[Toronto Game Notes] Tight pitching battle, but one home run breaks the tie…TOR loses second straight behind batting silence

The Toronto Blue Jays battled through a tight pitching duel, but were brought to their knees by a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.카지노사이트

Toronto lost 0-1 to the Cincinnati Reds of the Major League Baseball 2023 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday (April 19). The loss was the team’s second straight.

Toronto’s lineup for the game was Whit Merrifield (second base), Brandon Belt (designated hitter), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (first base), Kevan Biggio (first base), Matt Chapman (third base), Alejandro Kirk (catcher), Dalton Bashaw (left field), Santiago Espinal (shortstop), Kevin Kiermaier (center field), and starting pitcher Jose Berrios.

Cincinnati countered with TJ Friedle (center field), Matt McClain (second base), Eli Dela Cruz (shortstop), Spencer Steer (third base), Joey Votto (first base), Christian Encarnacion Strand (designated hitter), Tyler Stephenson (catcher), Will Benson (right field), Stuart Fairchild (left field), and starting pitcher Brett Kennedy.

The teams were evenly matched from the start. Toronto used Berrios to keep the Cincinnati bats at bay, while the Reds were unable to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.

In the top of the first, Toronto put runners on first and second with one out after Merrifield singled to left, stole second and Biggio walked, but Chapman struck out swinging to end the threat. One out later in the inning, Bashaw doubled to put runners in scoring position, but the next two batters were unable to capitalize.

The game continued in a similar fashion. Toronto stranded runners on second and third in the top of the third inning. From there, they were silent until the top of the ninth, drawing just one walk.

The Toronto bullpen did its job, starting with Berrios.

Despite the bats struggling, the Toronto bullpen, including Berrios, pitched well and kept the game close. Berrios pitched 5⅔ innings of one-hit ball with four walks and eight strikeouts. He was followed by Hennessis Cabrera (one scoreless inning), Yimi Garcia (one scoreless inning), and Eric Swanson (one scoreless inning).

The scoreboard read zero. The 0-0 tie was broken in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Toronto sent Jordan Hicks to the mound in the bottom of the ninth. Hicks got the first batter he faced, Votto, to fly out to center field, only to be followed by Encarnacion Strand, who hit a solo home run over the left field fence for a 1-0 loss.

One home run and Toronto was in tears. The offense was unable to capitalize on the pitchers’ efforts.

Encarnacion Strand’s walk-off home run.