2022 Game Three: Rangers 12, Blue Jays 6

 

Hyun-Jin Ryu's photo from
the preschool fundraiser
(baseball day).

Of the various ways to lose a 12-6 baseball game, going up 6-1 before giving up eleven unanswered runs has to be among the worst one ones, right? And yet, we certainly derived Maximum Enjoyment from the 6-1 portion of the game, especially the four Blue Jays home runs in the first two-and-a-third innings (a leadoff Springer Dinger; new third-baseman Matt Chapman's first as a Blue Jay; young Danny Jansen's second of the season; and a profoundly monstrous Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blast that, in the old days, would have been off the top of the restaurant like 2002-batting-practice Barry Bonds), but also especially because of how Hyun-Jin Ryu was again exemplifying the extent to which he (as I have now maintained for some time) is the most interesting pitcher in Blue Jays history just to see work. And he was dealing! Until, alas, he dealt not, which came in the fourth inning (that's too soon). The six earned runs with which he was charged were trouble enough, but the bullpen, which had performed more than admirably throughout the weekend's previous twelve-and-two-thirds innings (that's too many) fared no better, really. And so the Blue Jays have tumbled from first, and now sit a full game behind Tampa Bay in the AL East with only 159 to play. It's going to be tight.

Off to Yankee Stadium, then, with Alek Manoah on the mound. Remember when he made his major-league début there last season before really anybody was going to games? And so you could totally hear his mother shouting her encouragements to him throughout? And he did great? I know I do!

One last thing I would like to note coming out of this enormously fun first weekend is that after that the big comeback on Opening Day, the broadcast point out that this was only the fourth time the Blue Jays had come back from a seven-run-deficit to win (maybe just at home? I should remember but I do not remember). And I was totally at one of those! Sunday 27 April 2003 vs. the Royals! A run in the seventh, two in the eighth, and six in the bottom of the ninth. I remember it pretty clearly, even more or less where I was sitting (524A or 524B, much more straightaway than was my true preference, but such were the vagueries and affordances of the Toronto Star Season Pass). That day's Blue Jays starting shortstop? None other than currently not-all-that-likable Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward! Greg Myers pinch-hit for him late that day, and there's no shame in that: look up 2003 Greg Myers if you haven't lately, or before; it's shocking. 

KS