TORONTO -- It looked like the Blue Jays would finally have their commanding, straightforward win with none of the drama, but that’s just not the way they do things. They took the long road, allowing a late rally that had shades of Friday night’s chaotic finish, but managed to slam the door shut just before disaster struck.
Saturday afternoon's 10-8 win over the A's at Rogers Centre started with José Berríos, back when this game was much simpler. With the offense behind him, the right-hander got the win and recognition he deserved, something that can’t be said for all of this rotation’s quality starts of late. Berríos built off his brilliant outing last week with another strong performance, allowing three runs over 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven.
“It’s special. It’s amazing,” Berrios said. “Seeing our guys having fun out there and doing their thing, we know they can hit. That’s what they’ve been doing yesterday and today. When that offence happens, it’s going to help our pitching staff to work with a lot more confidence. That’s why we’re called a team. We play all together.”
This is what Berríos was brought to Toronto to do. A few rocky outings in mid-August were out of character for Berríos, but when he’s right, he is one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the Majors. If there’s one thing this Blue Jays team needs, it’s that. After taking the first two from the A’s, the Blue Jays have pulled within one game of Oakland in the AL Wild Card race, but still have a steep hill to climb to reach the Red Sox, who walked off Cleveland on Saturday to keep their five-game lead over Toronto.
Berríos already had a 4-0 lead in hand by the time a solo home run broke up his no-hit bid in the fifth, but it didn’t all come from the usual suspects. In a lineup topped by George Springer and four All-Stars, what manager Charlie Montoyo loved most about Friday’s walk-off was that it was a true “team win," a title that also applied on Saturday. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. carried over some momentum from Friday’s grand slam heroics with another home run, his 16th of the season, and delivered with the bases loaded once again in the eighth with a three-run double, giving him four RBIs on the day.
“He makes the lineup a lot better for sure,” said Montoyo. “That’s a fact. It starts with chasing pitches. Whenever you see him not chasing pitches, he’s going to get good pitches to hit. Now he’s on fire. He’s been fun to watch. That was a big double, because we know how it ended. He’s been really good for a month now.”
Even Breyvic Valera got in on the action with the second home run of his MLB career, but it was catcher Danny Jansen who was Saturday’s surprise star.
It all started before Jansen took an at-bat. Tony Kemp, the second batter of the game, was hit by a pitch, and tried to steal second on a 3-2 pitch to Matt Olson. When Olson swung through a fastball from Berríos, Jansen popped up and fired a dart to second base, nabbing Kemp for the inning-ending double play.
Then came Jansen’s bat, which has been quiet for most of the season. Jansen launched a 419-foot home run to left-center field -- one of the hardest-hit balls you’ll ever see off his bat -- then rounded out his day with a pair of doubles. The Blue Jays love Alejandro Kirk’s bat, and Reese McGuire has earned his at-bats along the way, but in the short time since Jansen’s return from the IL, he’s done everything in his power to convince Toronto to give him another chance in September. Not just the odd reps, but legitimate playing time.
“While I was rehabbing, I had plenty of time after getting cleared to hit pretty early,” Jansen said. “There was plenty of time to get in the cage. I felt like right before I got hurt the second time, I was swinging the bat well. I didn’t think I had to change anything. I thought it was coming along, but it was nice just to be out there and compete. I’ve been trying to slow down, keep my head still and see the pitches. I’m excited about it.”
Teoscar Hernández gave his team some much-needed insurance, too, with another key piece the Blue Jays have been lacking: a counterpunch. When Toronto has let leads slip away late, it has rarely been able to regain control. This time, just as Oakland pulled within one run in the seventh, Hernández launched a three-run shot, his 24th home run of the season and the 100th long ball of his career. By the time the dust settled, the Blue Jays had scored 10 runs on 15 hits, which was enough to hold off the A's five-run ninth inning.