Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Full Lineup Display Helps Blue Jays Best Nationals
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sauntered a few steps off second base, peeling away his batting gloves and elbow guard. He had a swagger in his step, feeling himself after blasting a two-run double off the right-center wall.
It was a confidence Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto lineup have lacked at times this year. But on Monday, the entire Blue Jays batting order brought it against the Nationals, now they have to find a way to make it regular.
"It's awesome to see the contributions of everybody," Danny Jansen said. "That's what it's gonna take."
Guerrero's double came in the middle of a four-run second inning, Toronto's most explosive frame in almost two weeks. Heck, the Jays scored more in that second inning than in three of their last five games total.
The Jays added two more runs around their four-run second, besting the Nats by three. It was a night of offensive consistency across the lineup. Eight Toronto batters notched hits, five drove in runs.
They had the big inning, and then they added on — Danny Jansen with a homer in the third, and Kevin Kiermaier with a run-scoring slash in the fifth. It was the kind of offensive depth the Jays have been searching for all year.
"These dudes can do damage when they get the pitch when they get the ball in the right part of the zone," manager John Schneider said.
Days like Monday, when the offense does more than its share of lifting, have been a rarity for Toronto this season. It's been the pitching, rocking the league's second-best ERA and second-most strikeouts, that's carried the Jays in 2023. Even in some games when Toronto's starters have hucked gems, they still can't find a way to win. And when the pitching stumbles, it's been almost a guaranteed loss.
Monday was an exception. The oft-brilliant Kevin Gausman had to battle through five innings. The Nationals had his pitch count up early and pushed it over 75 in the fourth inning. Though Washington tacked on two runs in the fifth to end Gausman's day, the Jays' offense still earned him a win.
The Jays could use a few more exceptions. Sure, maybe the pitching stays elite for the next 30 games and is enough to sneak Toronto back into the postseason. But, finding an offensive groove could help lessen the load. If both get going at the same time, maybe this Blue Jays season takes a real turn toward October.
