to need a couple days off here and there,” Clement said. “We’re such a tight group and all pulling in the same direction, so it doesn’t really matter who’s in there and who’s not. Whoever’s in the lineup is going to do their job and we trust everybody.”
