Guerrero flashes sturdy defence on each side of the infield

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Positive, it was one other within the play-out-the-string video games that frankly can’t finish quickly sufficient for the Blue Jays.

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However some performs — good and dangerous — have extra that means than others because the workforce seems to be to find out simply what’s left on the carcass of its roster as a essential offseason approaches.

So we take you to the Rogers Centre on Friday night time and the highest of the seventh inning with the Blue Jays main the Cardinals 3-2 and starter Kevin Gausman all the way down to his last pitches. With a St. Louis runner on third, Vlad Guerrero Jr. was cat-like prepared at his previous place, able to pounce to guard the slim margin.

Wth a flash of the leather-based, Guerrero snagged a 100 mile per hour grounder coming to him off the bat of the Playing cards Paul Goldschmidt. The baseball instincts kicked in and Guerrero dove to his proper to the bag to tag Masyn Winn earlier than firing the ball throughout the diamond as he fell, narrowly lacking a double play as Spencer Horowitz couldn’t make the snag at first.

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It was one in all a sequence of sharp defensive performs by Guerrero that partially helped the Jays rating a 4-3 walkoff win in 11 innings. The offensive hero was catcher Alejandro Kirk who belted a bases-loaded single to herald the profitable run.

That seventh inning defensive gem was a snapshot of what could be an in any other case quiet night time on the scorching nook. And Guerrero’s presence there definitely carries some intrigue as he approaches 100 innings at third this season, the identical place he broke into the foremost leagues at again in 2019 with combined (we’re being well mannered right here) outcomes.

For now, it’s only a late-season experiment, heaped on to the fact-finding mission of the in any other case meaningless September baseball being carried out in these components.

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As soon as regarded as the place he’d name residence for good, Guerrero lasted only a season at third. However occasions (and want) have modified, as has Guerrero’s maturation and prowess defensively.

“His general recreation consciousness is best,” supervisor John Schneider mentioned of Guerrero previous to Friday’s acrobatics. “He was 19 years-old and studying the whole lot on the fly (when he beforehand performed third) and a lot consideration went into his offence.

“He’s performed extra some he’s received a greater clock. I feel it’s been spectacular that he’s picked it proper again up.”

Nobody is able to anoint Guerrero the third baseman of the longer term, however in an low season the place so many holes have to be addressed, it will possibly’t harm to discover choices. And that’s precisely what the workforce will do with Guerrero’s defensive assignments as usually because it is sensible over the ultimate two weeks of 2024.

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As snug as Guerrero has been at first — profitable a Gold Glove there in 2022 — third has at all times been his most popular perch. However after logging 96 video games and 824 innings on the place in his rookie 2019 season, he misplaced the job due to health considerations that dulled his efficiency.

Simply 19 on the time, Guerrero switched spots, seemingly for good enjoying simply 4 innings at third over the following 4 seasons. However with no pure long-term third baseman on the roster, why not discover the chances?

“There are some things that have to be cleaned up after all, however there’s little doubt in my thoughts that if he ever arduous to play third base every single day that he could be an above common defender on the place,” Jays third base coach Carlos Febles mentioned on Friday. “Third base is means totally different than first base however it’s a must to play a bit of quicker than first. However this can be a man who has good fingers and good instincts. It’s a matter of getting the correct repetitions and completely he can positively be a strong third baseman at this degree.”

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After which there’s the arm. When he was third base coach with the Pink Sox, Febles remembers feeling the identical means in regards to the youthful Guerrero, who was simply getting his ft moist within the large leagues.

“I watched a bit of bit and I simply noticed the arm,” Febles mentioned of Guerrero, who additionally made two extra stellar performs at first in every of the ninth and tenth innings to maintain the sport tied. “I knew he had good fingers and there have been little issues he wanted to work on, however a man who has an arm like that, that helps at third. You may get away with staying again on balls and never rush. He can belief his instincts and belief his arm.”

As he works with Guerrero now – as Febles did throughout a prolonged session previous to Friday’s recreation — he sees a way more athletic model than the rookie who dedicated 17 errors.

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“He’s in higher form and that helps him to maneuver laterally,” Febles mentioned. “For him to play third base, has has to maintain himself in actually good condition as a result of it’s a must to transfer a bit of extra over there than at first.

“However I do know he likes it. Each time he performs (at third) he enjoys it.”

GAME ON

For added leisure worth, Guerrero confirmed his stuff aft first on Friday as properly, as Schneider shored up the lineup defensively for the ninth. With a runner on second and two out, Guerrero dove sharply to his proper in the midst of the diamond to snag a sharply hit Nolan Arenado grounder to finish the inning and hold the rating tied … Identical deal within the tenth when Guerrero made one other deft play between first and second to disclaim Luken Baker a single to finish the inning … These performs helped arrange the profitable heroics for Kirk. After Guerrero was walked, Leo Jimenez laid down an ideal bunt single to load the bases with no one out. The Jays catcher launched a fly ball to left subject past the Playing cards outfielders to money within the winner … After permitting hits to the primary 4 Cardinals batters he confronted – and letting the guests bounce out to a 2-0 lead within the first – Jays starter Kevin Gausman settled right into a groove shutting down the Playing cards by six subsequent scoreless innings. … The Jays did injury of their very own with a three-run fourth that began with a rocket Guerrero double to drive residence George Springer … With Gausman completed after his 9 hit, two earned run effort (on 94 pitches), the Playing cards tied it within the eighth when St. Louis second baseman Thomas Saggese launched the primary residence run of his profession.

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