CINCINNATI – George Springer has had to overcome some challenges over the past two seasons. On Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park, he drew on his resiliency to help the Blue Jays when they needed it most.
Springer homered twice, drove in three runs and finished 3-for-4, and Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho added homers to help the Blue Jays outlast the Reds 12-9 in a wild contest against a team fighting to stay in the National League Wild Card chase.
Just a year ago, Springer slashed just .220/.303/.371 with 19 homers and 56 RBIs in 145 games with Toronto. At the end of July this year – in the midst of a phenomenal comeback season – he was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list and remained there for 15 games. On Aug. 16, he came out of protocol.
On Tuesday night, Springer showed he was all the way back with a pair of towering home runs, giving him five in his past 10 games with nine RBIs. He’s batting .425 (17-for-40) in that stretch.
“I feel good,” Springer said. “I had a little bit of a break with the concussion thing. So I was able to kind of let my body rest to some degree. I feel good, in a good spot.”
Springer was the DH Tuesday night, as manager John Schneider looks for ways to keep him fresh down the stretch.
“George set the tone for sure,” Schneider said. “There's been times since he's been here where it feels like he can kind of put the team on his back a little bit, and he kind of has a track record to do it at this time of year and into the postseason.
“So really, really happy with the way he's playing. Happy for him too, after coming off a tough year last year, the way he's responded. He's been the driving force behind what we're doing this year.”
Springer is now batting .305 with 26 home runs and 71 RBIs. He’s batting .380 with 16 homers and 39 RBIs in his past 47 games.
The much-maligned Blue Jays bullpen strung together seven innings, allowing three runs to help Toronto hold off Cincinnati, which trailed 8-1 heading into the bottom of the second. Louis Varland (4-3) earned his first win with Toronto in 15 appearances, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings over the sixth and seventh.
Former Red Jeff Hoffman was the fifth reliever and pitched the ninth for his 30th save in 37 chances.
The win keeps the American League East-leading Blue Jays 2 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox and Yankees.
It might not have been an artistic game for many baseball fans. But to Springer, any win in September for a team fighting to stay in first place is a thing of beauty.
“Man, that’s a good baseball game,” Springer said. “You’re up [big], then you’re not, and you’re up and you’re not. It’s just good teams that are playing good baseball that are pretty much fighting for their life. So it’s just kind of one of those games where you’re glad that you’re on the other side of it, and to have that one win right there is obviously huge for us.”
The Blue Jays jumped all over Cincinnati opener Scott Barlow (6-3), an emergency starter after Nick Lodolo was sent to the doctor with a fever and chills.
Leading the charge was Springer, who belted Barlow’s third pitch of the game to the seats in left-center field for his team-leading 25th home run. It marked Springer’s 62nd career leadoff homer and 23rd with Toronto, passing Devon White for the most in franchise history.
“I think it’s cool,” Springer said of his history-making night. “I love him. I see him a lot in Spring Training. But I think, just for me, once it's all said and done, I think I'll have a bit better understanding of it. I just want to help us win. I didn't even know about it, honestly, until about five minutes [after the game]. So I really just want to help us win, and I'm glad I did today.”
Springer’s 62 home runs to open a game are second only to Rickey Henderson’s 81 in MLB history.
“I feel like George has had a lot of big moments in his career,” Schneider said. “You tend to forget about the leadoff homers, second behind Rickey and first in Blue Jays history. That's saying a lot. Devo’s a hell of a player and a guy that we all know really well.”