Today in Jays history: Jays win in 18 innings

The Blue Jays and Rangers played 18 innings; best of all, the good guys won. I miss these kinds of games.

It was one of those games that felt like it would never end.

Early on, we scored three runs in the third inning. Edwin Encarnacion singled. Adam Lind walked, moving Edwin to second. Then Colby Rasmus hit a line drive to right-center field. Edwin ran home and scored easily. Lind also tried to score, but the relay throw from Jurickson Profar, the Rangers’ second baseman, was wide of home, so both Lind and Colby scored.

After that initial burst, we put up zeros for the next 14 innings.

Mark Buehrle started strong. Just a month earlier, he allowed a seven-run inning against the Rays, but his season turned around after that. In the five starts between then and this game, Mark posted a 3.38 ERA.

On this day, he pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 earned run (a Jeff Baker home run in the seventh), 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts, with 92 pitches thrown. He deserved a win for that outing.

Though I don’t remember much about Baker, he had a solid season at the plate, hitting .279/.360/.545 with 11 home runs. Despite playing 11 seasons, he only appeared in over 100 games once, with 104 for the Rockies in 2008.

Buehrle should have secured the win, but after Steve Delabar pitched a scoreless eighth, Casey Jansen gave up 2 runs in the ninth for his first blown save of the season. Since he finished with 34 saves and just 2 blown, we can give him a pass.

After that, our bullpen pitched nine scoreless innings. From the recap:

Dustin McGowan entered in extras for his first appearance since 2011, walking the leadoff batter. After getting a double-play ball that Mark DeRosa booted, a hit batter loaded the bases, but Dustin grabbed a strikeout to escape.

Juan Perez replaced him and allowed a medium fly to right, but Jose Bautista‘s strong throw cut down the runner at the plate. Perez pitched 2 innings, giving up 1 hit, 1 walk, and recording 1 strikeout.

Neil Wagner followed, getting 2 outs to close the 12th.

Next up, Brett Cecil pitched a clean 12th with one strikeout.

Brad Lincoln then pitched four strong innings: he allowed 1 hit, walked 1, hit 2 batters, and struck out 3. I figured Gibby would stick with him until the game ended or his arm fell off. But instead…

Aaron Loup came in, gave up a hit and hit a batter, but escaped the 18th without allowing a run.

Brad Lincoln was terrific. Despite pitching four excellent innings, he was sent to the minors the next day. It felt unfair.

• Yu Darvish threw 7 innings, giving up 2 earned and 1 unearned run. We had 6 hits against him.

• Neal Cotts went 1.1, allowing just a hit.

• Jason Frasor, a former Blue Jays reliever, went 1 inning, allowing a hit.

• Robbie Ross: 1.2, with a hit and a walk.

• Ross Wolf threw 6.2 innings, constantly working himself in and out of trouble. And then, in the 18th:

Yu Darvish threw 7 innings, giving up 2 earned and 1 unearned run. We had 6 hits against him.

Neal Cotts went 1.1, allowing just a hit.

Jason Frasor, a former Blue Jays reliever, went 1 inning, allowing a hit.

Robbie Ross: 1.2, with a hit and a walk.

Ross Wolf threw 6.2 innings, constantly working himself in and out of trouble. And then, in the 18th:

With one out, Maicer Izturis lined out, then Emilio Bonifacio singled—one of his 47 singles out of 57 hits that year. After Josh Thole popped out (he hit .175/.256/.242 that season, but pinch-hit for DeRosa in the 16th), Wolf threw wide on a pickoff, and Bonifacio took third. Rajai Davis then singled him home for the walk-off win.

Jays of the Day: Lincoln (.570 WPA), Perez (.499), Buehrle (.297), Cecil (.143), Loup (.143 and the win), Wagner (.142), Davis (.223) and Rasmus (.141).

Suckage: Janssen (-.280), Izturis (-.367), DeRosa (-.183, plus the error), Thole (-.132)

Three guys had the number for possible Suckage Awards, but I’m not giving them out: McGowan (-.213), though the error was DeRosa’s fault; Bautista (-.155), but his throw from right redeemed him; and Bonifacio (-.147), but he drew the wild pickoff and scored the winner.