What chance, really, did the Toronto Blue Jays have after starting pitcher Marco Estrada had to leave the game in the first inning after just 12 pitches, his team already trailing the New York Mets 2-0?
Quite a lot, actually, as the Blue Jays displayed plenty of resolve to come back to tie the game after trailing by as many as five runs to at least make it interesting.
And then rookie second baseman Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made the night even more tantalizing, launching a two-run home run in the eighth that sent the Blue Jays (40-45) on to an 8-6 victory over the Mets (33-49).
Things did not get off to a good start when Estrada had to be yanked when facing just his fourth batter of the night, with a sore left hip. He had just given up a two-run home run to Asdrubal Cabrera that put the Mets in front 2-0.
X-rays on Estrada’s hit came back negative and he will undergo additional evaluation in the coming days.
Things continued to spiral downward for Toronto when reliever Jake Petricka surrendered a two-run home run to Devin Mesoraco in the second inning. Preston Guilmet then allowed a solo home run shot off the bat of Wilmer Flores to begin the fourth for a 5-0 New York lead.
Toronto began to chip away after that and a Yangervis Solarte three-run home run shot highlighted a five-run Toronto seventh that knotted the score at 6-6.
The game also marked the return to Toronto of former stalwart Jose Bautista, who made a nice catch off the bat of Russell Martin in the second inning.
He also made a dreadful fielding error in the seventh when he allowed a single by Randal Grichuk to shoot past him, allowing Grichuk to charge all the way to third. Grichuk would eventually score, opening the floodgates for Toronto’s big five-run outburst.
Offensively, Bautista did not have a hit but walked three times and went 1-for-2 at the plate.