TORONTO – In the span of two pitches Tuesday, a rather quiet game turned into something more dramatic.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Blue Jays had a narrow 2-1 lead thanks to some strong pitching led by Spencer Miles. Yet with former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara on the mound for the Marlins, the direction of the game switched in a matter of moments.
First, Jesus Sanchez turned on a 99-m.p.h. fastball, hitting it over the right-field wall for a grand slam. Then, on the very next pitch, Alcantara hit Kazuma Okamoto in the hip.
It was the fourth hit batter of the last two innings for Alcantara, which naturally leads to suspicion. But mitigating those concerns, all four came on off-speed pitches and Alcantara looked to Okamoto as he left the field, patting his chest as if to say ‘that’s on me, my bad.’
Regardless of the former Cy Young winner’s intent, Sanchez’s swing set in motion an 8-1 Blue Jays win as they improved to 26-29 on the season.
Sanchez had some help on offence, as Ernie Clement got the scoring started with a solo homer in the second and Yohendrick Piñango bounced back from a difficult game Monday with a solo homer to lead off the eventful sixth inning.
These last two games offer a reminder that there’s still “give and take” with Piñango’s game, as manager John Schneider put it. He’s a talented hitter, but he’s struggling defensively as evidenced by two plays Monday that should have been outs but were instead costly hits.
With that in mind, Blue Jays outfield coach Mark Budzinski worked extensively with Piñango before Tuesday’s game, reminding him that he can call off infielders on any ball he can reach.
“It’s just having intent to go catch it as opposed to waiting for someone else to call it,” Schneider said. “A learning moment for sure and he’s working on it every day.”
Pitching bulk innings for the fourth time this season, Miles did his part once again. The right-hander allowed just one run on three hits over 4.1 innings, lowering his season ERA to 2.16. His fastball sat 95.3 m.p.h. and he struck out three while walking only one.
Also significant: the Rule 5 pick continued adding volume to his workload. Not only did he match his season high in innings, he pushed into new territory with 66 pitches, setting him up for his next turn Sunday in Baltimore.
It’s a lot to ask of a pitcher who’d barely pitched professionally before this season, but Miles has responded to every challenge. It’s no coincidence that the Blue Jays have won each of his last three appearances.
Not to be overlooked, Braydon Fisher got things started as the opener with a scoreless first inning. The appearance marked his 28th of the season, tying teammate Mason Fluharty for the American League lead, and lowered Fisher’s 2026 ERA to 2.64.
On Wednesday, the Blue Jays will turn to Kevin Gausman in search of a series win.