Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s hit streak extended to 20 games Thursday night inside a closed Rogers Centre where the Blue Jays and visiting Baltimore Orioles staged the rubber match of their three-game series.
The way Vlad Jr. is swinging the bat, he might even threaten Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak, dubbed by many historians as the most enduring record pro sports has ever witnessed and will ever witness.
No one believes the record will be broken or even come close, but it’s never bad to occasionally believe the impossible knowing the Blue Jays are essentially playing out the string to a lost season.
No doubt The Yankee Clipper would appreciate Vlad Jr.’s swing and the way he’s turning into an unstoppable force.
It took Vlad Jr. one at-bat to keep his hit streak alive when he stroked an opposite field double. He then went deep for the 23rd time this season in helping to spark Toronto to its 7-6 win.
During his current 20-game rampage, Vlad Jr. has gone yard 10 times. By any standard, Vlad Jr. has emerged as one of the game’s most feared hitters.
Had the Blue Jays been better, he’d even be in the MVP conversation.
In 2021, Vlad Jr. finished second to Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP voting, while winning a Silver Slugger.
The current version of Vlad Jr. might be even better than the 2021 model. His hall of fame dad was in attendance Thursday.
After Vlad Jr. took O’s starter Dean Kremer deep for a two-run blast in the fifth inning, he acknowledged his dad, who was sitting in a private box.
In a 6-2 game with a runner at second and two outs, Vlad Jr. stepped up to the plate, this time facing reliever Keegan Akin.
Vlad Jr. delivered by hitting a triple off the wall in right field to knock in his fourth run of the game.
It was Vlad Jr.’s first triple of the season and first in three years.
His stand-up triple raised Vlad Jr.’s batting average to .321.
Once again, the evening’s dominant theme was Vlad Jr.’s prodigious bat.
A close second was Kevin Gausman, who had one shaky inning in the third when the Orioles scored two runs on a homer from Colton Cowser. He ended the night by reaching the 100-pitch count in completing eight innings.
After Zach Pop gave up three singles in the ninth, Chad Green needed to be summoned from the bullpen with none out.
Baltimore would bring the tying run up to the plate with one out, having plated two runs in the ninth on four hits. The evening then turned decidedly dramatic when Green gave up a two-run single with the O’s reduced to their final strike.
Anthony Santander, who has terrorized the Jays, then stepped up to the plate with a runner on first.
Once again, Baltimore was down to its final strike. This time, Green induced a fly ball to centre field.
CAPTAIN KIRK
Alejandro Kirk is at least providing the Blue Jays with an option as the club pivots to next season.
Based on the recent body of work, it’s looking like a pretty good viable option as the former all-star appears to have regain some of his past form at the plate.
Behind the plate, Kirk is among the best when it comes to framing.
Prior to Danny Jansen’s trade to the Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays featured a pretty enviable platoon.
Following Jansen’s trade, the Blue Jays are faced with a potential problem.
So much will depend on Kirk and whether he can handle more of a load.
The betting is that he won’t with the Jays expected to address the catching position this coming off-season, but Kirk is at least feasting at the plate.
In the series opener, Kirk went deep for the first time since June 10 to increase his home run total to three, which is far too little.
He seldom strikeouts and often puts barrel to bat.
In his first at-bat Thursday, Kirk, who batted fifth after hitting cleanup Wednesday, recorded his 14th hit in the past nine games.
Kirk reached base three times, including two walks.
NOT OH-K
For the first time during his brief time with the Blue Jays, Joey Loperfido didn’t play Wednesday after playing in all five of the team’s previous games.
He was back in the lineup Thursday, but he wasn’t in the No. 2 hole in the order for the first time as a Blue Jay.
This time, the outfielder batted sixth and started in left.
In his first at-bat, Loperfido struck out swinging, which isn’t new.
In each of his previous five games, Loperfido struck out at least twice in every game.
When he struck out in the home half of the first inning, it was Loperfido’s 12th strikeout in his 23rd at-bat with Toronto.
Loperfido fielded a ball down the left-field line with two outs in the third inning off the bat of Santander.
Santander tested Loperfido’s arm and slid safely into second for a double when he beat the tag.
In the home half of the frame, Loperfido, surprise, surprise, struck out swinging.
At least he’s consistent, in a bad way that is, in striking out at least two times in all six of his games with Loperfido’s new team following his trade from the Houston Astros.
He recorded the hat trick when Loperfido struck out swinging in the seventh inning.
BRIEFLY
Left-handed reliever Genesis Cabrera was placed on the paternity list, paving the way for the Blue Jays to acquire right-hander Tommy Nance from the San Diego Padres for cash.
Those asking why a post-deadline trade was able to be completed must keep in mind Nance wasn’t on the 40-man roster.
As a result, such players are eligible to be traded.
He did pitch for the Marlins when offensive co-ordinator Don Mattingly served as manager, for what that’s worth.