I am no longer asking, I am begging.
The Toronto Blue Jays flew into town to face the Cleveland Guardians for a three game series.
Logan T. Allen took the mound for the Guards and immediately got into trouble. In the top of the first Bo Bichette hit a lead off single and scored on an Ernie Clement double. With one out Alejandro Kirk singled to center to score Ernie.
The Guards tried to give LTA some run support with plenty of traffic on the base path. Steven Kwan and Lane Thomas hit back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the first. José Ramírez hit into a double play leaving Kwan on third where he was abandoned after David Fry struck out looking. In the bottom of the second, the Guards started with back-to-back strikeouts but landed a base runner with a Angel Martínez single. Johnathan Rodríguez worked an eight pitch at bat and hit a grounder up the middle, directly to Andrés Giménez. Giménez did Giménez things and retired the side of his former club.
In the top of the fourth, after two scoreless innings for LTA, another lead off single ultimately added another run for the Blue Jays, this one unearned for LTA. Myles Straw hit to right field and a double error by the right fielder Johnathan Rodríguez allowed the run to score and for Straw to reach third. The side was retired before any further damage could be done.
In the bottom of the fourth, a one out walk and a fielding error had runners for Cleveland on at first and second. A sac bunt from Angel moved the runners, where they were left on base for a Rodríguez ground out.
In the top of the fifth, Ernie continued to torment his former club by drawing a one-out walk. He scored on a Kirk single. Logan made it through two outs in the top of the sixth. LTA finished the night at 5.2IP, 8H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, and 4Ks. Matt Festa came in to record the final out and turn things back to the Cleveland hitters.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Guardians finally got on the board with a one-out bomb from Carlos Santana to break up the shutout.
In the top of the seventh, manager Stephen Vogt turned to Kolby Allard to keep the score within reaching distance. Allard gave up a one-out single, a two-out single, and a walk to load the bases. A third single to center allowed two runners to score, putting the Blue Jays up 6-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Jays turned to Mason Fluharty. Fluharty gave up a lead off walk and a one-out walk to put runners on first and second. The Blue Jays made another pitching change, a righty, for Lane Thomas. Lane took the third pitch of his at bat to the home run porch in left, putting the Guards back in the game.
The Blue Jays tried to open the lead back up in the top of the eighth with Hunter Gaddis pitching and giving up an Andrés Giménez lead off single. A one-out single to Ernie Clement meant Giménez reached third after an Angel throwing error. Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit into a fielders choice with Austin Hedges making the tag on Giménez at home. Giménez was originally called safe, but after review the call was overturned.
As soon as it looked like the baseball gods were smiling down upon Cleveland, Gaddis walked Alejandro Kirk to load the bases. George Springer followed up with a two-out grand slam to the bleachers, putting Toronto up 10-4. Nic Enright was brought in for the final out.
The Guards tacked on another run. Carlos Santana and Daniel Schneemann reached base with a single and a walk. A Nolan Jones (pinch hitting for Rodríguez) sac fly scored Santana.
Enright stayed in to close out the game, only giving up a one-out walk to Myles Straw before retiring the side.
Kyle Manzardo (who pinch hit earlier in the game) put up a solo shot to the bleachers in the bottom of the ninth for one last death rattle from the Guardians before Santana popped out for the final out of the game.
They’ll face off again tomorrow with another 6:40PM start. It will be Max Scherzer vs. Gavin Williams at Progressive Field.