Bo Bichette's pinch-hit blast in ninth lifts low-scoring Jays to improbable series win over host Texas

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If a 0-0 tie were even permitted in baseball, the Blue Jays and Rangers were certainly more than qualified to produce such an outcome.

Neither team can hit, nor has shown any penchant for consistently putting up runs recently, and yet one team had to take Wednesday’s series rubber match in Arlington because the rules dictate a winner must be established.

In a weird way, these two offensively challenged teams did create some drama the deeper the night went and the longer the game remained scoreless.

The dramatics only intensified when Bo Bichette — who was not in the Jays’ starting lineup because of back tightness and was labelled day-to-day by manager John Schneider — came off the bench as a surprise pinch-hitter in the ninth inning with two out and Ernie Clement on second base.

Bichette looked at a called first strike, then launched right-hander Jacob Webb’s changeup deep to left field to account for all of the scoring and helped the Jays salvage something from a 2-4 road trip that saw them produce all of six runs in six games, including two shutout losses.

The night’s other compelling story involved the Jays’ pitching, a combined bullpen effort that yielded only one hit — a single by Josh Smith leading off the first inning..

Three takeaways as the Jays took two of three in Texas:

1. Springer’s struggles

Since he hit his most recent homer on May 11 in Seattle as the Jays capped off a series sweep of the Mariners, George Springer has recorded three extra-base hits, including one in Tuesday’s loss at Globe Life Field.

No one was expecting the veteran to sustain his early-season revival, but something more needs to be extracted from Springer, who isn’t the only player on the roster in need of an offensive bump.

In manager John Schneider’s re-imagined lineup, Springer batted cleanup in the series finale, an order that had Daulton Varsho leading off in place of Bichette, Anthony Santander batting second followed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the No. 3 hole.

Vladdy was the lone hitter in the Jays’ top of the order to produce a hit, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

The remaining members combined for six strikeouts.

2. Battery recharge

A tip of the hat for those who had the battery of Paxton Schultz and Ali Sanchez on their scorecard — ever — when the season began.

No one could have envisioned such an improbable pitcher-catcher tandem and yet there was the right-hander Schultz making his first big-league start, while Sanchez was making his second-career start after making his debut during Sunday’s bloodbath in Tampa.

Schultz began his outing by yielding the leadoff single to Smith.

Credit to Schultz in how he attacks hitters and pitches with a certain swagger by wasting so little time between pitches. He struck out Corey Seager, a two-time World Series MVP who had just been reinstated by Texas following the shortstop’s second stint on the injured list because of a right hamstring strain, and ended the first inning by striking out Josh Jung.

Schultz did require 22 pitches to retire the side in the first, and began the second with his third K in a row. And once he got through the order once, retiring No. 9 hitter Kyle Higashioka, his night ended.

In total, Schultz retired eight in a row and provided the Jays with precisely what they needed as an opener.

Lefty Eric Lauer then did his part in matching Schultz by retiring eight batters in a row.

3. Percentage problem

The very definition of a leadoff hitter is to get on base and set an early tempo. Bichette has filled the role this season, even though his aggressive style isn’t conducive to the role.

Varsho might be the antithesis of a leadoff hitter given his woeful on-base percentage. Paradoxically, though, he drew a walk to lead off the game — his fourth base on balls this season — but then proceeded to strike out in each of his next three at-bats.

To recap, he doesn’t get on base with any frequency and he strikes out far too frequently, exactly what is required from the leadoff spot.

Up next

The relocated Athletics come to town for a four-game series beginning Thursday night … The Sacramento-based A’s have dropped 12 of their past 13 games and at 23-33 sit last in the AL West, but sport a .500 road record (14-14) … RHP Jose Berrios (1-2, 4.22 ERA) gets the start for the Jays. He is coming off a loss in Tampa following seven successive no-decisions. His most recent win came way back on April 7.