Encouraging signs emerge as Blue Jays avoid being swept by Braves

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It’s probably unfair to label the Blue Jays’ 7-2 victory over the powerhouse Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night a possible turning point in the season — after all, they have come up with potential momentum-changing wins this season, only to revert back to their inconsistent ways.

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But in salvaging the final game of the three-game set against the team with the best record in Major League Baseball, the Jays finally demonstrated many of the traits that drove them through the second half of last season and within an out of a World Series title.

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There were contributions up and down the lineup on this night as the Jays racked up 16 hits.

There were the four insurance runs they tacked on in the ninth off reliever Reynaldo Lopez after the Braves had crept to within a run at 3-2, an inning marked by lengthy, workmanlike at-bats and — get this — three consecutive RBI hits with runners in scoring position.

And there were the six relievers combining to limit the Braves to just four hits in yet another successful bullpen game.

It was a game, not unlike most last season, when the spotlight was cast wide. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Ernie Clement each had three hits. Four more Jays had two hits. Myles Straw drove in three, a pair with a two-out single to centre in the third that gave the Jays a 3-0 lead. Tyler Heineman doubled in two more and even rookie Charles McAdoo chipped in with an RBI single to open the scoring.

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On the pitching side, right-handed callup Chad Dallas, making his major-league debut with his parents in the crowd, went 3.2 innings to earn the win. Jeff Hoffman, pitching for the first time since his ninth-inning meltdown in Baltimore, worked a perfect seventh inning. And Louis Varland relieved Braydon Fisher with two out in the eighth and got Ozzie Albies — the potential tying run — to fly out, then wrapped it up with a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save.

The following are three takeaways as the Jays went 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position, but still managed to strand 12, as they completed a 3-4 road trip, .

NOT FOR SALE

Earlier this season, the Blue Jays faced one of MLB’s elite pitchers in Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On Thursday, it was Chris Sale, also among the top arms in the business.

Like Skenes, the Jays would get to Sale, who faced plenty of traffic.

Overall, the Jays made things stressful for Sale, whose 108-pitch outing and the 10 hits yielded were both season highs. Only once during his previous 11 starts had Sale given up three runs.

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PITCHING HELP ON THE WAY

Another bullpen day looms this weekend, but help is on the horizon.

Dylan Cease (hamstring) pitched four innings in Buffalo on Thursday night, a 75-pitch rehab outing that featured five earned runs surrendered. But no one gets overly concerned at the results when all that matters is the process.

Prior to Thursday’s first pitch, Jays manager John Schneider informed the assembled media the club will make a move to add recently acquired pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson to the roster on Friday.

Where that leaves Dallas remains up in the air, but at least he recorded his first strikeout in The Show to end the second inning, a moment to cherish as his personal cheering section at Truist Park basked in the moment.

Dallas left everything out on the mound in giving the Jays 3.2 innings, which included a nifty behind-the-back snag of Dominic Smith’s comebacker to end the third inning.

INFIELD OF DREAMS

The Jays defied the odds by recording two separate infield hits through the opening three innings and yet the runner at second could not advance to third.

A fielder’s choice double play to end the third would see Nathan Lukes get thrown out at the plate.

Okamoto recorded his second infield on the night when he led off the seventh.

UP NEXT

The Baltimore Orioles are in town for a weekend series after playing host to the Jays last week when the teams earned a four-game split. The AL East rivals enter the weekend with identical 30-33 records.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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