Blue Jays 6, Pirates 2: You Know What Though The Pirates Are Pretty Good Now Actually

 

6 2/3 IP, 6H, 1R, 1BB, 8K, which you will take literally every time ever 

Of the several excellent half-innings from last night's game to consider—the Blue Jays' three-run third or three-run eighth, say, or Louis Varland's top of the eighth and/or ninth en route to his six-out save like it was no big deal (his league-best ERA of 0.65 right now rules)—the one that I think I liked the most was maybe actually the top of the seventh. It began with the Pirates' Jhostynxon Garcia (they call him "Password" [his brother, minor-league catcher, Johanfran, they call "Username" {I swear both these unlikely things to be true}]) singling to left to Yohendrick Piñango (Name Guy to Name Guy); Garcia then moved to third on an Endy Rodriguez groundball single up the middle. First and third! Nobody out! That's no good! Better bring the infield in on the corners, at least! And it worked out exactly like you'd hope: Vladdy scooped up an Esmerlyn Valdez (another eighty-grade name in an inning replete with them) grounder, and looked the runner at third back while making the out at first; he did precisely the same thing on the Jake Mangum grounder that followed. After a lengthy conversation on the mound, John Schneider brought Mason Fluharty in to face toolsy lefty O'Neil Cruz as the batting order turned over, and got an easy popup to Piñango to end the inning. It was an intensely baseball inning of baseball, in an understated way (that I have perhaps overstated here). And just like that, our third win in a row has us just a half-game behind the Mariners for the final AL Wild Card spot, because this league simply does not have it together at this point. May that continue! Indefinitely! What if even some of our injured guys return and do even okay[ly]? Sky's the limit.      

KS