The Changeup for August 30, 2022
Finally
The Blue Jays, after getting swept by the Angels over the weekend, were in danger of undoing all ther work on the excellent road trip. Timely hits were non-existent, but the sun peaked behind the clouds and the runs arrived.
“Sometimes it takes one inning or one at-bat, or one game to get rolling,” Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider told MLB.com’s, Julia Kreuz . “And I think that’s kind of what we saw again tonight.”
There were some nifty plays in the field, including a diving catch from George Springer in the fourth and this neat double play by Guerrero.
“That was an incredible play,” said Jansen. “That was a wild one, too. You don’t draw it up much, right? You don’t see it often. It was great on Vladdy, getting rid of it right away and getting the putout.”
The win came as a relief, but it’s good for general morale for wins to come when plays like this are made. It’s certainly less vexatious to watch.
“I can’t say enough about the defense,” said Jansen. “Berríos battling, the bullpen coming in and keeping the score where it was, in those extra innings, especially. That’s the reason why we had the position to win.”
This was a nifty little play by Bo Bichette. This guy makes such disparate plays: he’ll completely bone something basic like a throw to first and then do something like this in the same inning. The fandom gets on him about this stuff, and with the offence not as dazzling as it was last year, he can inspire some ire. I just think the upside is significant.
The Return of Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman is a complicated figure in Toronto. He was drafted by the Jays 22nd overall in 2012 out of Duke University, and his diminutive physical size combined with a brash personality on the mound and social media made Stroman stand out as a member of the Jays’ pitching staff from 2014 until he was traded to the Mets mid-2019, (which he infamously lost it over.)
Stroman had moments of brilliance as a Blue Jay and was a key member of those successful 2015 and 2016 Blue Jays teams. In spring training in 2015, Stroman tore his ACL and it was assumed one of the key members of the rotation would be out for the season. He had surgery in April of that year, and while rehabbing at Duke, he completed coursework toward the degree he’d abandoned when he signed with the Jays.
Stroman, defying assumptions, came back to pitch that September down the stretch and into the playoffs. Stroman pitching in the second game of a doubleheader, on a rain-soaked night in a mostly empty Yankee Stadium on September 12, 2015, was one of the moments that illustrated that the 2015 season was a magical one.
As Brendan Kennedy of the Star described the start, “He bounded to the mound at the start of every inning and, after that scoreless first, seemed to sprint off the field like an excited Little Leaguer. “
There is no doubt that Marcus Stroman is extra, probably too extra for his own good. But coming back from a tremendously painful injury to pitch a handful of months later earned my respect. I can’t deny his grit and determination.
At Fenway
Last week, I visited Boston for a few days and was at Fenway for the middle game of the three game series.
AKA, this one:
As the game stretched into extras, my contact lens got dry and it started rolling up under my eyelid. After failing to get it to slide back into place, I excused myself to the washroom to attend to it. It was at this point that George Springer hit his go-ahead double off the Monster in the 10th. I did see it on the TV on the wall in the bathroom, so that was fun.
Now, I need to make a confession: this site has long been a place to mock the Red Sox and their fans, so this coming from me might be surprising.
I really like Boston in general and Fenway specifically. Boston is a beautiful city with a lot of charm, that wears its considerable history on its sleeve. It’s walkable with plenty of green space, bookstores, and art galleries (aka the things I enjoy beyond baseball.)
Fenway has an atmosphere that really highlights why this city loves this team. With these vistas and the intimacy with the field the relatively small ballpark provides, it no longer surprises me that people love this place and the team plays there.
I still hate, “Sweet Caroline” though.
Today’s Walk Up
A great band from Boston.
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