Bo my! Bichette's first grand slam leads Blue Jays over Sox

TORONTO -- Bichette knows timing.

As the game buzzed by in a blur, Bo Bichette delivered the sonic boom with his first career grand slam, a perfect moment set up by so many others earlier in the game.

This was what the Blue Jays and Bichette have been waiting for. The star shortstop hasn’t homered since the second game of the season and came into Monday with nine strikeouts in his last five games, all unexpected for one of the game’s most gifted young infielders. When manager Charlie Montoyo leaned on the cage during batting practice, though, hitting coach Guillermo Martinez said that he was seeing an adjustment from Bichette.

“I just felt very defensive,” Bichette said following the 6-2 win Monday night. “I was trying to hit every pitch that’s thrown. I’m just trying to be a little more selective but aggressive at the same time with what I want. I felt a little better today.”

Bichette will never be a hitter who skids for long. The natural flow and athleticism held in his swing allow for immediate adjustments without rigid mechanics getting in the way, so this was a matter of when, not if.

“It’s not only good for us, it’s good for him,” said Montoyo. “He’s almost back.”

The final score doesn’t show it, but this was another close game for the Blue Jays. There haven’t been many games that allow you to flick off your TV or radio in the seventh inning and get to bed early, but this season, Toronto is finding itself on the right side of them.

That’s why this moment from Bichette was so important, because the Blue Jays had played a mostly excellent ballgame up until that point. There were a collection of players and individual moments who deserved this win, and it was Bichette who handed that to all of them.

The catch of the year?
In the top of the fifth, Kevin Plawecki laced a line drive to left-center that looked like it would split the gap. George Springer had other ideas.

Springer launched into a full sprint. His athleticism is a sight to behold when his 6-foot-3 frame reaches top speed, and at the last moment, Springer left his feet and fully extended to make the diving grab. He crashed down to the turf, celebrating as he tumbled and rolled. It was Springer at the absolute height of his talents.

“In my view, that was going to be a double,” Montoyo said. “And he got to it. He’s [done] that before, last year. He had to reach the whole way, so that was one of the best plays I’ve seen.”

Berríos sets the stage with a gem
José Berríos danced out of trouble early and was charged with two runs in the eighth, but was otherwise very effective over his seven-plus innings of quick work. He met Boston’s aggression with his own, which kept the Blue Jays involved long enough for Bichette to break it open.

“This is good for the team, good for the fans out there that were cheering. The most important thing is bringing confidence to him,” Berríos said. “We know. I think he understands how it is in this sport, but he knows what a great player he can be out there. He keeps trusting himself, keeps trying and he’s been working hard so far.”

The beauty of the bunt
Montoyo loves a good bunt. Make it well-timed and well-executed with a little hustle, and you’ve earned a gold star from him. That’s exactly what Bradley Zimmer did in the eighth to keep the rally rolling in front of Bichette.

“That was a big play,” Montoyo said. “Even if he makes an out, there’s a man on second base with Springer and Bo. It was big for him to do that. I’m not taking credit for that one, either. He did it on his own.”

This play doesn’t hold a candle to the excitement of Bichette’s big moment, but like all the others, it helped to set the stage for a moment that Bichette has been battling to find.