Blue Jays Stop Red Sox On Sunday, Will Face Yankees’ Shutdown Artist Tanaka On Tuesday
The Toronto Blue Jays have come out of the doldrums with a win after losing four games in a row. In his season debut, starter Marco Estrada clinched the Jays a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, April 10, 2016, at the Rogers Centre, by giving up five hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out eight.
Any misgivings about Estrada’s ability to stay on his game went out the window when the Blue Jays avoided a sweep in their first home series of the season, and their right-handed pitcher looked as sharp as when he posted the fifth-best E.R.A. in the American League last year.
Blue Jays’ Estrada used his signature change up to dismantle eight batters and laid to rest speculation that a sore back had taken away his edge, according to CBC. The end result of his due diligence is Toronto at 3-4 to start the season.
“It was vintage Estrada. It’s early in the season, but we needed a game like that.”
The Jays stifled a threat in the third when Jose Bautista and Ryan Goins combined to neutralize Dustin Pedroia at the plate as he tried to score from first on Xander Bogaerts’ double. Goins, placing himself on the foul line midway between first base and the outfield wall, got to own home plate with a perfect throw after Bautista recovered the ball in right field. Catcher Russell Martin made good at the plate, tagging with a deft pirouette.
According to National Post, Estrada was replaced by Drew Storen in the eighth, who sacrificed a one-out single to Dustin Pedroia, enabling Xander Bogaerts to work up to a double play. Closer Roberto Osuna surrendered a one-out single to Hanley Ramirez in the ninth but then struck out Travis Shaw and pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval to guarantee a much anticipated win for the Blue Jays.
Aside from the Blue Jays’ right-hander working his magic, Friday’s grand-slam hitter Josh Donaldson belted his fourth homer to finesse a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday before the sellout crowd of 46,158.
Red Sox Noe Ramirez replaced knuckleballer Steven Wright who gave up six hits and one earned run in 6.2 innings. Ramirez in turn allowed Josh Donaldson his home run in the eighth, to achieve his fourth homer for the season.
After their bullpen squandered three save opportunities and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey struggled to get his act together, the Blue Jays needed Estrada’s shutdown pitching to plug the leak. He stepped up to the plate and delivered what was needed, earning his two-year contract worth $26 million U.S.
It was an extraordinary weekend duel at the Rogers Centre with Blue Jays knuckleballer Dickey throwing on Saturday and Red Sox Wright throwing on Sunday.
Blue Jays’ Sanchez carries credentials that include a career high of striking out eight batters during his first start against the Tampa Bay Rays. He comes in with a proven ability to mix a deadly curve ball with his upper-90s sinker. He’s had issues with off-speed pitches, that he is working on.
Yankees’ pitching ace Tanaka is on record as throwing 87 pitches over 5 2/3 innings for the Opening Day matchup, holding the Houston Astros to two runs and four hits, including a homer. His downside is that he fatigued late in the outing probably due to the cold New York weather. On September 13, 2015, Tanaka shut down the Blue Jays in a must-win game for the Yankees to stay on the American League East, silencing the Toronto bats over seven innings with a humiliating 5-0 in favor of New York.
[Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images]
