Grichuk caps huge rally with epic go-ahead slam

BALTIMORE -- Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo was told by a few members of the New York media this past weekend that, despite being nearly 40 games behind the Yankees in the American League East, his cohort of youngsters never seem to quit. From Montoyo's vantage point, that was the only compliment he needed to hear to make this rebuilding season worthwhile.

So when Randal Grichuk mashed his second career grand slam 394 feet into the left-field seats on Wednesday night at Camden Yards, erasing a four-run deficit that started the ninth inning and fully wiping away the six-run deficit the Blue Jays faced as late as the sixth inning, the final 11-10 scoreline over the Orioles was a manifestation of the outlook of this Toronto squad.

“We’re a young team,” Grichuk said. “We don’t know better.”

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No matter the hole the Blue Jays dug for themselves -- only 3 2/3 innings from starter Clay Buchholz, just two runs and 10 runners left on base by the seventh inning and trudging forward without Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who left with a rib injury in the ninth inning -- there was never any doubt in the third-base dugout that there remained a viable shot at winning this game.

“You can just tell by each inning, each at-bat,” the 35-year-old Buchholz said. “They expect to be great.”

“Win or lose, we never quit,” Montoyo said. “Early on in the game, we left a lot of guys on base and we couldn't cash them in, but we kept fighting. … That’s a great culture we have right now.”

Not only was it a win -- Toronto’s 61st of the year -- but it was the Blue Jays' sixth victory in their past eight games and the first time this season where they have won three consecutive series.

It’s no question that youth has driven the charge, not just up and down the lineup but also in the motivating factors for coming into work each morning. Toronto is the third-youngest team by average age and owned a MLB-high 744 games played by rookies entering play on Wednesday.

But as Grichuk stated, these rookies simply don’t know any better. For the majority of them, it’s their first time being thrown deep into September baseball. They’re not just looking for wins -- which have come in bunches as of late -- but auditioning for their spots and playing time next season.

“This is an opportunity to show what you got going into next year,” Grichuk said. “Make some impressions, give some staff members some thoughts of who you are going into next year. You might create opportunities for next year and a lot of these guys are making the most of their opportunity now.”

Grichuk has been chief among those making himself known. His second career grand slam was the 30th homer of his 2019 campaign, continuing to improve his new career best that he set back on Sept. 13. In September, he’s slugging .696 with more homers (seven) than singles, doubles and triples combined.

“That’s why he got his contract,” Buchholz said. “You don’t get paid unless the team and everybody around the team thinks really good of you. He’s showing it off right now.”

“His approach at the plate is a lot better,” Montoyo said. “His approach at the plate has been really good in the second half, and hopefully it'll keep going for the games we have left.”

Of the nine final games after the midweek trip to Baltimore wraps up, the Blue Jays have one more crack at each of their AL East foes not named Boston. That’s nine more chances to show each of their neighbors what type of mentality the upstart Blue Jays bring to the park each night.

“If we are playing the game hard, learning from our mistakes, notching a few wins against good teams,” Grichuk said, “it’s huge going into next year.”