Blue Jays Flip Script In Streak-Snapping Win Over Pirates

PITTSBURGH—Maybe it was Massachusetts.

Whatever tormented the Blue Jays in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox didn't make the trip to Pennsylvania.

After Toronto spent 96 hours getting out-pitched, out-run, out-fielded, and out-focused at Fenway Park, the Blue Jays completely inverted in Pittsburgh. The recipe was pretty simple: pitch better, run better, field better, and be more attentive. The result: a slump-busting 4-0 win over the Pirates.

"Sometimes a change of scenery is a good thing," manager John Schneider said. "And it's a long season, it's gonna ebb and flow. But these dudes are confident and I think today is kind of what we've seen most of the season."

It was a surprise to absolutely no one when Pirates infielder Ji-Hwan Bae bolted for two attempted stolen bases in the first 12 pitches of the contest. Pittsburgh entered the game leading MLB in swiped bags and the Jays landed in Pennsylvania after getting run all over at Fenway Park, allowing five stolen bases in the series finale alone.

Trying to expose whatever running crack the Red Sox seemed to find, the Pirates tried for an extra base all night. But on Friday, the Jays had a response. Danny Jansen and starter Chris Bassitt connected to snag Rodolfo Castro trying for home in the second and three innings later, with Carlos Santana sprinting around second, Whit Merrifield gunned the runner out at third. In Boston, both baserunners would've been safe. In Pittsburgh, they were out.

“We expected them to be really, really aggressive on the bases,” Bassitt said. “Trying to steal a lot, trying to move runners. It's just their style, it wasn't unexpected. It was just ‘This is going to happen. Let's make that make plays.’ And we did.”

Instead, it was the Jays who weaponized the base paths on Friday. In the fourth frame, Merrifield caught Pirates starter Rich Hill too focused on the plate, setting off for third early and handily stealing the bag without a protest or throw from backstop Austin Hedges. It was one of Merrifield’s three steals on the night and one of Toronto’s four in total.

Friday's Blue Jays win was an inversion of everything that went wrong in Boston. After six errors and 32 runs against in four days in Boston, errorless baseball backed seven shutout innings from Bassitt at PNC Park. After a .559 OPS start to the season filled with hard-hit outs for George Springer, the Toronto leadoff man turned his hard hits into a homer in Pittsburgh.

The one thing that's been consistent through Toronto's hot streaks and cold clumps this season has been the knocks. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Daulton Varsho combined for four homers in Boston and Bo Bichette had a five-knock night of his own. The Jays averaged 4.75 runs per game over the four Boston games and came away without a win.

The hit parades mean nothing without everything else. When the Jays are at their best they out-pitch, out-run, out-field, and out-focus opponents, too. In the series opener in Pittsburgh, they had it all.

“I've been saying since day one our A-game beats anyone else's A-game,” Schneider said.