Berrios denied 100th career win but Blue Jays claim first series victory
Jose Berrios started the game for the Blue Jays, and for a while, it looked like he would be able to secure the 100th win of his career.
TORONTO — Bo Bichette touched the first base bag, began clapping his hands vigorously and looked back into the Blue Jays dugout before raising his arms, as if to say, ‘Get up.’
It was a strong show of emotion in the eighth inning from the Blue Jays shortstop, who had just ripped a two-run single down the right-field line that broke a tied game and stood up as the game-winning hit.
Minutes later, closer Jeff Hoffman delivered a perfect ninth inning as the Blue Jays defeated the Washington Nationals, 5-3, on Tuesday in front of 21,845 at Rogers Centre.
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Jose Berrios started the game for the Blue Jays, and for a while, it looked like he would be able to secure the 100th win of his career. The right-hander was dominant at times in the early frames against a Nationals starting lineup that featured four left-handed batters and two switch-hitters.
Berrios had allowed just one hit entering the sixth inning, but that’s when he ran into trouble. He left a cutter high in the zone to Keibert Ruiz, and the Nationals’ No. 3 hitter drove it into right field to cash in two runs and cut the Blue Jays’ lead to 3-2. Berrios was replaced by right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, who walked a batter to load the bases before inducing a flyout from Luis García Jr.
In the next frame, Rodriguez allowed a runner to reach third and was then replaced by left-hander Mason Fluharty, who was making his major-league debut. It was a tough spot for the 23-year-old, who allowed a single to right field from the left-handed hitting CJ Abrams that tied the game, 3-3.
Berrios had been in line for the win to that point, but the Blue Jays bullpen couldn’t hold it for him. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits over 5.2 innings and 95 pitches, walking three and striking out eight. He relied heavily on his slurve and sinker and generated eight total whiffs while mixing in his three other pitches.
Earlier in the day, Max Scherzer spoke to the media about his recent trip to visit a hand specialist. The right-hander, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday, said that his troublesome right thumb won’t require surgery at this point, and instead, he received a cortisone shot to quell inflammation in the digit.
The 40-year-old noted that he received two cortisone shots in his thumb last year and typically his body responds well to the injection. He hopes to play catch on Friday and reevaluate how his thumb feels after that.
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“You’ll take any amount of any pain to get back out there,” Scherzer said. “Pain is not the problem. The pain is not being able to pitch and be out there, that’s what stinks. We all go through stuff. We all have ailments. No one’s always healthy. And so, you just deal with that as a professional athlete. But not playing is the worst part.”
The Scherzer situation has placed a magnifying glass on the club’s pitching depth. There’s no timeline for his return, but the path back is at least clearer now.
