2022 Game Seventy-Four: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 5

let me tell you 'bout . . .

. . . my best friend

It was probably worth the bullpen (specifically Thornton, and to a lesser extent Mayza) making a hash of Ross Stripling's excellent start to see the Blue Jays BABIP their way to a legitimately thrilling walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth (I would submit as evidence of its objectively thrilling nature the extent to which I was [subjectively, I suppose] thrilled). An Alejandro Kirk pinch-hit single (Zimmer becomes the runner), a George Springer walk, Bo Bichette's ground ball through the right side to tie it, and, after a pitching change (not to Tanner Houck, though!), Vladdy's ground ball past Bogaerts to win it . . . I mean, come on. It was not the biggest crowd (27 140, including, for a time, my old pal Anth, who tragically had to leave early to catch a GO Train) but probably one of the merriest. Why wouldn't they be! (Walk-off win/Loonie Dogs.)

And so a "series win" (a fake idea [and yet a very real one {when you really think about it}]) to open this potentially ruinous eight-game, seven-day homestand, with Alek Manoah on the mound for the next one -- on his own t-shirt night, no less. A potentially powerful moment.

KS