Valenzuela game-winning – Brandon Valenzuela delivered a game-winning single in the ninth as the Toronto Blue Jays scored twice off Jhoan Duran to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Tuesday night.
The ninth inning felt like it slipped out of Philadelphia’s hands almost before it began.
Brandon Valenzuela kept it from slipping any further, lining a game-winning single into left field to send the Toronto Blue Jays past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Tuesday night. The comeback was built one batter at a time—until it suddenly became two runs in quick succession.
Jhoan Duran entered the ninth and had been perfect at saving games so far this season, starting 16 for 16. This time, he blew a save opportunity for the first time this season.
Jesús Sánchez reached on an infield single to start the ninth and was replaced by Myles Straw. Yohendrick Piñango followed with a single, sending Straw to third. Daulton Varsho took over for Piñango and stole second before Straw scored the tying run on a wild pitch. with Varsho advancing to third. Then Valenzuela lined the next pitch into left field to score Varsho and put Toronto ahead for good.
The rally didn’t erase what happened earlier. Philadelphia grabbed the lead in the top of the ninth when Bryson Stott delivered an RBI double.
Toronto answered the way it had throughout parts of the game—by getting runners moving and taking advantage of moments.
In the first, Trea Turner doubled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on Marsh’s two-out double. In the sixth, Toronto tied it when Sánchez homered off Zack Wheeler—his seventh.
Against the Phillies, the Blue Jays also leaned on their pitching and defense to keep the margin thin. Wheeler, in six innings, allowed one run and six hits. He walked none and struck out five.
Toronto’s Dylan Cease returned from a left hamstring injury and made it count. He struck out 11 in six innings. The Phillies swung and missed 29 times on 50 swings against Cease.
Activated off the 15-day injured list before the game, Cease allowed one run and three hits, walked one, and threw 93 pitches, with 60 strikes. Cease had left a May 24 start against the Pirates because of a sore left hamstring.
By the time Philadelphia tried to finish the game, the script had changed. Bryce Harper walked to begin the ninth against Louis Varland. who hadn’t allowed an earned run since April 25 against Cleveland. Brandon Marsh struck out and Harper advanced on Alec Bohm’s grounder before Stott’s RBI double gave the Phillies the lead.
Then came Duran’s misstep—one inning turning into a turning point.
Up next, the Blue Jays are set to have Max Scherzer (1-3, 9.64 ERA) return off the injured list Wednesday to start against Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo (4-4, 4.56).
Toronto Blue Jays Philadelphia Phillies Brandon Valenzuela Jhoan Duran Dylan Cease Zack Wheeler MLB
That wild pitch in the 9th is why I can’t watch late inning stuff, pure chaos.
I swear Duran was “perfect” like 16 straight and then one inning and he just drops it. Baseball is so dumb sometimes.
Wait so Valenzuela is the one who stole second too? Or was that someone else? Either way if Phillies had the lead, how do you even blow it that fast on one pitcher.
Phillies swung and missed 29 times?? That sounds like me trying to do laundry at 2am. Cease coming back and striking out 11 is wild though, like he said “hamstring who?”