2021 Games One-Forty-One and One-Forty-Two (Doubleheader!): Blue Jays 11, Orioles 10 (F/7), Blue Jays 11, Orioles 2 (F/7)

 

there she goes; let's admire that one

Well, this has literally never happened before, like in baseball ever: the Blue Jays hit home runs in their final turn at bat to come from behind in and win both games of a doubleheader. Game One had so many fallings behind and comings back (2-0 after the 1st; 5-2 after the 2nd; 7-3 after the 3rd; 10-5 after the 4th; 10-7 going in the 7th and final inning) that I was heard to remark that it would almost be better, emotionally, if the Blue Jays, once smooshed, just stayed smooshed, and let that be the end of it. Hyun-Jin Ryu had his worst start as a Blue Jay, and I am pretty sure by a lot: seven runs in just two-and-a-third, and there was nothing cheap about any of it; he was just getting smoked out there. Ross Stripling wasn't a tonne of help in relief, either, but young Nate Pearson's two shutout innings afforded the boys the requisite space in which to bop, and so we saw a four-run top of the seventh, capped by George Springer's two-run shot to take the lead, which Romano held onto despite Vladdy's error on a tough ground ball to first with two away. Four home runs on the day! Springer's 17th to win it, but also Gurriel's 17th early (he has been on quite a run!), Vladdy's 43rd (closing in on Ohtani! [who you will recall also pitches {quite well}]), and Danny Jansen's 8th (he's been hot, too!). It was all pretty incredible.

And then Game Two . . .

yesssssssssssssss

 . . . in which Keegan Akin (for real!) no-hit the Blue Jays through six, only for the Blue Jays to put up eleven runs in the seventh. All in that one inning. Like, in a row. How might one even achieve such a feat? Well, I'll tell you: Vladdy 1B, Bo Bichette HR, Téo 1B, mound visit/pitching change, Kirk HR, Gurriel 1B, Grichuk 1B, mound visit, Valera sac fly (that's one out!), Springer 1B, mound visit, Semien HR, Vladdy 1B (again!), mound visit/pitching change, Bichette 1B, Téo HR, Kirk BB, Dyson F8 (two away!), Grichuk BB, Valera F8 (the side is, at last, retired). Eleven runs on eleven hits. That's shocking. I was shocked. 

Friday night's 6-3 loss to the lowly Orioles was disappointing, but totally understandable on a human level (like in terms of feelings), in that the Blue Jays, coming off of improbable sweeps of both the A's and the Yankees, with no days off to be seen, had to be emotionally drained from it all, right? And then to fall behind right away the next day even though Hyun-Jin Ryu was on the mound had to be a downer, too. But these guys hung in there, and they can really hit! Jesse Barfield got so excited about it all on Twitter, which was a real pleasure to be around. Those of us assembled on the couch at various times throughout this long afternoon and evening of Blue Jays baseball matched that level of excitement, though perhaps not the level of appreciation that seems available to Jesse Barfield, and perhaps to Jesse Barfield alone.

KS