Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah is just great fighting Bosox

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Bottles banged and champagne flowed as chaos broke out at the Blue Jays’ clubhouse following Friday night’s Boston crackdown at the Rogers Center.

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It was the same Red Sox team that helped the Jays officially secure a postseason spot by beating the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, a rest day for Toronto.

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The Blue Jays promised to throw themselves a party, and they did.

For the record, the Jays showed no mercy as they handed the Red Sox a 9-0 loss on Friday night, the first of a three-game streak that will conclude their last home stand before the start of the postseason.

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As the assembled media was allowed access to the cheering clubhouse, the tunes of Lil’ Wayne blared out. On the field, the Jays hit three home runs in support of Alek Manoah, who didn’t need much help that night.

After the first celebration in the clubhouse, the players gathered on the field for group photos to take in the moment and sip some more bubbly.

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Given the team’s recent history and its wandering existence during the onslaught of COVID, the scene was expected and warranted. The Jays had to exhale and never left a bottle unopened.

However, the Jays have yet to play games — two more against the Bosox, then three in Baltimore — that will determine where they begin their wildcard streak.

For fans of the team, they might have last seen Manoah for now anyway.

What has been made abundantly clear is that the big right-hander needs to be on the mound when the playoffs begin. However, Manoah will appear in the final game of the season – with the crucial word ‘required’. If Wednesday’s final in Baltimore has home field implications, reaching out to Manoah is a no-brainer.

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The hope, however, is that the home field is already set as Manoah is a tabbed to start baseball’s second season. Heading into Saturday’s action, the Jays lead the Seattle Mariners by a game and a half and the Tampa Bay Rays by two games in the hunt for wildcard seeds. The World Cup top team gets the home field for the entire best-of-three series.

Manoah was fabulous against the Red Sox on Friday night. He didn’t exactly steal the show, but he showed why he’s the ace of Toronto’s staff.

In the sixth hit, leadoff hitter Jarren Duran hit a broken-bat single down the middle. Manoah then got Rafael Devers to break into a doubles game and ended the inning with a soft punch from Xander Bogaerts.

It turned out that was the end of the line for Manoah, who was greeted in the dugout with well-deserved congratulations.

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Boston didn’t get its first baseman into scoring position until the top half of the fourth inning when Devers and moved into second place on a wild field. But he would remain stranded after JD Martinez landed in second place to end the inning.

Without in the fifth, Manoah delivered a grounder to Abraham Almonte from behind first base, but was slow coming off the mound and couldn’t even complete the throw. Almonte easily reached base as Boston recorded his first hit ahead of Manoah.

VLAD THE IMPALER

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. laced one of his patented no-doubts in the third inning, a two-run blast that gave the home team a 4-0 lead.

For Vlad, it was his 31st long ball of the season, driving in his 94th and 95th runs of the season.

While he’s nowhere near the 48-homer campaign of last year, a hot-hitting Guerrero going into the playoffs will go a long way in how deep Toronto can run.

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Friday’s bombshell was his first homer since Sept. 21 when the Jays were in Philly.

He ended the month of September with just four home runs.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

George Springer didn’t waste much time getting to the base. On the first pitch, which he saw from Boston starter Nick Pivetta, Toronto’s leading hitter hit a shot down the center for a single.

Bo Bichette approached. On the second pitch, Bichette saw him stroke a single to the left.

Springer and Bichette both advanced on a pass.

Springer would come by to score the first run of the game on a groundout
Alejandro Kirk, who struggled to clean up.

In the eighth inning, Bichette knocked on his 47th run in September to tie Tony Fernandez and Lloyd Moseby for the most in a calendar month in franchise history.

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CELEBRATING IS GREAT

The Jays entered the field knowing they had already secured a spot in the postseason when Boston defeated Baltimore Thursday night.

According to interim manager John Schneider, the plan was for the team to celebrate Friday night’s performance regardless of the result.

“I think whenever you have the opportunity, you have to take it,” said Schneider ahead of the opening game. “It doesn’t always happen and I can’t wait to have a good time with this group.”

For Bichette, who watched the Red Sox defeat the Orioles with teammate Santiago Espinal, the Jays have every right to bask in the glory of a playoff performance.

“All the hard work has paid off,” he said. “We put a lot into it and set high expectations for ourselves and we made it happen.

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“Obviously there is still a lot to do and we expect more, but we definitely have to enjoy it.”

SOBERING MOMENT

A minute’s silence was held as part of the recognition and appreciation of the team in honor of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The survivor flag was displayed throughout Rogers Center to honor the survivors and all the lives that have been impacted by the school system.

The anthem was performed in Blackfoot, English and French.

CATCH-22

Kirk was behind the plate in the series opener and served as Manoah’s unofficial personal catcher.

In fact, only once this season has Kirk not been Manoah’s batterymate when the big right-hander was on the mound.

The pitcher-catcher combination seems to be working and there doesn’t seem to be any discernible reason why the Blue Jays would deviate from that pattern as the postseason begins.

Danny Jansen, Toronto’s other catcher, was also in the lineup in the rare role of DH, batting eighth in the lineup.

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