J.T. outshines J.A. on Canada Day
I have it on good authority that John Tavares is a big fan of the Toronto Blue Jays. See what I did there? Cunningly inserted the honkin’ huge signing by the Maple Leafs of the cream of the freeagent class — confirmed on Canada Day – into a baseball column.
Which is better than … in other news, the Jays were clobbered 9-1 by the Tigers at Rogers Centre, in an insignificant Game No. 83 of a going-nowhere season.
The strategy is called search engine optimization (SEO) — dropping words and names into content that will drive eyeballs to a newspaper’s online platform. I don’t usually give a rat’s ass. (Tavares. Tavares. Tavares.) Hey Gibby, what do you think of the humongous Leafs get, Tavares inking a seven-year deal with the Leafs?
“Oh, did he? I didn’t know that.”
Well, it was announced — by Tavares himself, on Twitter — just after the pre-game Canada Day ceremonies at the ballpark. (Which, stupidly, was roof-closed again on a gorgeous summer day. Apparently too hot-hot-hot for snowflake baseball fans who apparently can’t handle broiling 30-degree temperatures. Oy.)
“Wow, I guess that’s a big deal,” observed the Toronto skipper. So why are you guys here?” Why indeed. Adding: “So nobody will even notice this one.” Heh-heh. Meaning a baseball stinker after the Jays had been clicking along, winning 10 of their last 11 at home.
The Jays don’t fare well in Canada Day specials — 14-26 all-time, in their barn.
(Diana, Princess of Wales, would have turned 57 Sunday.)
First loss for J.A. Happ after six straight starter wins. The lanky lefty didn’t pitch badly either, nor damage his attractiveness as a trade deadline target.
Two fastballs turned the tide: a two-out first-pitch grand slam crank in the fifth by Nicholas Castellanos, his 13th home run on the year and career grand slam No. 4 for the right fielder — merely the hottest hitter off of southpaws in the majors right now. Happ’s offering had leaked over the middle of the plate and buhbye. This after a pair of bloopy singles, a walk and a perfect RBI bunt toward third base that Happ fielded but could do nothing with.
Of Castellanos’s four grand slams, two have come against the Jays.
“Closing out that fifth inning, got myself into a jam and they got a big hit and that was tough,” Happ said afterwards.
In the following frame, again with two out, Jose Iglesias fisted a fastball to shallow left field for a single that scored a deuce.
Seven runs through 5 2⁄ 3 innings for Happ, who was lifted for John Axford at that point. An ugly linescore but, really, Happ’s stuff wasn’t that turdy.
“I feel like I was kind of a pitch away from getting out of there,” said Happ, reviewing the fifth-inning shemozzle. “I look at the hard-hit balls and there were two or three today.’’ Otherwise, flares that found holes, grass, and the top of the fence. “But it is what it is. It’s not a pretty outing and I own that.”
Losing nine-hole hitter JaCoby Jones in the midst of that fifth on a two-out walk had a cascading ruinous effect.
“That didn’t set me up great after the first two bloop hits,’’ said Happ, who is surely not long for these parts. “And then the bunt. And then the ball on top of that wall …’’
(Milos Raonic, from Wimbledon, tweeted: “I’m going to be watching a lot more hockey the next 7 years. Welcome @91Tavares to the @MapleLeafs!”)
Topped off by a two-run jack in the ninth, courtesy of the aforementioned Jones off reliever Preston Guilmet.
At least the crowd of 37,445 had something to cheer about in the bottom of the ninth, jolted out of their lethargy by a stupendous Kevin Pillar catch at the wall, airborne to get his glove on a ball headed for homer territory by, yup, Castellanos.
Might have been Pillar’s glitziest catch ever. Even Castellanos, mid home-run trot, stopped, turned around, held his arms aloft and applauded.
“I didn’t see,” said Pillar, when asked about his opponent’s sportin’ touche-you gesture. “I haven’t had a chance to see it yet.’’
But he’d heard the crack of the bat and knew that ball had jet-stream ambitions.
“I feel like I was going to have a chance to make a play. A ball like that, hit as high as it is, it allows me time to kind of track the ball, track the fence and go up and try to make a play.’’
(From Axford, chuffed that fellow Canadian, fellow local boy, Tavares is T.O.- bound: “It happened right after the opening ceremonies, right? I think all baseball was off the books after that point. Obviously he has a favourite player, which is me. Seven years, $77 million is what he got, right? That’s my number: 77.”)
The Jays actually took a 1-0 first inning lead on a triple by Teoscar Hernandez and Justin Smoak double. Nobody foresaw the roof caving in.
For Hernandez, that ball to the wall, through the gap, was his sixth triple of the season. All of last year, the Jays as a team hit just five triples.
“It feels awesome,” said Hernandez. “I thought that was going to go out. Every time I hit a ball to the gap, I’m always thinking about going to third.”
By the way, Hernandez, what do you think about Tavares coming to Toronto? “Who?” (Viagra. Viagra. Viagra.)