National Post (National Edition)
Bichette's walk-off blast keys big win over Yanks
Back and forth the Jays and Yankees would go in a series rubber match, each team taking a lead, each team relinquishing a lead, each team matching pitch for pitch with neither team able to seize control.
It made for a compelling afternoon of baseball at Dunedin's TD Ballpark, a day that began with disconcerting news to Toronto's pitching, which has yet to elude the injury bug.
The day would end on a walk-off homer by Bo Bichette, his second long ball of the afternoon, as Toronto won its second season series over the Bronx Bombers, this one a nail-biting 5-4 win.
The Jays have yet to field their ideal lineup, which, for those who have lost track of the many lost players, does not feature free-agent signing George Springer.
Toronto heads to Kansas City with a 6-6 record, having already taken two series against the Yankees.
“It's impressive knowing what we've gone through,” said manager Charlie Montoyo following the win.
Whether it's refusing to allow whatever adversity to knock them down, the way Bichette and fellow young gun Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have been hitting, the way Toronto's bullpen, which is now minus Julian Merryweather, has performed, some impressive signs have emerged.
Bichette homered twice Wednesday to record his second-career walk-off blast.
He wrapped up his day by going 3-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
Vlad Jr. had hit nine balls at least 110 mph this season.
He went 2-for-4 in the rubber match and has reached base safely in all 12 games, batting .390 (16-for41) with a .519 OBP and a 1.105 OPS.
T.J. Zeuch, who was originally scheduled to start Thursday in Kansas City, filled in for fellow righthander Ross Stripling, a late-morning scratch because of a forearm issue.
Zeuch went four innings before Toronto's bullpen entered the fray. Zeuch gave up two homers to Aaron Judge and all four Yankee runs before the pen kept New York to one hit.
Zeuch wasn't aware he'd be on the mound to start the game until 11 a.m., for the 1 p.m. meeting.
“I'm not going to use timing as an excuse for an outing,” said Zeuch. “It was a little bit of a shock. There's an adjustment, but you have to be ready for whatever role.”
Not much was working for Zeuch, who said he was forced to go with his sinker.
“I got to be ready at all times,” he added. “I just have to be better next time.”
Montoyo wasn't complaining knowing Zeuch gave the Blue Jays a chance.
There was an early-game mound meeting to give Zeuch some confidence as Montoyo would explain.
“He made two mistakes,” said Montoyo. “If you think about it, he did what we needed. He kept us in the game.”
And what a game it would turn out to be as Toronto tied it up on a wild pitch before Bichette's walk off.
Trent Thornton and Anthony Castro, who was activated Wednesday and went out and threw two hitless in his Toronto debut were used before the Jays turned to Rafael Dolis, who earned the win.
Bichette was looking for a pitch to hit when facing Chad Green.
“It was a hanging slider and I was able to do something with it,” said Bichette.
Bichette knows he's heating up. He says he's slowing down at the plate.
There were times to start the season when Bichette said he was ready to hit every pitch, but he swung at pitches out of the zone.
He was passive, Bichette admits, but now he's “ready to do damage.”
The Yankees can attest to that.
PITCHER IMPERFECT
Another day, another pitching calamity for the Blue Jays, who have seen more than a few arms experience some kind of setback this early into a season.
Montoyo revealed how Stripling began to feel discomfort in his forearm.
“He tried to get it loose,” said Montoyo. “He couldn't get the forearm to get loose. I don't know anything more. Our hope is that it's not bad. We' ll see.”
Montoyo would not name a starter for the series opener against the Royals.
“We're still talking about it,” said Montoyo following the win. “We'll see how Stripling is doing and we'll go from there.”
NOT-SO MERRYWEATHER
In keeping with the team's pitching woes, the news on Merryweather wasn't exactly uplifting. Montoyo said his reliever felt something was amiss while warming up Tuesday night.
“He felt OK,” said the skipper.
And then two pitches later Merryweather was pulled after experiencing what the team called “left hip irritation.”
CLEARING THE AIR
A wild turn at third by Cavan Biggio would lead to an out on a rundown on a play that began when Biggio hit a liner in the fifth that would get misplayed by Judge in right field.
“I coached third base and that happens,'' said Montoyo.
“There was miscommunication and we left it at that.”
Montoyo said his third base coach, Luis Rivera, and Biggio, who started at third base, talked it out.
“They are fine now,” added the skipper.
EXTRA BASE BITS
Alejandro Kirk ended an 0-for-13 start to the season by recording his first hit, a two-run homer off Yankees starter Corey Kluber in the second inning ... Rowdy Tellez went 2-for-4 to record his first multi-hit game of the season. Tellez, who was an 0-fer in his first seven games, has four hits in his past three ... Josh Palacios had a hit to become the third player in team history to reach base 10 times in his first five career games.