Columnists
Summer, 2022
We welcomed summer early Tuesday morning. The Toronto Blue Jays wrapped up their most recent home stand, salvaging a series against the New York Yankees with a dramatic win last Sunday. They are now on the road in Chicago. The White Sox wore black pinstripe uniforms with the word “Southside” across their chests. That is the side mentioned in “Bad, bad Leroy Brown”, as opposed to the other side of town where the Cubs hold fort.
No sooner had we settled into our seats, last Sunday, with our trusty programs on our laps, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sent a rocket over the left field wall in the first inning, his 17th this season.
The Yankees had been impressive in their first two games against the Jays. They had extended their winning streak to 9 games, and their lead over the second place Blue Jays was more than 10 games. In the past, teams have been able to catch others with huge leads, but that likely won’t happen this year. The Jays know that their best bet to play post season games is to win the “Wild Card” race. They will be in a battle with the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays the rest of the season to gain that berth.
With their win on Sunday, the Jays notched their 17th one run victory this season, while losing nine by one run. They have won 17 of their last 29 games, and are still above the .500 mark. They return home in a few days to face Boston, then the Rays 5 times. Needless to say, both of those series are critical.
Things did not look good for the Jays on Sunday, heading into the bottom of the 6th inning. Loudes Gurriel started the comeback with his 5th Grand Slam of his career. An inning later, Teoscar Hernandez clubbed a three-run home run to give the Jays a lead they did not relinquish. Hernandez has picked it up recently, after batting .149 in the first 20 games this season.
George Springer added a solo home run for the Jays, breaking an 0 for 18 slump. (That is not a word you will ever hear in a major league dugout!) He also stole a base, his 5th of his season, and added another against Chicago on Monday night.
Alejandro Kirk Has become a fan favourite in Toronto. He hails from Mexico, Tijuana, in fact. The shortest player on the team, he is just plain fun to watch. Fans enjoy watching him tear around the bases. He is up to the challenge throwing out those trying to steal bases. He nailed Josh Donaldson and Aaron Hicks on Sunday. As a bonus, he leads all Major League catchers with a .307 batting average.
Toronto native Jordan Romano recorded his 17th save of the season. At one point this season, he had notched 31 consecutive saves, a record for the Blue Jays, six more than Tom Henke.
It was an exciting conclusion to the series against the Bronx Bombers. Fans packed the Rogers Centre, appreciating the efforts of the Jays. There is still more than half a season ahead, more exciting times.
The Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded in style with a 6-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. The series is still tilted in favour of the Avs. It will likely go to six or seven exciting games.
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