The Blue Jays’ four-game losing streak saved the highest drama for the final inning, a controversial game that gave them a 3-2 victory in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at Target Field and left Twins manager Rocco Baldelli he throws his hat and kicks. the dirt and shouting at the referee’s crew. With Whit Merrifield lifting from third on a throw by left fielder Tim Beckham, there was a bang at the plate and he was out. Upon review, however, it was found that Gary Sánchez did not allow a clear lane for Merrifield to slide and was ruled safe. The Twins then failed to score in the bottom of the inning. “The ruling is that Gary violated the home plate collision rule and the runner was safe,” umpiring crew chief Alan Porter said when asked how Sanchez violated the rule. “I thought it was going to be overturned and I thought it should be overturned,” Merrifield said. “Obviously, it’s a big point in the game and you don’t want to end up with a rules decision, but the rules are there for a reason. A while ago, I could have run him over and tried to get the ball free, but you can’t do that anymore. It has to give me a lane to slide into. I didn’t think I had. Like I said, I think they made the right call.” Merrifield’s mind was buzzing as he too went down the line. Earlier in the series, he had seen Sánchez prepare to take a shot home. He knew this could lure Sánchez into his lane, so he took a straight shot, sliding in feet first. After the win, interim coach John Snyder praised his new player for “sliding right.” “For someone to intervene, in this situation, and finally make a decision [he] was blocking the plate, that’s beyond embarrassing for our game, for all the players out there, on both sides of the field, that work [tails] off, for the whole game,” said Baldelli, who was sent off. “It’s completely unacceptable.” After Baldelli’s ejection, the boos rained down louder and louder. On the other side were Blue Jays fans, who love to flood Target Field, cheering the surprise. The very steel and concrete of the stadium felt alive. Playoff atmosphere? Get used to it When Jordan Romano took the mound for the bottom half of the 10th, Twins fans were once again booed, matched only by chants of “Let’s go Blue Jays.” Just like the Twins’ win on Friday night, Sunday was different from the dog days of June and July. The Trade Deadline has passed, the AL Wild Card race is getting hotter by the day, and every inning is suddenly getting longer. Until October, this style of baseball every night. “Anytime you get that experience, it’s great,” Snyder said after the win. “When you get back into those spots, it’s kind of like, ‘Been there, done that.’ I think it’s always better when you come out on the good side, but to be in those spots is really great for the team. If we want to get where we want to go, it will be a lot more.” The master of first impressions What a start for Merrifield with the Blue Jays. In just four days, Merrifield showed Toronto the unique depth of his talents, whether in the box, on the bases or in the field. Having him available off the bench Sunday was the difference between a win and a loss, and for a player coming from a team with one of baseball’s worst records in the Royals, this should be a new lease on life. “Minnesota is a very good team. They are also in the middle of a playoff chase,” Merrifield said. “It felt like a long series. It felt like one of the biggest series I’ve played in a while.” We’ll need to see Merrifield continue that, especially offensively after an uncharacteristically slow four months to open his season, but his spot on this roster was valuable and immediate. Whether he’s in center or second base, he’ll be in the lineup most days. When he isn’t, just wait a few innings and you might see something like he provided off the bench in the series finale. The AL BeastIt would still be impressive to see the Blue Jays (60-48) close a 9 1/2-game lead over the Yankees (70-39) in their last 54 games, but New York has lost five in a row and there are red waving flags. Still, the AL East is as strong as ever, with the surprising Orioles (56-52) and the Red Sox (54-56) the only club with a losing record. In the Wild Card race, Toronto now has a two-game cushion at the top, with the Rays and Mariners tied below them. The Orioles, Guardians and White Sox are within three games of second place.
