Blue Jays Rally From Down Eight Showing Explosive Offense
The Toronto Blue Jays lead the American League East by 1 ½ games, but have lost 7 of their past 10 games overall.
However, on Friday night the Blue Jays made a very improbable comeback to show they are never out of any games due to their explosive offense that is fourth in the majors in runs per game at 4.6.
However, the Blue Jays took their offense to another level on Friday night. Trailing the Cincinnati Reds 8-0 after just two innings, Toronto rallied to defeat Cincinnati 14-9.
It was Toronto’s second biggest comeback in the history of the franchise. The largest was in June of 1989 when the Blue Jays rallied at Fenway Park in Boston from a 10-0 deficit to win.
Toronto’s probability to win in Friday’s game likely dipped to 1.1% following the second out for the Blue Jays in the third inning.
Statistics found online show that over the past five seasons, a team with a lead of eight runs or more has a record of 1158-6 or a winning percentage of 99.5%.
Not only did Toronto erase an 8-run deficit but they ended up winning by 5 runs. Since 1994, it was the fourth largest winning margin after a team had trailed by
at least eight runs.
A closer look really tells the story:
When the Reds took a lead of 8-0 through two innings, the Toronto win probability dipped to 1.6%.
When Todd Redmond and Jose Reyes made the first two outs for Toronto in the third, the win probability for the Blue Jays dipped to 1.1%, its lowest.
In the third, Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-out three run homer to cut the Cincinnati lead to 5 runs and increase the Blue Jays’ win probability to a big 5.7%.
Toronto trailed in the sixth 9-4 and had a probability of winning of 5.3%. Jose Bautista walked with the bases loaded to make the score 9-5 and up Toronto’s probability to win to 9.2%.
In the seventh, a two-run home run by pinch-hitter Juan Francisco cut the Reds lead to 1 run and the win probability went for just 6.6% all the way to 21.5%.
The Blue Jays tied the score in the eight to jump their win probability all the way to 47.7%.
The Blue Jays then added five runs in the ninth inning on a double by Erik Kratz and another round tripper by Encarnacion.
The player of the game was easily Encarnacion with two home runs and 6 RBIs. He has six games where he has hit two or more homers this season.
He has twice the number of multi-home run games than any other player in the majors. Jose Abreu and Giancarlo Stanton each have had three games with two or more homers.
This season four teams do not have a single player with two or more home runs in a single game. Those teams include the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.
The Blue Jays have struggled of late losing 7 of 10, but still remain in first in the AL East and have the most explosive offense in the American League. However, their pitching is suspect and needs new faces for the second half of the season.
