Jays need to channel playoff collapse into motivation

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It was over before we knew it. A Blue Jays season that began with big hopes and expectations ended in a flash. Many pundits and oddsmakers had pegged the Jays as not only the top team in the AL East, but also as a real threat to win it all. But they came up short.

It will be an even more painful winter because they lost Game 2 in historic fashion. The 10-9 loss to the Mariners was the biggest road comeback (Seattle was down 8-1) win in MLB playoff history and the largest comeback to clinch a series. It was a horrific turn of events.

Despite the disappointment, Jays fans can be proud of the effort of their players. 

In Game 2, Whit Merrifield was hit in the head with a pitch and stayed in the game to run the bases before being replaced by Ramiel Tapia defensively. Tapia later made a mad dash to track down a sinking liner in left field, leading with his heart – he literally dove chest first into the ground to try and make the play.

Matt Chapman raced down the first baseline in the seventh inning, diving to beat the pitcher to the base. In the fourth inning, George Springer ranged to his right to run down a ball just as he got to the wall, bumping his injured hand that was wrapped after getting hit by a pitch on Friday afternoon. Then in the fifth, Springer ran after a ball hit to the wall and made a valiant leaping effort to catch a liner off the bat of Carlos Santana, crashing hard into the wall. 

In the eighth inning came the play Jays fans won’t soon forget. Springer and Bo Bichette gave everything they had, diving and colliding on a sinking pop up in centre field. Springer left the game on a cart and is under evaluation, while Bichette banged up his right arm. 

The Jays gave it their all.