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A dreary day in Dixie was despatched right into a tizzy the second pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz stepped out of the dugout, bat in hand, the Blue Jays trailing 1-0 within the eighth inning and seemingly on their option to a sequence loss to the host Atlanta Braves.
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Someday after belting a two house runs in a Jays victory over the Braves, Horwitz promptly turned on a Joe Jimenez pitch for a two-run homer, a 2-1 Toronto lead and, identical to that, a sport so devoid of drama was now oozing it.
So many twists and turns within the late innings and into extras, so many runners left on base, it turned a battle of attrition.
In the long run, although, dangerous defence by the Jays proved expensive as they misplaced 4-3 in 11 innings, Atlanta taking two of the three weekend video games.
If Jays followers hoped the staff would rally behind Horwitz’s well timed blast, it wasn’t to be.
After Erik Swanson and Genesis Cabrera received the Jays via the underside of the eighth, de facto nearer Chad Inexperienced, who has not been sharp in his pasat three appearances, gave up the tying run within the backside of the ninth to pressure further innings.
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George Springer’s two-out RBI single did give the Jays the lead within the eleventh inning, however once more they couldn’t maintain it.
Zach Pop, on the mound to pitch his second aid inning, broke the unsuitable method on Eli White’s sac bunt, placing runners on the corners.
Addison Barger’s throwing error on an Adam Duvall grounder tied the sport and, after Matt Olson was deliberately walked, the fleet White raced house with the successful run on Sean Murphy’s gradual bouncer up the center that second baseman Horwitz didn’t have a lot an opportunity on.
Nearly as good as Horwitz has seemed on the plate, he has not been as crisp with the glove at second. And each he and Barger, younger gamers auditioning for a job subsequent yr, have been uncovered when the highlight heated up so deep into the sport.
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STARTERS SIZZLE
Based mostly on pedigree, Sunday’s pitching matchup ought to have been one-sided, however turned out to be way more aggressive.
Yariel Rodriguez has had his moments on the mound throughout his rookie marketing campaign, however he’s nowhere close to the extent of Braves starter Chris Sale.
That being mentioned, Rodriguez made just one mistake, nevertheless it occurred to be a house run he surrendered to Jarred Kelenic within the second inning.
In any other case, he duelled Sale via his 5 innings, permitting simply two different base-runners — a single and a stroll. He struck out six.
Sale, in the meantime gave up simply two hits and a stroll and hit George Springer throughout six shutout innings. He fanned seven.
Sale, who lowered his ERA to an excellent 2.38 with this outing, is 35 years previous and has by no means gained a Cy Younger Award, regardless of being in competition throughout his run within the American League when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Pink Sox.
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That drought may finish on a Braves staff that entered the day outdoors of a wild-card slot.
THE HOME STRETCH
The Jays now put together for his or her penultimate homestand as a 12-game run towards Nationwide League opposition continues with a Monday date towards the New York Mets adopted by a go to by the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Jays have 18 video games remaining to a season that may finish at house with three video games apiece towards Boston and Miami.
CROSSING (BASE) PATHS
Teammates in Toronto having come via the Jays’ system, Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio will reunite this week when the Gwinnett Stripers play host to the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday night time in triple-A motion.
For Bichette, it marks the beginning of his rehab task as he works his method again from a calf damage. For Biggio, it marks his debut within the Atlanta Braves group after he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants.
Biggio’s itinerant path started when the Jays first DFA’d the utility infielder in early June after which dealt him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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