EARLY EDGE EVAPORATES AS PALMS DROP OPENER IN TORONTO

 By Vin Castillo

TORONTO — The Miami Palms gave themselves an early cushion Saturday night, but couldn’t add on, and the Toronto Blue Jays methodically chipped away before pulling clear late for a 4–2 win in the opener of a two-game weekend set.

Miami scored twice in the first inning and then went quiet, stranding opportunities and watching a well-pitched effort from Blake Johnston go unrewarded.

The Palms jumped ahead immediately. Yairo Muñoz set the tone with a sharp double, Pat Grant followed with a single, and Edwin Encarnación drove Muñoz home with a liner to center. Chris Korb brought in the second run on a productive groundout, and it looked like Miami might be positioned for a comfortable night.

Instead, Blue Jays starter Matt Shoemaker bent but didn’t break. He scattered six hits and four walks over five innings, keeping Toronto within striking distance while Miami failed to land a decisive blow.

“We had traffic early and just couldn’t turn it into something bigger,” manager Scott Hatteberg said. “Against a club like that, you let them hang around and you pay for it.”

Johnston was steady, if unspectacular, working eight innings and allowing four runs on nine hits without issuing a walk. Toronto finally cracked the scoreboard in the fourth on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homer, then tied the game in the sixth on a Danny Jansen double

The decisive swings came in the eighth. Cavan Biggio led off with a homer over the right field wall, and Guerrero Jr., who finished 3-for-4, turned on a Johnston offering and sent it off the wall, scoring Bo Bichette ahead of him and giving Toronto their fourth run.

“That’s a good hitter doing damage,” Johnston said. “I made one mistake too many.”

From there, the Blue Jays bullpen slammed the door. Wilmer Font tossed three scoreless innings, and Ken Giles worked a clean ninth to secure the save, as the Palms managed just one hit after the fifth.

Muñoz continued his torrid stretch atop the lineup, going 3-for-4 and pushing his average to .325, but Miami couldn’t string together the hit they needed once Toronto seized control.

The loss drops the Palms to 33–27, but they’ll have a chance to even the short series Sunday afternoon before heading back on the road.

“We like where we’re at,” Hatteberg said. “One good swing tomorrow changes the tone.”

 Toronto Blue Jays 4, Miami Palms 2

 Saturday, May 30, 2020

 

 

 Miami Palms (33-27)                                      Toronto Blue Jays (1-0)                                 

 Player          AB R  H BI BB SO  P  A  E LOB   Ave      Player          AB R  H BI BB SO  P  A  E LOB   Ave      

 ------          -- -  - -- -- --  -  -  - ---   ---      ------          -- -  - -- -- --  -  -  - ---   ---      

 Munoz ss        4  1  3  0  0  0  1  1  0  0   .325      Bichette ss     4  1  1  0  0  1  3  6  0  0   .250

 Markakis lf     3  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  1   .333      Gurriel, Jr. lf 4  0  1  0  0  0  2  0  0  0   .250

 Grant 1b        3  0  2  0  1  0  7  3  0  0   .290      Guerrero, Jr. 3b4  1  3  2  0  1  0  2  0  0   .750

 Encarnacion dh  3  0  1  1  1  0  0  0  0  0   .269      Grichuk cf      4  0  1  0  0  1  4  0  0  0   .250

 Korb 3b         4  0  0  1  0  0  1  0  0  2   .267      Fisher rf       4  0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  2   .000

 Wieters c       3  0  0  0  1  0  5  1  0  1   .245      Shaw 1b         3  0  0  0  0  1  8  1  0  0   .000

 Holt rf         4  0  0  0  0  1  4  0  0  2   .247      Tellez dh       3  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  2   .000

 Garcia 2b       4  0  0  0  0  3  2  1  0  0   .302      Biggio 2b       3  2  2  1  0  0  3  1  0  0   .667

 Roeder cf       4  0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  1   .211      Jansen c        3  0  1  1  0  0  4  0  0  0   .333

 

                 -- -  - -- -- -- -- -- -- ---                            -- -  - -- -- -- -- -- -- ---            

 Totals          32 2  7  2  4  4  24 8  0  7             Totals          32 4  9  4  0  5  27 12 0  4  

 

 

                           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9      R  H  E

                           -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -      -  -  -

 Miami Palms               2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0      2  7  0  

 Toronto Blue Jays         0  0  0  1  0  1  0  2         4  9  0  

 

 

 

 LOB- Miami Palms 7, Toronto Blue Jays 4; 2B- Munoz(12), Bichette(1), Guerrero, Jr.(1),

 Biggio(1), Jansen(1); HR- Guerrero, Jr.(1), Biggio(1); RBI- Encarnacion(47), Korb(33),

 Guerrero, Jr. 2(2), Biggio(1), Jansen(1); GIDP- Korb(3), Markakis(4); RLSP- Holt,

 Korb, Markakis, Fisher 2, Tellez;  

 

 DP- Miami Palms 1, Toronto Blue Jays 2; 

  

 

 

 Miami Palms                  IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Johnston(L 6-5)              8.0  9  4  4  0  5    3.54  

 

 Toronto Blue Jays            IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Shoemaker                    5.0  6  2  2  4  1    3.60  

 Font(W 1-0)                  3.0  1  0  0  0  2    0.00  

 Giles(S,1)                   1.0  0  0  0  0  1    0.00  

 

 Pitches-strikes- Johnston 96-64, Shoemaker 78-39, Font 23-17, Giles 7-6; Batters faced- Johnston 32,

 Shoemaker 23, Font 10, Giles 3; 


  

 

  

 Temp - 0, Sky - Roof Closed, Wind -  

 

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