Tanner Roark was solid in his return to Nats Park, holding his former team to a run on three hits in five innings in a 5-1 Toronto win on Tuesday.
It was another wild day in MLB, which announced that it was putting the Miami Marlins, who have had 17 positive COVID-19 tests, on the down low through the end of the week, postponing scheduled games with the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals on the schedule through Sunday.
The defending champs still look like they’re in summer camp mode, with two Starlin Castro errors contributing to an unearned Blue Jays run, and Trea Turner getting picked off first base, among the mental blunders.
The Jays also went deep twice, with Vlad Guerrero Jr. connecting in the second, aided by a collision at the fence between Nats outfielders Emilio Bonifacio and Victor Robles, who had a glove on the ball before it was jarred out and over the fence, and a fourth inning shot from Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Austin Voth (0-1, 3.60 ERA) pitched well, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits in five innings.
The offense could not get going, producing only one hit, a Turner leadoff double in the ninth, after the third inning.
The teams will meet for the second half of their home-and-home on Wednesday, but it will still be in Nats Park, since Toronto didn’t get clearance to play in Canada, which will find out soon that it actually hasn’t crushed COVID, but for now, go ahead, dunk on the U.S., have fun, your receipts will come in due time.
Anyway, the Jays and Nats will play Wednesday and Thursday in D.C., with Toronto as the home team.
Yeah, it’s dumb.
Story by Chris Graham