The Blue Jays were one strike away from taking control in the ninth, then one inning later they were hanging on in a game that kept stretching and twisting until the Phillies finally walked it off 7-6 in 12 innings.
Toronto spent most of the night chasing the game, then flipped it with a burst in the eighth. Down to their last two outs in that frame, Alejandro Kirk punched a single through.
Kazuma Okamoto followed with a hit after Kirk had fouled a pitch off his knee and spent a few minutes battling through the pain. Ernie Clement then doubled in one run, and Andrés Giménez brought home two more with a single that tied it at 5.
Before that rally, the Jays had already chipped away. They got on the board in the fourth when Vladimir Guerrero doubled with one out, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Kirk’s single. In the fifth, Myles Straw singled with one out, Josh Smith bunted him over, Davis Schneider drew a walk, and Brett Bateman singled in another run.
That set up a real chance in the ninth, and Toronto couldn’t cash it in. Smith opened the inning with a walk, Nathan Lukes beat out a bunt single after the original plan was just to bunt, and the Jays had runners on.
But Bateman, after failing to get a bunt down twice, struck out. Guerrero then bounced into a double play, and Giménez also went down swinging.
Shane Bieber had a rough one for Toronto, lasting 5.2 innings and allowing six hits, five earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts. Kyle Schwarber got him twice on home runs. Still, Bieber did walk fewer than six, which at least counted as an improvement.
The bullpen kept Toronto alive in spots. Brendon Little finished the sixth and worked into the seventh without allowing a run.
Spencer Miles got the final out of the seventh. Tyler Rogers inherited trouble in the eighth, loading the bases, but escaped.
Mason Fluharty worked a clean ninth.
Then came the extras.
In the 10th, Springer pinch ran as the Manfred Man for Toronto. Kirk moved him to third with a fly ball, Okamoto walked, and Clement struck out chasing a pitch above the zone. Giménez also struck out chasing.
The Phillies answered with J.T. Realmuto as their Manfred Man.
Brandon Fisher came in, and after a sac bunt, an intentional walk and a steal, Philadelphia had runners on second and third. A popout gave Toronto two outs, but a line drive ended it.
The 11th didn’t bring much relief for the Jays. Giménez was the Manfred Man, Straw popped up a bunt for the first out, Smith tapped one back to the pitcher, and Lukes lined out to center.
Philadelphia nearly ended it there. Derek Hill started on second, Fisher stayed in, and Toronto intentionally walked Schwarber to set up the double play.
Turner popped up a bunt that Braydon Fisher dropped, though he still threw to third for the easy out. A walk loaded the bases, and a line drive to Lukes in right looked deep enough to score the winning run, but Nathan made an outstanding throw to cut down the runner and keep the game going.
Toronto got another shot in the 12th with Lukes on second. Bateman singled to put runners on the corners, and Sánchez hit into a double play that scored the runner from third.
The play at first was close, with the ball bobbled at second, and the Jays challenged the call there but lost it. Kirk then popped out.
That only delayed the finish. Lazaro Estrada came in for Toronto with Luis Arraez on second.
Realmuto bunted and reached safely, putting the tying run at third. Stott singled on a full count to tie it again, Marsh then flied out deep with runners on the corners and one out, and the Phillies intentionally walked Alec Bohm to load the bases.
Derek Hill then punched a ground ball through the drawn-in infield to win it.
Other Award: Estrada (-0.55, tough spot), Bieber (-0.25), Guerrero (-0.26), Clement (-0.17), Straw (-0.19), and Sánchez (-0.10).
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CBS Sports Mike Axisa recently linked Toronto to a pair of names that make sense for a club trying to climb back into contention quickly. One is a power arm with upside, the other a steady bat and defender, and both would address different needs if the Blue Jays decide to keep pressing their advantage in the trade market. For a team that just spent part of the summer cashing in pieces, the bigger question now is how aggressive it wants to be when the next wave of opportunities arrives. [Read more 🡒]