Blue Jays rally to defeat Reds as teams play out the string

Article content

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Article content

A meaningless series began playing out on Friday night about the way one would expect between two teams putting a bow on disappointing seasons.

Article content

Article content

The Blue Jays got up early, and then, as they have done too many times this year, left a ton of baserunners on while the visiting Cincinnati Reds started dialing in Jays starter Jose Soriano.

But it being Fan Appreciation weekend at Rogers Centre that narrative just wasn’t going to do for the home side, which eventually rallied in the seventh inning for four runs of their own and brought that home in a 6-5 win.

Things certainly didn’t start all that well for a club looking to thank yet another sellout crowd after their playoff hopes expired earlier in the week in Baltimore.

Two runs on three doubles in the first inning did put the Jays in charge, but Toronto starter Jose Soriano quickly lit a match to that lead.

Soriano, who started out so strong for the Jays after coming over from the L.A. Angels at the trade deadline, continued what has been a steady decline these past three starts.

Article content

Article content

He gave one run back in the second inning, and then four more in the third inning, ending his night after just those three innings with his team down by three runs.

Soriano allowed eight hits and five earned runs in what was easily his worst start as a Blue Jay.

The big hit of the night for the Jays was a bases-loaded double by Kazuma Okamoto that keyed that four-run seventh inning.

It was one of two doubles and part of a three-RBI evening for the Jays’ slugging third baseman.

“It’s been a long season for him,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider began when asked about his third baseman. “Long for everyone, but especially for him it being his first year over here, but he’s been fantastic.

“He’s always prepared, adjusting and just kind of showing off the hitter that he is.”

Schneider, though, saved plenty of accolades for his closer, Louis Varland, who came in and nailed down his 35th save in typical 1-2-3 Varland fashion.

Schneider marvelled at Varland’s ability to maintain his stuff late into a year in which he has been used rather generously at times. Varland was still touching 100 m.p.h. with his fastball this late in the year.

Article content

“He’s putting together basically an historic season as a reliever,” Schneider said, before admitting he’s running out of nice things to say about his closer.

All eyes early on though were on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who stepped in it earlier this week with some comments on a Spanish-language podcast.

Guerrero doubled down on those comments when he was confronted by reporters in Baltimore on Wednesday, but by Friday he was asking forgiveness from both the fans and teammates alike for what came across as selfish comments on that podcast.

Guerrero heard both cheers and boos on the night but an early 0-for-3 on the evening predictably saw the boos gain strength throughout the game.

That changed somewhat in the seventh when Guerrero came to the plate with two on and none out and the Jays trailing by three.

With a Vladdy chant starting up down the left field line, the Jays first baseman singled through the hole on the right side of the infield for a run-scoring single. Any semblance of unhappiness with the Jays’ struggling first baseman ended at that point.

On Saturday, the Jays will try to make it two wins in a row and build on this potentially pleasant ending to an otherwise difficult and injury-filled 2026.

Article content

ALL HANDS ON DECK

Even with the playoffs out of reach, the Jays fielded a team almost exclusively made up of its regular starters in the third to last game of the year.

Brett Bateman was on the bench again nursing some right hip discomfort. The major return in the Kevin Gausman trade at the deadline is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday. He did get into the game in the seventh inning, pinch-hitting for Davis Schneider.

Also still out is shortstop Andres Gimenez, who was dealing with some hamstring soreness in Texas and Baltimore. Ernie Clement, who has been handling short, remained there with Charles McAdoo handling second base. Gimenez also got into the game in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter.

THE WEEKEND AHEAD

Trey Yesavage will get some work in Saturday as he gets the start in Game 2 of the series, but it’s unlikely he will be around long as he has not yet been stretched out following a stint on the injured list.

Sunday’s game is tentatively going to be Max Scherzer on short rest, but John Schneider said the team will wait until Sunday to make that decision and see how Scherzer is feeling at that point.

Article content

Scherzer, a definite future member of the Hall of Fame, enters the weekend four strikeouts behind Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers, who sits in eighth place on the career strikeout list. Verlander is schedule to pitch for the Tigers on Saturday, but is coming off a long stay on the injured list so isn’t expected to stay in the game for long.

It’s no secret how much competitive drive both pitchers possess. How far will each be willing to extend themselves to move into or maintain that eighth spot?

Article content