Belt's Big Night & Other Takeaways From Blue Jays' Win vs Pirates

Brandon Belt reached base four times and got ejected in Toronto's 8-2 win.

© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH — On a gorgeous evening at a picturesque ballpark, the Blue Jays took no chances. 

The Blue Jays jumped out to an early lead for the second straight game after departing Boston, where the Red Sox swept them in four games. The Pirates were in trouble after the ruthless first-inning attack, and the Jays won 8-2 on Saturday to make it two straight victories at PNC Park.

Here are Saturday's big takeaways. 

Blue Jays Wallop Pirates Pitching

The Blue Jays scored and scored and scored. As manager John Schneider prophesied Friday, when lead-off hitter George Springer is on, the rest of the offense follows suit. The 33-year-old knocked a lead-off single off Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo, thus beginning an avalanche of base hits.

Springer eventually scored, then Brandon Belt punched in two more Blue Jays runs with a much-needed two-out double. As many fans know, the former Giant has struggled mightily this year; his 44.3% strikeout was the second-worst among hitters with at least 50 plate appearances entering Saturday. In a perfect world, his 102.2-mph pull-side double will get his confidence up. 

"That's what I wanted to do," Belt said. "Not necessarily going up there trying to pull the ball but being able to catch that out front a little bit more so that I can get something behind it. And on top of that, being able to walk, too. I think those are two signs for me that I'm doing the right thing."

Belt's approach gives him a very high on-base floor, though the intense strikeout rate has prevented him from gaining much momentum. He saw the ball well Saturday, thrashing another double to the wall in the fifth and finishing 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI.

After the high-octane four-run first inning, the Jays kept it moving with three more runs in the third. Thanks in part to a ghastly glove flip by Pirates second baseman Rodolfo Castro, Toronto managed its first seven runs on just eight hits. In the end, the club had 14 base knocks. 

John Schneider on Brandon Belt’s ejection tonight:

“Kind of surprised [umpire Carlos Torres] threw him out as he was walking away. I feel like a player like Brandon Belt, who has the career he has had, probably deserves a little bit better than that.” #BlueJays

— Ethan Diamandas (@EthanDiamandas) May 7, 2023

The drama continued deep into the game. With a runner on third in and two outs in the eighth, Belt watched a full-count breaking ball cross the plate around the knees. Home plate umpire Carlos Torres reared back to punch him out, and Belt immediately protested. The Blue Jays' designated hitter barked at the ump and quickly got the heave-ho, putting a bow on an eventful evening at the ballpark. 

Belt was surprised he got ejected. 

"I said, 'Clean it up,'" Belt said. "I didn't cuss. I didn't say anything bad. [I] wasn't trying to get thrown out. I wasn't expecting that, but it happens sometimes. Thankfully it wasn't a big part of the game or anything like that."

Berríos Hums To A Quality Start

True to his nickname, "La Makina" motored through four perfect innings Saturday. Berríos doused Pirates hitters with sliders, and while he only got eight whiffs on 100 pitches, Pittsburgh never really timed him up. 

The right-hander hit a brief snag in the fifth, but Cavan Biggio bailed his starter out with a run-saving diving stop at first base to end the inning. As the defense trotted off, Berríos hung back, offering Biggio a fist bump and some praise for his clutch maneuver. 

José Berríos let out a roar after his strikeout to end the 6th inning.

He's been fantastic tonight, and he's sure as hell enjoying it. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/7qdS0KriLN

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) May 7, 2023

Berríos allowed just two runs on five hits over 6.2 innings, a much-needed quality start after the Red Sox tagged him for a season-high 11 hits in his last start. 

"I think really, really good spin and really, really good fastball execution, probably the best he's commanded it all year," Schneider said of Berríos. "He was outstanding tonight."

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Day-To-Day With Wrist Soreness

The Blue Jays slugger has been battling some left wrist discomfort lately, and the ailment forced him out of the lineup late Saturday. Guerrero took some swings in the cage beforehand but wasn't feeling great. Schneider said he's been managing the wrist issue for a while now.

"Some soreness there, so we'll see how he is tomorrow," the Jays skipper said.

Biggio replaced Guerrero in the lineup and went 2-for-5 with a run scored.