A very long day at Fenway Park proved to be a very productive one for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The day began with the completion of a suspended game from way back on June 26th, the last time the Jays were in Boston.
The Jays rode a slew of relievers and some late-game hitting heroics from George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr in that one to a 4-1 win.
In the evening regularly scheduled game, it was Jose Berrios surviving some early issues to turn in his fourth solid effort in a row in a 7-3 win.
Admittedly, wins at this point in the season aren’t what they were earlier in the year before the Jays fell out of post-season contention, but it never hurts to learn how to win, regardless of one’s spot in the standings and these younger, far-less-experienced Jays are doing quite a bit of that particularly lately.
The win in the nightcap extended the current win streak to five games, even if the win in the completed game didn’t technically add to the win streak.
The five consecutive wins are the most in a row by this club since September of last season.
Better still they are getting contributions from a number of young players.
Addison Barger had a big run-scoring double in the completion of the June game earlier in the day.
Infielder Leo Jimenez reached base three of the five times he came to the plate in the night half of this unique, almost, double-header. Jimenez walked, was hit by a pitch and doubled into the right field corner. He played shortstop in the resumption of the suspended game and moved over to play second in the nightcap with Ernie Clement getting the start at short.
Whether Bo Bichette, who has yet to come to terms with the Jays on his next deal returns or not, Jimenez could be a big part of the team’s future at either of the middle infield positions.
Getting a look at him at second was another benefit of a game like last night’s.
Berrios needed his defence in those early innings when he looked susceptible and got it from the likes of Davis Schneider, who tracked down a liner in left to end a Red Sox threat and from his infielders Barger at third, Clement and Jimenez up the middle.
Berrios then settled down to get the Jays into the eighth inning without having to dip into the bullpen which got a little used up in the completion of the earlier game.
Berrios has gone seven innings or more in all four of his past four starts which have all been wins over Oakland, the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati before last night’s win in Boston.
Jaren Duran, the Sox splendid centre fielder had a big night against Berrios with two doubles and a two-run homer in the eighth that got the Sox to within two runs.
It wasn’t enough to overcome Springer’s three-run homer around Pesky’s pole in what turned out a five-run fifth for the Jays.
EARLIER IN THE DAY
Having waited two months to complete this particular game, the Blue Jays appeared to be in no hurry to finish this one.
But once they did get things going, the Jays didn’t let up.
Springer got the scoring and a great Monday started with a solo homer in the seventh inning of a scoreless game before Guerrero Jr. broke it open with a two-run double in the eighth.
Barger brought Guerrero home with a double of his own to give the Jays a 4-0 lead on their way to a 4-1 win.
Credit Victoria, B.C.-born left hander Nick Pivetta for holding the Jays down as long as they were in Monday’s completion of a June 26th game. Pivetta had 10 striketouts before giving up the first three runs, two of them earned in those latter innings.
The game, which picked up in the top of the second with the Jays batting was historical in at least one sense.
Former Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen became the first player in Major League history to play for both teams in a single game. Jansen, who was at the plate for the Jays when the game was suspended, was traded to Boston at the deadline and was behind the plate in a Red Sox uniform when the game resumed Monday afternoon.
Jansen had a hit in the game for his new team but struck out in the ninth with the potential tying run in the on-deck circle to end the game.
The Jays cobbled together things on the pitching side of the game sending six different arms to the mound to finish off the eight remaining innings in the game. Zach Pop picked up the win getting the Jays a key out to get out of the sixth with Red Sox in scoring position.
The Jays bats got going after that.
tap here to see other videos from our team.