TORONTO — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run, tiebreaking homer and the Blue Jays rallied to beat the New York Mets 8-6 Tuesday, on a night when Toronto starter Marco Estrada left early with a hip injury and Jose Bautista made his return to Rogers Centre.
Gurriel sent a Tim Peterson (1-1) change-up over the left-field wall in the eighth, an inning after Yangervis Solarte had tied the game with a three-run shot. Solarte's homer — his team-leading 16th of the year — capped a five-run seventh inning for the Blue Jays (40-45).
The seventh began inauspiciously for Bautista when he was charged with a fielding error on a one-out single from Randal Grichuk. Grichuk reached third on the play and scored on a Gurriel groundout before Devon Travis cut the deficit to 6-3 on a wild pitch.
John Axford (2-1) pitched the eighth and recorded two outs in the ninth before a Bautista single and an Asdrubal Cabrera walk. Tyler Clippard got the final out for the save.
Estrada threw just 12 pitches before exiting the game with left hip soreness with one out in the first inning. He allowed two runs, one hit, one walk and struck out a batter.
The 34-year-old right-hander grimaced after throwing a change-up for a strike to Michael Conforto and couldn't finish the at bat. Reliever Jake Petricka ended the inning.
The team announced that X-rays on Estrada's hip were negative.
Bautista's night started out well, walking and scoring on a first-inning homer from Cabrera that put the Mets up 2-0 before Estrada's exit. The former Blue Jays slugger was 1 for 2 with three walks. Devin Mesoraco and Wilmer Flores also homered for New York (33-49).
New York starter Zach Wheeler allowed two runs and three hits while walking two and striking out five in 6 1/3 innings.
Bautista received a rousing ovation from a half-filled crowd when a video tribute showing his most memorable moments in a Toronto uniform was played before the first pitch. Bautista, who was stretching along the first-base line when the tribute began, acknowledged the crowd by waving and clapping.
The Blue Jays further acknowledged Bautista during his at bat in the first inning, playing Usher's "O.M.G." — the song he used during his 54-homer season in 2010, and the one he brought back for his final home game in 2017 — as he stepped to the plate. Bautista appeared teary-eyed as he held up his batting helmet and again waved to the 24,010 in attendance.
Mesoraco gave New York a 4-0 lead in the second inning, sending a Petricka offering over the left-field wall with Dominic Smith on base. Flores tacked on a run with a solo shot off Preston Guilmet in the fourth.
Former Met Curtis Granderson plated Russell Martin on a two-out double in the fifth to put Toronto on the board, but Conforto added an RBI double for the Mets in the top of the seventh for a 6-1 lead.
Bautista had his team option declined by the Jays after the 2017 season. He signed with the Mets in May after being released by the Atlanta Braves following a 12-game stint.
Bautista spent 10 years as a Blue Jay, hitting 288 homers and driving in 766 runs over 1,235 regular-season games.
NOTES: Toronto wraps up the short two-game series against the Mets Wednesday night. Marcus Stroman (1-5) will start for the Blue Jays. New York will counter with Corey Oswalt (0-1).
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html
No comments:
Post a Comment