Instant Reaction: Alek Manoah twirled another gem, as the Blue Jays avoided getting swept

Another player who needed a hit was George Springer, who hit in the sixth spot in the lineup on Sunday. In the bottom of the fourth, he hit a double which scored the Blue Jays second run, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on an error that later scored Springer.

Hey would you look at that, another player that needed a hit was Alejandro Kirk, and he hit a double in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-0 game. Like the other two players who drove in a run, Kirk reached three times on Sunday.

Sadly, the opportunity for the shutout was blown in the top of the ninth, as Isaac Paredes hit a two-run home run off Zach Pop. This forced the Blue Jays to turn to Jordan Romano for the one-out save, which was a piece of cake for the Canadian closer.

Things worth mentioning…

Alek Manoah is back. The 26-year-old finished with a line of 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (with two hit by pitches, classic Manoah). This was his second consecutive seven-inning outing, and after a rough first outing where he gave up six earned runs in four innings, Manoah’s ERA is down to 3 for the season. This looks like the reliable 2022 Manoah.

Daniel Vogelbach fell a triple shy of the cycle, as he had a home run, double, and single. Of course, Vogelbach isn’t much of a triple hitter, hitting just one in his big league career (1925 plate appearances). However, he did hit three in 2012 with the Single-A and Rookie Ball teams, which is an interesting fact. Still, three hits was a great game for the designated hitter.

Alejandro Kirk also had a great game, hitting a double and reaching base twice with a walk. His slash line jumped to .198/.295/.284, while his wRC+ jumped from 58 to 72. Of course, he’s also tied for catcher DRS.

George Springer had a hit and two walks, driving in his second run in as many days. The move down the lineup has been beneficial for Springer (and Davis Schneider), hopefully Springer can keep it up.

Trevor Richards had another scoreless outing, striking out a batter in his inning of work. His ERA now sits at 2.57 with a 4.10 FIP while his K% has increased to 28.1%. It’s still down from where it was a year ago (33.3%), but Richards is becoming a reliable pen piece.

Up next: The Blue Jays continue their home stand with a three-game set against the worst team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox (14-33). José Berríos will get the ball on Monday, with the game starting at 3:07 PM ET thanks to it being Victoria Day. Enjoy your long weekend folks!

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