Ray appears huge in a big win for the Blue Jays

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It wasn’t the dominance we expected from the AL Cy Young Award contender, but Robbie Ray gave the Blue Jays just what they needed.

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Ray gave the Blue Jays time, time to rebuild an advantage and rebuild some of that confidence that seemed to be ebbing as losses began to pile up at the worst possible time of the season.

Ray improved to 13-6 on a gritty start that saw him walk four, but limited the Minnesota Twins with nothing to lose to a single run in six innings.

But it was offense that really needed the kickoff in this one and Ray’s determined effort ensured that when things started to turn around for Toronto’s hitters, it was for a purpose, as the Blue Jays would win a game they desperately needed. . to win by a final 6-1.

The Blue Jays hit three home runs in the game and with full respect for Marcus Semien’s season-43 No. 43 who equaled the most by a second baseman in game history (Davey Johnson, Atlanta Braves, 1973) and even No. 31 of Teoscar Hernandez who got the offense going, none was bigger than George Springer’s two-run homer in the seventh inning to take the lead to four runs.

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Springer has had major problems at the plate since entering the disabled list Aug. 14 with a knee injury. He entered Saturday night’s game on a 0-for-16 streak. Even after going up in his first two at-bats with a walk and an error, the frustration was evident in his third at-bat when he struck out. on three consecutive pitches and hit his bat on infield ground before doing the same with this bat. helmet.

It was pure frustration.

That frustration was replaced by equal amounts of relief two innings later, when Springer faced Kyle Barraclough and drilled his 2-1 offer over the left fence for his second home run since hitting two from the park on Aug. 11. in a win over Anaheim.

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Relief quickly gave way to the kind of joy and happiness that this Blue Jays club has made a big part of their game as Springer celebrated with his teammates on the bench with lots of dancing and lots of laughter.

It felt like the kind of moment a team could remember as the moment when it all came together again.

There’s no denying that the Blue Jays thrive when Springer is fulfilling his abilities. And it wasn’t just Springer who seemed to get it right yesterday.

Catcher Alejandro Kirk was stuck on his own slip, a 0-for-19 streak he pulled off two batters before Springer had his moment of relief. It was Kirk who had hit a single in front of him who scored on Springer’s home run.

As much as the Blue Jays needed this result to avoid falling three games behind the Yankees and Red Sox in the wild-card race, they needed to see some of those casualties come to an end.

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In that sense, it was a pretty good day for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays are now behind the Sox and Yankees by two games with seven games remaining. The Mariners, who had reached a tie with Toronto, fell a game off the beat with a loss at Anaheim.

WAITING FOR GURRIEL

Montoyo made some noise about the possibility of red-hot hitter Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returning to the lineup at least as a hitter in this Minnesota series, but a report by Sportsnet’s Arash Madani before the game said the team has now decided to leave the colon. his right hand suffered when Randal Grichuk inadvertently stepped on his hand until at least Tuesday before they considered putting him back in the lineup.

Without Gurriel, the Blue Jays lined up an outfield of Corey Dickerson on the left, George Springer on the center and the aforementioned Grichuk on the right.

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The Blue Jays have a day off Monday before opening that pivotal series with the Yankees on Tuesday at Rogers Center.

OH THOSE RED STOCKINGS

Just when it looked like the Red Sox could actually do the Blue Jays a favor and take out the Yankees, the Bronx Bombers turned them around.

The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in the eighth before Tanner Houck, who escaped a self-made jam in the seventh when he exited the inning without allowing a run, re-created a jam by walking two that eventually led to a game. – hitting Giancarlo Stanton’s grand slam off reliever Darwinzon Hernandez.

It meant the Yankees and Red Sox were two and a half games ahead of the Blue Jays when they took the field in Minneapolis, a deficit that narrowed to two games even after the Blue Jays won later that day.

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The Blue Jays have some control over their destiny as the Yankees worry about three games against them at Rogers Center starting Tuesday.

They have much less control when it comes to the Red Sox, as there are no games left against them.

HONORED MORNEAU

Both the Blue Jays and the Twins were in their dugouts before the game to face New Westminster, and BC’s Justin Morneau was inducted into the Twins’ Hall of Fame.

Morneau began his acceptance speech by saying that he learned at age five that he would never be a public speaker. Morneau then proceeded to become a liar with a humorous and appreciative acceptance speech.

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