Blue Jays avoid getting no-hit, can’t avoid losing to Tigers

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The Blue Jays had a busy day, by their standards at least, on the first day back from the all-star break.

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It began by activating Yimi Garcia from the injured list, recalling Erik Swanson from the minors, while optioning Zach Pop.

Additional moves will follow before the July 30 trade deadline and beyond, while everyone is hopeful of watching some entertaining baseball as well.

Friday night ended with a 5-4 loss to the visiting Detroit Tigers, the first of a nine-game homestand, in which the announced crowd of 39,697 saw the Jays being no-hit into the fifth inning by veteran right-hander Jack Flaherty.

Down 3-0 at that point, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. trimmed the deficit to one with a monstrous two-run homer in the sixth.

The Tigers answered that in the seventh with a two-run shot from leadoff man Wenceel Perez, but their advantage was back to one run following a George Springer two-run belt in the eighth.

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At least there was some intrigue into the bottom of the ninth, though the Jays went three-up, three-down.

Bo Bichette was back in the Jays lineup, but it was short-lived.

After breaking up Flaherty’s no-hit bid with a fifth-inning infield single, Bichette came up limping in the sixth as he ran out of the box favouring his right leg after lining out.

Bichette missed the team’s three games in Arizona before the all-star break after he injured his right calf.
The club would announce just prior to Detroit taking its swings in the ninth inning that Bichette had suffered a right calf strain.

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CHRIS IS AMISS

Two big mistakes by starter Chris Bassitt resulted in all five of Detroit’s runs.

Through two innings, the only mistake he made was a one-out walk in the second.

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Then came the third when the Tigers mauled him, sending seven batters up to the plate and scoring three runs — including a two-run homer by Mark Canha.

The Jays, meanwhile, had early no answer for Flaherty, who retired the first 13 batters he faced on softly hit grounders, routine flyballs and strikeouts.

With one out in the home half of the fifth, Bichette reached on an opposite-field hit just inside the bag at first. Daulton Varsho followed with another single but Flaherty struck out Alejandro Kirk and Ernie Clement to end the threat.

Toronto would finally do some damage in the sixth inning off Flaherty. After retiring the first two hitters, Spencer Horwitz walked and Vladdy clubbed his 15th homer of the season, 445 feet to left-centre.

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VOTTO WATCH

Manager John Schneider stated the obvious when he told the assembled gathering at his pre-game availability that Canada’s Joey Votto was one step closer to returning to the big leagues.

Having joined the Jays’ triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, the logical progression, dependent on performance and physical recovery, would see the Etobicoke native sporting a Toronto jersey.

In time, maybe he will and then again maybe he won’t.

Hours after Schneider made his announcement, Votto tweaked his right ankle in Buffalo where he was scheduled to play for the Bisons.

No word on when Votto will debut for the Bisons, but he will be re-evaluated Saturday.

In other health-related news, Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee), has resumed baseball activities and the hope is he will be back by mid-August.

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Finally, the Jays No. 1 prospect and perpetually injured Ricky Tiedemann will get a second opinion on his forearm in the next few days.

FUTURE FOR FRANCIS

A pitcher worth monitoring in the minors is righty Bowden Francis, who began the season with the big-league club as its fifth starter.

Prior to the all-star break, the Jays optioned the versatile Francis to Buffalo. On Friday night with the Bisons, Francis went four shutout, no-hit innings while striking out eight and walking one. His 58-pitch outing featured 44 strikes.

What makes Francis worth following involves the fate of Yusei Kikuchi, whom many believe will fetch the Jays a decent prospect for the pending free agent as the July 30 trade deadline approaches.

If Kikuchi does get traded, someone must fill the void and Francis seems like the logical candidate.

AROUND THE BASES

In the home half of the eighth, Steward Berroa, who entered as a pinch-runner, stole second base to record his first big-league swipe as the Jays had the tying run in scoring position. Berroa was left stranded … Bichette was replaced by Leo Jimenez at short.

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