MLB: Gurriel blasts something to cheer on dreary night for Jays pitching
And-a-three: 415 feet to straightaway centre.
And-a-two: 450 feet to straightaway centre, screaming.
And-a-one: just a bitty 345footer, but launched at a 43degree angle, so a monstrously tall moonshot.
Not precisely contiguous home-running by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., stretched as the trio was over Thursday and Friday — ninth inning the evening previous, second and fourth innings Friday night.
But three at-bat jacks in a row for the Cuban-born rookie with the best hair in baseball. One consecutive plate-appearance-bang short of the record held by Carlos Delgado. Before a homely single in the sixth. Homely only by comparison; actually sharply hit off Tampa reliever Adam Kolarek.
These little factoids are catchy, charming even, for a team way down in the dumps and rolling over the roster as summer flips to autumn. The kids continue to make Blue Jays baseball worth watching for the unexpected grace notes.
Lourdes, tiffany international free-agent signing, he of the dynastic Lourdes clan, is also pre-emptively boosting his bid, one would think, for the starting shortstop job come 2019 over the dimly remembered Troy Tulowitzki. Dingers No. 10 and 11.
Toss in career-high No. 24 for Randy Grichuk — likewise straightaway centre, likewise in the fourth frame — and Toronto had a whole hunka homers off Tampa Bay pitchers, knotted 3-3 on the scoreboard midway through the game. Then the (open) roof caved in at a winds wirled Rogers Centre, as Toronto’s relief corps imploded.
So there’s that, an 11-3 loss Friday against the Rays, the youthfully nervy AL East rivals, very much the up-surge trans formational club the Jays will be trying to emulate.
Certainly there have been hints, shades of a brighter future. A long way from meaningful September baseball, of course. But entertaining, in spasms, as the sprouts get a good long look from management, always keeping in mind that September flash can be like dry lightning.
Just as the jury is still deliberating on Sean Reid-Foley — whether he has the nous to claim starter chops in 2019. The 23-year-old didn’t make a com- pelling case for himself in what was his sixth and likely final major-league start of 2018. The right-hander continues to have command issues: overthrows, over-walks and over-stresses himself on the bump.
He got himself into familiar jams — too many pitches, too little control of the strike zone, fell behind on the count repeatedly. Toronto’s bullpen was up and throwing in the first, though Reid-Foley lasted through four innings plus two batters, giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits with an astonishing 95 pitches while falling to 2-4.
Still. Reid-Foley: four runs. Bullpen: seven runs.
Lourdes: two home runs, for naught.