For three innings, it looked like Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette had the game-winning hit.
Feeling right at home in Buffalo, Bichette's three-run homer that clanked off the left-field light tower gave the Blue Jays a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday in their Sahlen Field opener.
It didn't hold up, however, as Anthony Bass gave up a three-run shot to Francisco Cervelli with two out in the top of the ninth to plunge the game into extra innings before the Jays won it in the 10th, 5-4, on Travis Shaw's RBI single.
Bichette, who batted .295 with three home runs in 26 games at Sahlen last season for the Buffalo Bisons, cranked a 91-mph fastball from Miami starter Elieser Hernandez to wipe out a 1-0 deficit.
The Bichette home run was the Blue Jays' 16th of the season – but just their second with men on base. Toronto's last 14 longballs had all been solo shots.
Buffalo (NY)... from "BO Fleuve".. or "Beautiful Hitter" https://t.co/9gn2P9Kjn1
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) August 12, 2020
Welcome home
Blue Jays players and coaches were stopped in their tracks during their stretching exercises a couple of hours before the first pitch when a PA announcement instructed them to pay attention to the scoreboard in center field.
For nearly five minutes, video "Messages from Home" played as families sent I-love-you and good-luck wishes to various members of the Toronto traveling party. Some players have gone as long as eight to nine weeks without seeing their families, since they headed to Toronto for intake prior to Summer Camp.
For the record
The first pitch was thrown by Hyun-Jin Ryu at 6:41 p.m. and Marlins shortstop Jonathan Villar topped it foul off third base. A couple of minutes later, Villar became the first strikeout victim. The first baserunner was Miami designated hitter Jesus Aguilar, who drew a two-out walk in the first. The first hit was a two-out single in the first by Shaw.
Ryu gave up just two hits in six innings but the bullpen blowup cost him a win.
Not really interference
The Blue Jays' second ended on a bizarre play as Lourdes Gurriel was nailed trying to advance to third after a pickoff throw from Elieser Hernandez pounded away into short center field.
Second base umpire Chad Whitson pointed to the runner, indicating interference by shortstop Jonathan Villar for holding the leg of Gurriel sliding back to the bag. Gurriel tried advancing to third and second baseman Jon Berti alertly picked up the ball and easily threw him out.
Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo and several players argued the play, but the explanation was that Gurriel was only entitled to second on the interference because that's where he was heading at the time. Getting up and trying for third was at his own peril.
History lesson
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who played in Sahlen Field as a member of the Indianapolis Indians in 2008, offered his own salute to Buffalo's return to baseball Tuesday.
McCutchen, 33, narrated a 2 1/2-minute YouTube video saluting the city's Negro League history as part of a salute to the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues in conjunction with the Negro League Museum in Kansas City.
"You're going to hear a lot about former players from Buffalo or even the Bisons," McCutchen said. "But this is the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues so I wanted to remind you of other Buffalo baseball connections."
Much of the video was spent on the barnstorming Indianapolis Clowns, who won three titles at Offermann Stadium during the early 1950s with a roster that featured a young Hank Aaron.
Next up
The series continues at 6:37 p.m. Wednesday as fireballing Toronto rookie Nate Pearson takes the mound for his third major-league start. Pearson has no record and a 2.70 ERA in his first two, with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings. He made three appearances for the Bisons last season, going 1-0, 3.00 with 15 strikeouts and three walks in 18 innings.
The Blue Jays are off Thursday and then the Tampa Bay Rays are here for a three-game series that opens Friday night.
