CLEVELAND, Ohio – Toronto-based George Springer looked like an instant repeat on Wednesday, but it was just the same for Indian starter JC Mejia.
Springer scored a leadoff home run against Cleveland for the second game in a row, and the Blue Jays scored three more runs in the first inning against a shocked Mejia, who was on the way to an 8-6 defeat for the Indians at the Rogers Center in Toronto.
The loss drops the Indians record to 52-53, below 0.500 for the first time since May 1 when they were 12-13 years old. It is the sixth time in a row that Mejia has allowed at least four deserved runs and the second time he missed the third inning in that period.
Cleveland rallied for six runs against the Blue Jays bullpen in the last two innings. Jay’s reliever Tayler Saucedo passed five consecutive base hits to Franmil Reyes, Bobby Bradley, Oscar Mercado, Owen Miller and Austin Hedges. Miller’s three-run double was his first career hit with runners in the goalscoring position.
Acting manager of the Indians, DeMarlo Hale, said conversation in the dugout focused on continuing to grind during the late comeback.
Bradley Zimmer scored Hedges with an RBI victim fly against ex-Indian teammate Adam Cimber, who reduced Cleveland’s deficit to four. But Cimber got Amed Rosario to crack down on an outfield player’s choice to end the threat.
“For these guys to keep fighting, that’s what it’s about,” said Hale. “We talked about who we are, to play the game properly and to compete at a high level every day. We expect that. “
José Ramírez started his 24th home run, a solo shot that led the ninth inning against Toronto’s Jordan Romano. Romano beat Reyes and Bradley before Mercado scored his fourth hit of the evening, a laser shot down the left field line for his second home run. But after Miller was single to bring the tieing run to the record, Romano hit Hedges for his 10th save in 11 chances.
Hale said the line’s bottom line might look a bit misleading.
“So we could beat them and keep more men on the base, but they got more runs,” said Hale. “That’s where it matters most.”
Mejia looked like he would escape the first without too much damage after knocking Teoscar Hernandez out on a pop to first base with two runners on board. But he fell 2-0 behind Corey Dickerson and Dickerson hemmed a double to the right. Dickerson later scored a goal on Randall Grichuk’s RBI single to give Toronto a four-run advantage.
Toronto’s Bo Bichette came out with a base-loaded floor in the second run, but things got worse for Mejia in the third. He gave Grichuk and Breyvic Valera back-to-back walks before Reese McGuire knocked him out of the game with an RBI double.
“He was missing his sinker on the inside half and he was missing his slider on the other side, on the outside half,” said Hale. “The adaptation for me is that you get somewhere in between, where you can put it a bit on the plate. That is the development he will go through and he will hopefully adjust his next break. “
Justin Garza relieved Mejia and handed Springer a double with two runs to put the Blue Jays in the lead by eight. Garza combined with Sam Hentges, Nick Wittgren and Blake Parker to keep Toronto goalless for the next five innings.
Toronto starter Steven Matz stunned Indian hitters by six innings, hitting eight and walking one while scattering six hits. Matz escaped Jams in the fourth during a dive stop by Semien of a Miller ground ball with two runners on base and the fifth when he got Ramirez to fall short with two on board.
Hale said it was important to look beyond wins and losses after a game like Wednesday.
“When you think about where we are and what happened, I like that we are competitive and we are in games,” said Hale. “The more of these types of games we play, I think we can deal with these situations better. It’s important to just have the approach to compete and react to the situation you are facing at that point in time. “
Next up: The series ends on Thursday when right-hander Triston McKenzie (1-4, 6.11 ERA) meets right-hand Ross Stripling (4-6, 4.75). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. at the Rogers Center. The game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM and the Indians Radio Network.
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