When rookie right-hander Yariel Rodriguez gave up three home runs on Friday afternoon after yielding just four in his previous 12 starts, it seemed the Blue Jays would have the wind knocked out of their sails one game into their three-game stay in the Windy City.
A certain loss to the Cubs turned into a nail-biter, however, when the Jays pushed across three runs to tie it in the ninth inning — sparked by a two-out, two-run George Springer triple — before the home side scored in the bottom of the 10th for a 6-5 victory.
It was the Jays’ first visit to iconic Wrigley Field in Chicago’s more appealing North Side since 2017 when they were swept.
The Jays did have their shot in extras. In the top of 10th, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had an 0-for-5 day, just missed hitting a homer to left as Toronto fans in attendance held their collective breath.
It was the long ball that did in the Jays in this one. Cody Bellinger opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first. The Jays pulled even 2-2 in the fifth, but the Cubs rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong and catcher Miguel Amaya — the eighth and ninth batters in the order — went back-to-back leading off the fifth. All three blasts were off Rodriguez.
When Ian Happ took Brendon Little deep into centre field on a moon shot estimated at 473 feet, the blast nearly went off the scoreboard.
Rodriguez reached 97 mph, but too many of his pitches caught too much of the plate and the Cubs did not miss.
Y-Rod gave up only four hits in five complete innings, but when three leave the ball park it spells trouble.
BOTTOMS UP
Rookie shortstop Leo Jimenez stroked his second career home run to tie the game in the top of the fifth inning.
Statcast estimated the Jimenez home run travelled 424 feet over the ivy in left-centre field.
But once Jimenez went deep, the Jays’ bats went into a deep freeze, with only one single until that ninth inning.
Alejandro Kirk provided hope when he led off the frame with a single off Cubs closer Hector Neris. Will Wagner, who has recorded a hit in all three games he’s played in The Show, put another good swing on the ball by sending a line-drive single into centre field.
Kirk was forced out at third on Ernie Clement’s grounder and both runners moved up a base on a balk. Joey Loperfido’s single plated Wagner and Jimenez struck out swinging before Springer connected for his game-tying triple.
Daulton Varsho struck out swinging, stranding Springer at third.
CHAOTIC CUBS
Things began to unravel for the Cubs in the top of the fourth inning but the Jays, trailing 2-0, could produce only one run.
The Cubs committed two errors — one each by starter Kyle Hendricks and another by shortstop Dansby Swanson — plus a mental miscue when a routine double-play ball off the bat of Wagner resulted in only one out when the transfer was dropped.
With runners at second and third, Loperfido grounded out to end the inning, preventing the Jays from fully taking advantage of the two extra out the Cubs had just handed them.
WRIGLEY REUNION
The Jays were able to cross paths with a former teammate they traded during last month’s dizzying trade deadline day.
One of the surprise moves that caught more than a few off-guard was the deal that sent reliever Nate Pearson to the Cubbies.
Once a highly touted first-round pick of the Jays, Pearson has appeared in five games pitching for the Cubs, covering 7.1 innings and allowed three earned runs.
He has struck out at least one batter in each game, while giving up two home runs and no walks.
MAYZA MAKES IT BACK
One of Pearson’s fellow pen-mates with the Jays was Tim Mayza, a valuable asset until the veteran lefty lost his way this season.
DFA’d on June 29, Mayza signed a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees on July 10.
As the Jays were playing the Cubs, the Yankees called up Mayza, who will be a situational option for a struggling New York bullpen.
The Jays will not see Mayza this season for the simple reason Toronto and the Bronx Bombers don’t playing again.