LOS ANGELES — For a Blue Jays staff that has at instances struggled to provide you with huge hits, Daulton Varsho actually got here via on Monday evening at Dodger Stadium.
Varsho’s decisive two-run double proved the game-winning hit in Toronto’s 6-3 victory over the Dodgers in 11 innings.
“Huge spot for him,” stated supervisor John Schneider. “Big knock in a big spot. That hopefully does wonders for him.”
Going up towards the National League West division leaders, the Blue Jays knew they’d their work minimize out for them, they usually performed a detailed recreation all evening. Matt Chapman’s eighth-inning homer — his first dwelling run in 42 at-bats relationship again to July 6 — briefly gave them the lead, earlier than Max Muncy re-tied it within the backside of the body.
After the bullpens exchanged zeros within the ninth and tenth, the Blue Jays acquired off to a promising begin within the eleventh, with Chapman reaching on a throwing error and Whit Merrifield loading the bases with a single, considered one of 4 hits he had on the evening. Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford then left a 1-0 fastball over the center of the plate for Varsho and he didn’t miss, driving it to proper area. The ball evaded Jason Heyward’s glove and hopped to the wall, permitting two runs to attain.
“I think it’s through all the effort and all the time, preparation,” Varsho stated when requested how he managed to remain within the second. “Understanding who the pitcher is, putting all that together and trying not to do too much, trying to get your pitch and try to stay as low-key as you can.”
It’s been a tough month in an total tough yr for Varsho, whom the Blue Jays acquired from the D-backs over the offseason in alternate for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno. Coming off a few strong seasons with Arizona, Varsho was batting .212 with a .628 OPS via 98 video games coming into play Monday. In July, he’d gone simply 7-for-51 (.137) with no extra-base hits previous to his double towards the Dodgers.
Monday’s heroics received’t change the stat line dramatically, however they did present Varsho with a signature second together with his new staff.
“You gotta keep your head up, gotta keep grinding and you gotta help this team win any way possible,” stated Varsho. “… Being able to come up with another opportunity again and getting it done, it was a great feeling.”
After Varsho’s hit, Toronto picked up an insurance coverage run on back-to-back walks to Alejandro Kirk and Bo Bichette.
Jordan Romano then held issues down within the backside of the eleventh, choosing up his twenty eighth save, tying him with the Orioles’ Félix Bautista for essentially the most within the American League.
Romano’s outing was interrupted by the membership’s coach coming to take a look at him following the second out, however Romano is “fine,” in response to Schneider.
“Just kind of Jordy walking like Jordy a little bit,” stated Schneider. “After having a little back thing, just wanted to make sure.”
Yet one other nail-biter that got here proper all the way down to the wire, the Blue Jays have actually grown accustomed to video games which can be shut within the late innings. In the previous week alone, all however considered one of Toronto’s seven video games had a margin of no higher than two runs within the late innings.
And the Blue Jays have taken discover of this development.
“It seems like these guys are tested mentally every night,” stated Schneider. “It seems like games are close, games are tight, there’s big spots whether we’re hitting or when we’re on defense. So hopefully, that makes us a little bit more battle-tested down the road and becomes a little bit more natural for the guys as we go. … not that you want it to be like that every night.”
Content Source: www.mlb.com