Despite winning the final game of the series 12-4, It was not a good weekend for the Toronto Blue Jays in my humble opinion. Losing the first two games of a three game series against the Atlanta Braves is not going to help them get into the postseason. The Jays have to get more consistent when winning ballgames, at least that’s the way I feel about the team right now.
The first game of the series was a bit of a roller coaster ride.
Atlanta opened the scoring on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the third inning.
There was no more scoring until the top of the sixth inning when Jose Bautista hit a solo home run to tie the game 1-1. The Jays went ahead 2-1 later in the inning when J.P. Arencibia drove in Edwin Encarnacion from third base on a fielder’s choice.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jason Heyward tied the game 2-2, driving in Dan Uggla with a double. Heyward scored later in the inning on a balk, giving the Braves a 3-2 lead.
At the top of the eighth inning, Yunel Escobar tied the game up 3-3, driving in Encarnacion on a routine groundout.
This game couldn’t be settled in nine innings, so it had to the tenth.
The bottom of the tenth would end up in disaster for the Jays as Heyward scored on a throwing error that won the game for the Braves.
Jays starting pitcher, Kyle Drabek gave up six hits, three earned runs, four walks, and struck out no batters in five innings pitched.
The second game in the series wasn’t any better for the Blue Jays.
Dan Uggla put the Braves up 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning with a three run homer.
Jose Bautista
There was no more scoring until the top of the sixth inning when Jose Bautista hit a two run homer to make it a one run game, but it wouldn’t be enough.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Braves scored two more runs and won the game 5-2.
Jays starting pitcher, Drew Hutchison gave up seven hits, five earned runs, one walk and struck out seven batters in 6.1 innings pitched.
Dan Uggla opened the scoring in Sunday’s game when he scored on an error by Jay’s center fielder, Colby Rasmus in the bottom of the second inning. My initial thought was when I saw this was “Here we go again.”
David Ross made it 2-0 later in the inning when he drove in Matt Diaz with a double.
It looked as if things were going to get worse for the Jays when Atlanta scored two more runs in the bottom of the third inning.
There was no scoring until the fifth inning when Yan Gomes drove in Kelly Johnson with a single to make it 4-1 Atlanta.
Brett Lawrie cut the Braves lead to two runs when he drove in Yunel Escobar with a single.
Rasmus then tied the game with a double, driving in J.P. Arencibia and Gomes.
Jose Bautista put the Jays ahead by one run by driving in Lawrie with a single.
Edwin Encarcion made it 6-4, driving in Rasmus with a double.
At the top of the sixth inning, Lawrie hit a two run homer to make it 8-4 Blue Jays. Rasmus followed up Lawrie’s homer with a solo home run to make it 9-4.
At the top of the seventh inning, the Blue Jays broke the game wide open by scoring two more runs.
The Jays made it an official blow out by scoring one more run in the eighth inning.
The Jays are home to face the Washington Nationals in a three game series, starting tonight.
About Ellen Piehl