Blue Jays Complete Third Straight Comeback to Sweep the Braves

Ross Stripling regrouped after a two-run first to keep the Blue Jays in it long enough for a third straight comeback win

No lead is safe.

The Blue Jays regained the lead twice Thursday, as a ninth inning Bo Bichette double sealed an 8-4 Toronto win. The Atlanta Braves scored first in every game this series, but it was the Blue Jays who came away with the sweep. The win was Toronto’s seventh comeback victory in the month of May as pitching continues to keep the Blue Jays in games long enough for Toronto’s offense to capitalize.

"Regardless of how we’re playing ... we should feel like we have a chance," Bichette said. "We can do special things on offense and I’ve never seen this team give up."

A Danny Jansen ground ball single and Marcus Semien bloop shot got the final rally started in the top of the ninth, as Bichette ripped a right-field gapper to score two late.

Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling lasted five innings for the second time this season, but recent issues flared when Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a deep home run on the first pitch of the ballgame. Stripling settled in after the first, locating his curveball, inducing swings and misses, and notching a season-high nine strikeouts.

“It really could’ve snowballed,” Stripling said. “It very much could’ve been like dude, I stink now.”

While Stripling held the Braves scoreless from the second through fifth, Toronto’s offense was once again held quite early. In the first four innings against the Braves this series Toronto totalled just one run, but after the fifth they scored 14.

Even when Tim Mayza gave up a two-run shot to Dansby Swanson in the sixth, which would’ve been the team’s first blown save since April 8, Toronto sent 13 batters to the plate in the game’s final two innings to retake the lead and score three insurance runs.

Cavan Biggio’s second RBI double of the game put the contest out of reach in the ninth as Jordan Romano pitched a clean bottom half of the inning to finish the ballgame.

“We’re a dangerous team and we showed it,” Stripling said.

Up Next:

LHP Steven Matz vs. RHP Vince Velasquez

The Blue Jays look for their fourth straight victory to begin their final home stand of the season in Dunedin, Florida. Velasquez is 1-0 in 2021 with a 4.18 ERA and 30 strikeouts.