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| This is the least merry that things got today. |
If you had been wondering if I could have been any more delighted by the Blue Jays' Opening Day Extra-Innings Win over the New York Yankees, first of all thank you for your interest, and secondly, no I don't think! And I was delighted early: in the home half of the first, Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched with such crafty-leftiness/lefty-craftiness that he had no less of a guy than Aaron Judge days late like days late on a 91MPH 3-2 fastball, and then did very much the same thing to Aaron Hicks. This contrasted mightily with Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, who was throwing bullets (some of the bullets were sliders!). I noted early on that Cole was getting calls on his slider a good few inches off the outside corner (I am not complaining: work those corners, and the realms beyond, young buck [he is thirty]), but was getting squeezed on anything off-speed that was up in the zone even a little -- guess which of these strike-zone quirks he minded!
He pitched well for sure, though, giving up runs only on three straight singles in the second (Teoscar Hernandez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. [a 114.1 MPH rocket, the hardest-hit ball measured against Cole since these things have been measured], and the luxuriously-coiffed Lourdes Gurriel Jr.) and on Téo's just enormous home run in the sixth. Vladi worked a walk in a long plate appearance right after the Hernandez <<dingeur>> and that was it for Cole, who hit the dugout wall with his glove a bunch (still breaking it in). The Yankees runs both came on a good-sized home run from Gary Sanchez, which is huge for him, as my work-friend David has declared this season to be "last chance for Sanchez," and thus stakes are high.
I had to leave things with the Blue Jays' defeat all but certain in the bottom of the ninth (our tacos were ready); imagine my surprise as I rejoined the game (whilst dishwashing) to learn that not only had Cavan Biggio thrown out Tauchman at the plate with the infield in, and that Jordan Romano (he's from Markham! and born in 1993! an auspicious year in Blue Jays history!) struck out Judge to end the inning, but also that Randall Grichuk had doubled home the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth, sending kind of an iffy one over Judge's head in right (rough game for Judge, when you lay it all out like that I guess). What? How? Neat! Relief-ace Julian Merriweather is a new one to me, but if he's going to throw 99MPH with a change-up in the low-eighties, we might have something here! I would also like to note that Rafael Dolis, who I think is neat because he has pitched for both the Detroit Tigers and the Hanshin Tigers, pitched well, as did Tyler Chatwood -- in fact, the two hits against David Phelps were the only hits the bullpen allowed all day (let us not speak of walks just now).
It was all great!
Finally, I would also like to comment on the broadcast. Dan Shulman was calling the game from a studio in Toronto, with Buck Martinez I believe working from his home in Florida, and their call went out over the radio as well as on television -- this is to say, there is no dedicated radio-only broadcast this season, a notion that seems to have riled many, including Geddy Lee, who at his present age honestly should not be caused to be riled; it isn't right. But the parts I watched on television (or rather on computers, and indeed on computer phones [and for surprisingly little cost]) were as good as Dan and Buck ever are (exceedingly), and when I had it on the radio, it was the best a Blue Jays radio broadcast has been since Jerry Howarth had Alan Ashby with him nine years ago. So, no complaints from me at all, nor do I anticipate any when the Blue Jays road games are handled in this same way, with Dan Shulman on play-by-play, and Buck on colour. My understanding is that the "home" games, such as they are this season, will have Buck on play-by-play (oh no), joined remotely by Pat Tabler (oh no), which will probably have me right there with Geddy, grumbling about the spirit of radio. "But it bears a gift beyond price, almost free," you'll hear us say, plaintively.
Until then, let's play ball!
KS
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