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When Alejandro Kirk ripped a two-RBI double into the left-field corner to score two more in the sixth, not only did the legend of the 21-year-old catcher grow yet again, the Jays had doubled their lead to 4-0 and the socially-distanced (somewhat) celebration was that much nearer.
The anticipation was tantalizing the rest of the way and when reliever Rafael Dolis got the final out, the Jays spilled out of their dugout to celebrate. The ear-to-ear smile of manager Charlie Montoyo could be seen beneath his mask as the players and donned t-shirts that blared “Respect Toronto.”
“I’m just so proud of my club and everything we’ve gone through all year,” an emotional Montoyo said on a post-game Zoom call. “The ups and downs, the tough games. we kept believing in ourselves. “It’s awesome I’m the happiest guy right now.”
The second-year manager was not without company, especially from the young core of his team, most of whom played together at multiple levels in the minor leagues.
“We pictured bringing a winning mindset to Toronto and the major league level,” Biggio said. “In my mind this is just the start of it. We played with a little bit of an edge and we worked our way here.”
Even with the elevated stakes, it was clear from the outset that the Jays were playing with a sense of purpose on Thursday.
They were crisp and near flawless on defence, no more so than a running catch at the top of the wall by Randal Grichuk to end the eighth inning with the bases loaded.
