TORONTO — John Schneider went out of his way to dispel the notion that Sandy Alcantara intentionally directed a changeup at Kazuma Okamoto — his fourth (!!!) hit batter of the night — during the Toronto Blue Jays’ 8-1 win Tuesday. He pointed out that none came on a fastball and spoke of his respect for the Miami Marlins ace and his manager Clayton McCullough, who started his coaching career in the Toronto Blue Jays system.
“I think balls just got away from him,” said Schneider. “It just looked worse right after” Jesus Sanchez’s grand slam. Alcantara “is a Cy Young Award winner and me and Clayton go way back. I know how much of a pro he is.”
Solid reasoning for benefit of doubt there but by Wednesday afternoon, when a 97.1 m.p.h. sinker from Eury Perez slammed off Okamoto’s back with one on and two out in the fourth inning, Schneider’s patience had worn thin. So when he saw the Marlins right-hander look into the Blue Jays dugout afterwards, he yelled a request at him to not do that and then told him to return to the mound, with a few indelicate words mixed in. Perez did so, struck out Yohendrick Pinango to end that inning and then came out of the game with right hamstring spasms.
Tension diffused, the Blue Jays rallied to tie the game on Nathan Lukes’ RBI double and went ahead on Okamoto’s solo shot in the sixth, with the bullpen making the advantage stand up in a 2-1 victory that capped a 4-2 homestand.
Mason Fluharty, Jeff Hoffman, Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers, handling the ninth for his second save, covered the final four frames behind Kevin Gausman and were helped along by four Marlins outs on the bases, including two in the sixth inning. That limited the damage of 11 Miami hits and while the Blue Jays rode their five knocks to a win that pushed them to 27-29.
Schneider’s sensitivity to another hit by pitch — there were six in the series, as Lukes took a 94.1 m.p.h. sinker from Andrew Nardi off the side of the helmet Monday — is understandable given the club’s recent attrition.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whose right arm went numb after getting hit by Mitch Keller on Sunday, only returned to the lineup Wednesday with two singles and an intentional walk, while Lenyn Sosa needed a day after getting hit on the hand by Alcantara.
They’re so beat up that Myles Straw took grounders at second with Brandon Valenzuela at first before the game, just in case.