When his team was thrust into a summer of playing in Sahlen Field, Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo was not dealing with unfamiliar circumstances.
Montoyo played in Buffalo with the Denver Zephyrs in 1991 and 1992, and managed here for eight straight years with the Durham Bulls (2007-2014). Even with the post-1995 shorter outfield dimensions, Montoyo never expected the ball to be flying out of the ballpark in Buffalo like it did during the Jays' first five games here.
The Blue Jays and their opponents combined for 25 home runs in the five games, 17 by Toronto. The Jays, in fact, set a franchise record for longballs in back-to-back games when they erupted for 13 in Wednesday's loss to Miami and Friday's win over Tampa Bay.Â
And get this: STATS Inc. reported Toronto became the first team in MLB history to have at least 18 hits and seven home runs in a game and lose when it suffered its 14-11, 10-inning loss to the Marlins on Wednesday.
People are also reading…
What's with all the longballs? There was a heavy wind off Lake Erie blowing from right field to left field on Wednesday and a lesser one blowing in the same direction Friday night. A couple balls were helped over the wall, but many were no-doubt shots that would have been out of any big-league park.
"I was really surprised," Montoyo said on his daily Zoom call with reporters late Monday afternoon prior to the Jays' series opener in Baltimore. "I remember managing and playing in that ballpark and it played big but it didn't play big this home series. It seems like it's going to play small at times whenever the wind's not blowing from right."
Teoscar Hernandez and Bo Bichette led the Blue Jays with three home runs apiece over the five games, with Hernandez pushing his season total to seven and climbing within two of the American League lead. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rowdy Tellez, Travis Shaw and Randal Grichuk all went deep twice. Cavan Biggio, Danny Jansen and Anthony Alford also homered.
The Blue Jays scored 35 runs in the five games but only went 2-3 and suffered all three losses in the final at-bat. Bichette suffered a knee sprain Saturday night and Montoyo said the team is awaiting a second opinion on its star shortstop as reports float around Toronto that Bichette could be out for a month.
The Jays return to Buffalo for a makeup doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday afternoon at 1:05.
