The Blue Jays rode a roller-coaster to a 6-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a three-game series at the Rogers Centre on Monday, missing a chance to move back into a playoff spot.
asserted
Jays → ride → spot
The Jays scored twice in the first inning and were in control until the Tigers exploded for four runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead.
asserted
Tigers → score → lead
But Kazuma Okamoto’s dramatic three-run homer in the bottom of the frame put the Jays right back on top.
asserted
homer → put → top
Both the Jays and Guardians lose so Toronto remains a game behind Cleveland for last AL wild card.
asserted
Toronto → lose → card
Both the Jays and Guardians lose so Toronto remains a game behind Cleveland for last AL wild card.
asserted
Toronto → lose → card
Detroit tied it in the eighth on a two-out bloop single by rookie Brett Callahan off Louis Varland.
asserted
Detroit → tie → Varland
Then in the ninth Varland dropped a throw from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base to allow the go-ahead run to score.
asserted
run → drop → base
“I thought, for one, good play on the hit from Vlad,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters.
asserted
Schneider → think → reporters
I thought Vlad made a good throw and we just didn’t execute it.
asserted
we → think → it
It was one of those many games this season that it feels like the Jays should have won.
asserted
Jays → feel → games
The right-hander retired the first 16 hitters he faced, perfect into the sixth inning before a five-pitch walk to Zach McKinstry.
asserted
he → retire → McKinstry
The next batter, Hao-Yu Lee, flied out to right field with the first ball Detroit had hit out of the infield all night.
asserted
Detroit → flie → infield
Through six innings, Soriano had his no-hit bid intact, but the wheels fell off in a hurry in the seventh, with the first three Tigers’ hitters smacking line-drive singles.
asserted
hitters → have → singles
“Sometimes if I miss a pitch in the middle, that’s going to happen, you know, singles, doubles, whatever,” said Soriano of that ugly inning.
asserted
Soriano → miss → inning
“I think that’s what happened today in the seventh.
asserted
what → think → seventh
After the third time I started facing them, they started (changing) their approach and I missed a couple of pitches in the zone.”
asserted
I → start → zone
After a shallow fly out, Max Clark and Spencer Torkelson hit back-to-back doubles to turn a 2-0 Jays lead into a 4-2 deficit and the roller-coaster ride began.
asserted
ride → hit → deficit
It ended when Kenley Jansen got Alejandro Kirk to hit into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
asserted
Kirk → end → play
As much as they went back and forth in the late going, the Jays could have done themselves a big favour by cashing in on their boatload of early opportunities against Detroit starter Troy Melton.
uncertain
Jays → go → Melton
After scoring twice in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Kirk and a Melton wild pitch, they loaded the bases in both the second and third but came up empty.
asserted
they → score → second
They didn’t get another hit until the seventh, when Okamoto crushed his 33rd homer of the season, the most ever hit by a Japanese-born right-handed hitter in major-league history, into the 200 level in deep left field.
asserted
Okamoto → get → field
“I was watching video on the iPad and I just heard the bat,” Soriano said of Okamoto’s 390-foot blast.
asserted
Soriano → watch → blast
“When I (looked up), the ball was over the fence.
asserted
ball → look → fence
I almost jumped.”
asserted
I → jump → ?
The home run extended the Japanese slugger’s club rookie record, as did the three RBIs, giving him 88 on the season.
“He’s had a hell of a year,” said manager John Schneider.
asserted
Schneider → extend → year
He seems to be in a pretty good groove right now and that definitely shifted the momentum.
asserted
that → seem → momentum
But man, he’s exceeded expectations offensively.
asserted
he → exceed → expectations
Josh Smith entered Monday leading the Jays in OPS, slugging percentage, walk rate and more.
asserted
Smith → enter → OPS
Bullpen blows rare one
asserted
Bullpen → blow → one
With Tyler Rogers and Mason Fluharty having pitched in back-to-back games over the weekend, it was veteran left-hander Joe Mantiply who was asked to face the top of the Detroit order in the eighth, trying to protect a one-run lead.
asserted
who → pitch → lead
Mantiply gave up singles to both left-handed hitters he faced, retiring the righty and leaving the tying run at third base with one out for Varland, who couldn’t wriggle out of the jam.
asserted
who → give → jam
It was Varland’s second blown save of the season and the first for the Jays’ bullpen since Aug. 9.
asserted
It → blow → Aug.
“They’ve been great,” Schneider said of his relief corps.
asserted
Schneider → say → corps
“Tonight’s one of those nights where some guys are down in the ‘pen and other guys have to come in and get some outs and they’ve all been really consistent.
asserted
they → ’ → outs
They’ve all done their part.
asserted
They → do → part
I think when you bring in Louis (Varland) everyone just expects it to be perfect.”
asserted
it → think → Varland
The Jays remain one game out of a playoff spot, thanks to Cleveland’s loss Monday.
asserted
Jays → remain → loss
The series continues with Braydon Fisher serving as the opener in a Jays bullpen game Tuesday against Tigers right-hander Drew Anderson.
asserted
Fisher → continue → Anderson
The Aporia
