Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes reacted after having the game-winning hit and being the hero for the team on Wednesday night.
On Tuesday night, Lukes had a costly base-running mistake in the bottom of the ninth inning when he was thrown out at second base after stretching a single into a double. It was a bad mistake as it ended the game with the Blue Jays losing 5-3 to the Kansas City Royals, and the type of error that a major-league player simply cannot make.
24 hours later, Lukes was the hero, as on Wednesday the Blue Jays beat the Royals 3-0 after Lukes had a game-winning, three-run home run that accounted for all of the game’s runs.
Quite a difference that one day made, as Lukes went from being the goat to the hero.
Nathan Lukes Reacts to Game-Winning Hit
Speaking to reporters following the Blue Jays’ 3-0 win over the Royals on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Lukes shared his reaction to having the game-winning hit and being the team’s hero of the night.
“Nathan Lukes said that after he gave John Schneider a big hug and apologized for last night’s base-running error, a few teammates told him he’d come up big tonight: ‘I guess you can’t screw up base running if you just hit the ball over the fence.’ #BlueJays,” Luke said.
“I guess you can’t screw up base running if you just hit the ball over the fence.” #BlueJays
John Schneider Comments on Nathan Lukes
After Lukes made the base-running blunder against the Royals on Tuesday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider admitted that he was not happy that Lukes made the mistake on the bases, as he knows it led to the team’s comeback being squashed.
On Wednesday, Schneider revealed that he spoke to Lukes and said that the outfielder apologized for the mistake, and that he felt it was only right that he had the game-winning hit.
“John Schneider on Nathan Lukes: ‘I talked to him today and, as only Lukey can, he said he was sorry … I told him, ‘Dude, the most important game is tonight. Don’t worry about it.’ It’s pretty fitting that he had the big hit today.’ #BlueJays,” Schneider said.
“I talked to him today and, as only Lukey can, he said he was sorry … I told him, ‘Dude, the most important game is tonight. Don’t worry about it.’ It’s pretty fitting that he had the big hit today.” #BlueJays
Nathan Lukes Reacts After Being Hero for Blue Jays