Blue Jays get washed away in loss to host Cubs

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History and nostalgia aside, Wrigley Field has not been kind to the Blue Jays.

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Seven years ago, the Jays were swept in a three-game series.

In their return to Chicago’s North Side, a repeat perhaps awaits unless the Blue Jays suddenly find their groove at the plate.

They made things interesting in the series opener with a three-run ninth inning to tie the game before losing in the 10th to the Cubs.

Toronto kept it close once again on Saturday afternoon with a leadoff Addison Barger home run in the ninth, but still lost, 3-2.

It took the Jays until the seventh inning Saturday to put any pressure on the Cubs, who were able to get out of the frame by giving up only one run after George Springer was thrown out attempting to steal third base and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flew out to centre field.

For Springer, it was the first time he had been caught this season after 13 consecutive steals.

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With a heavy rain falling in the ninth, Vladdy came up again as the potential tying run but struck out swinging.

HAPP-LESS

No one was buying what Chris Bassitt was selling in the aftermath of his previous start when he blamed the closed roof at the Rogers Centre for giving up six runs to the A’s — including two homers.

There is no roof at Wrigley and no excuses other than poor pitching to explain Ian Happ’s leadoff home run on the game’s first pitch that put the Cubs on the scoreboard, and then what would follow.

Bassitt couldn’t find the strike zone which brought pitching coach out Pete Walker to pay an early mound visit. And he avoided a second straight first-inning implosion when the Cubs couldn’t get out of their own way.

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Following the Happ homer, Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger worked Bassitt for one-out walks. But an attempted double-steal backfired when Alejandro Kirk gunned down Suzuki at third for the second out. Kirk then threw out Isaac Paredes at first to limit the damage to one run.

Once the first inning was in the books, Bassitt looked fine and persevered through two rain delays in the first two innings.

Chicago upped its lead to 3-0 when Daulton Varsho couldn’t make the catch, crashing into the ivy-covered wall deep in centre field on a two-run triple by Michael Busch.

It was, however, the same Varsho who dove head-first to reach first on an infield hit in the top of the fifth, and who knocked in the Jays’ first run on a bunt single in the seventh.

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GREAT NATE

The two rain delays were enough for the Cubs to pull starter Justin Steele pitch in the third inning after the left-hander struck out three and gave up no hits in the first two.

Enter Nate Pearson, who faced his former team for the first time following his trade in the days leading up to last month’s deadline.

Pearson needed seven pitches to retire the side in order in the third.

Returning to the hill in the fourth, Pearson gave up a leadoff double to Guerrero then walked Kirk, his former batterymate, on five pitches.

After Ernie Clement fouled out, Pearson had Will Wagner at the plate. The count went full before Wagner took a close pitch that appeared to catch the corner of the plate, but was called ball four, loading the bases.

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But Pearson then struck out Davis Schneider swinging and got Steward Berroa on a long fly-ball out to escape the inning unscathed.

Berroa entered the game two innings earlier when he pinch hit for Leo Jimenez, who had to leave with right knee soreness.

Pearson needed 22 pitches to get out of the fourth inning, which turned out to be his last in his first meeting against the team that drafted him 28th overall in 2017.

In the sixth, the Jays faced another familiar face in Julian Merryweather as the reunions at Wrigley continued.

He gave up a two-out single to Wagner, who has recorded at least one hit in each of his four games, but, struck out on a checked swing in his final at-bat.

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E-5

On the game’s very first pitch, a fielding error by Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes put Springer on first base.

A few batters later, a mental mistake would be committed when Chicago failed to turn a routine double play.

Chicago’s penchant for sloppiness continued in the home half when, for reasons that defy logic, the Cubs tried to steal third base knowing Bassitt had just walked two straight batters and was behind the count when facing Paredes. Instead of adding to its 1-0 lead, Chicago let Bassitt off the hook.

In the seventh inning, the Cubs tried to steal home, but Pete Crow-Armstrong was thrown out.

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