Jays Pull Themselves Together, Split with Rays


So obviously many things can change before the end of the day. But with the Blue Jays now sitting in a lead over the Rays after taking last night's game It looks like they might split the series. I was starting to feel like Icarus with my stated desires to not only take the top Wild Card but with the Yankees looking ready to collapse, the Jays should just aim for the division.

Then the Yankees played the Pirates and did this, and the Blue Jays lost the second game to the Phillies and the first two to Tampa. It wasn’t pretty.

George Springer decided to be his George Springer self and hit a much-needed homer. He’s so much fun and I feel a bit sorry for the people who continue to boo him — I have no idea about his involvement in the Astros’ scandal (ie what garbage can lid was banged by George and when) but he is one hell of a ballplayer.

“He’s been through it,” manager John Schneider said to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun. “He’s been through the biggest games the sport has to offer and he doesn’t get too high or too low. He’s the definition of a gamer when it comes to this time of year.”


Ed. Note: I wrote this in about the 4th inning. George hit another dinger, Teoscar Hernández put the game out of reach with a two-run homer in the top of the 8th. And there was much rejoicing.

Speaking of guys who are wonderful at baseball, I would like to clone AleK Manoah and have five of him to go into the playoffs because he is an absolute stud.

There is a baseball adage that states that an ace is the one who stops a losing streak. Manoah is that guy. He went out and picked up his team by shutting out the Rays over seven innings.

"We have a great team," Manoah said to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. "Being able to come to battle with these guys every five or six days, it’s what I’ve dreamed of my whole life. Right here, this is what we work for. This is what all of the offseason training, the ups and downs, this is what it’s for right now. Being on that mound, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else."

Manoah is a hard competitor. I'm very excited to see what he can do when he's on the big stage. He was really fun in the All Star game so maybe people will discover the personality and talent of this large boy.

Next up is a series with the Yankees in Toronto. Had the Jays played a little better or the Yankees worse, it would probably be a little more tense for New York, but with them currently sitting eight games up, they are are likely just counting the games down. I still don’t think the Yankees are actually that good, but they are timely and are benefitting from a staggering season from Aaron Judge.

My dream was to have Aaron Judge beat the single-season homer record and the Yankees still losing. However, the Yankees are insisting on winning.

The reasons I want Aaron Judge to beat the record are three-fold:

  1. It’s exciting for baseball.

  2. Babe Ruth was a Yankee, Roger Maris was a Yankee, and Aaron Judge is a Yankee. There is a nice symatry on that.

  3. It feels like a decade ago, but Judge and the Yankees had a squabble over his contract in Spring Training. I have no doubt that Judge wants to remain in pinstripes forever, but they couldn’t come to an agreement on an extension in April and settled on a 2022 season salary in June. There were even rumours of a trade at one point. I mostly just enjoy an employee going into a negotiation after undoubtedly proving their worth. It makes my labour heart sing.


Break the sacred record, Aaron. Make the Yankees pay.