THING OF BEAUTY
Sanchez loses no-hit bid in eighth inning and Granderson homers in ninth as Jays top O’s
BALTIMORE — No blister, no worries and now for Aaron Sanchez, a near no-hitter.
The rising superstar of the Blue Jays starting rotation was at his best and then some for most of a frigid Tuesday night at Camden Yards, coming within six outs of the first no-hitter of his major league career.
That bid ended in the top of the eighth when the Orioles’ Tim Beckham ripped a shot that went through the legs of Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson and into left field.
Sanchez allowed two more hits and a run in that inning but showed his talent and mental strength to limit the damage at just that and keep victory in his grasp.
Then the team’s late-inning power surge continued when Curtis Granderson hit his first homer as a Jay to right field to secure a 2-1 win.
The victory improved Toronto’s record to 8-4 and coupled with Monday’s win ensured a third consecutive series victory.
“I’m a firm believer in a situation like that one (run) is better than two, two is better than three and I was able to get out of there with one,” Sanchez said. “After I gave up the hit, I was whatever. It would have been cool to throw a no-hitter but at this point it was 1-0 and I was just trying to make sure we got the W. I didn’t care about anything else than winning the ball game.
“It sucks but I was just glad to be able to get out of that inning giving up one run.”
The official scorer ruled the Beckham blast a double, even though it went through Donaldson’s five-hole. And then things got interesting. Possibly rattled by the play, Sanchez surrendered another single to Anthony Santander in the next at bat and the Orioles had runners on the corners with nobody out.
The next man up, Chance Sisco, tagged a double over the head of Jays first baseman Justin Smoak and suddenly the no-no and the shutout were gone and the game was tied at 1-1.
But Sanchez was able to induce a popup and a double play to get out of the inning and set the stage for Granderson’s top of the ninth heroics.
Roberto Osuna added to the pitching storyline by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save of the season and the hundredth of his career, making him the youngest pitcher in MLB history to get to the century mark.
Back to Sanchez: Making just his third start after a season derailed by blister issues 25-year-old native of Barstow, Calif., kept the Orioles guessing all night in a resounding return to the brilliant form he flashed in the 2016 season.
“From here my game is only gonna get better. I think tonight was just a little preview of what I can be,” Sanchez said.
And for a while he looked to have a serious chance at joining Dave Stieb (Sept. 2, 1990) as just the second Jays pitcher to toss a no-hitter.
Facing an Orioles lineup that has its share of power, Sanchez was superb, though not perfect. Prior to losing the no-hitter, he allowed five Orioles runners on base — four by walk and another who was grazed by a pitch.
But until the eighth, he never allowed a runner get past first base and seemed to get stronger the deeper his no-hit bit progressed. In particular, the Sanchez change up was lethal. He ended the night throwing 98 pitches while allowing three hits and five walks (one intentional.)
Prior to the game, Jays pitching coach Pete Walker sensed that Sanchez was getting close to something big. There was rust in spring training and an anxiousness from Sanchez in his first two starts but dig deeper and his stuff was coming.
“He puts pressure on himself to be that guy,” Walker said. “Obviously all indications are he’s headed in the right direction and I expect him to get on a roll.”
Big things were expected since the spring, actually, as Sanchez quietly went about his business looking to reclaim his status as the Jays ace.
As brilliant as Sanchez was, the no-hitter effort was helped along by a trio of standout defensive plays — and perhaps from the raw wind that was blowing in all night.
The first came in the first inning when right fielder Steve Pearce made a running over-the-shoulder catch to rob Trey Mancini of an extrabase hit.
It was Mancini who was victim of a heist in the fourth winning as well when Kevin Pillar reached up over the wall to haul in a loud out that again was destined for extra bases.
And then in the fifth it was second baseman Devon Travis’ turn to keep the no-no alive. When Tim Beckham popped up a blooper into shallow right centre. With Pearce charging, both players slid with Travis coming up with the ball for the crucial out.
The latest victory gave the Jays an eighth win, a total that wasn’t reached until the 25th game last season.