Manager John Schneider no regrets about not pinch-running for Kirk

Blue Jays catcher on Tuesday doubled up at home in eighth inning of must-win game

It’s worth re-hashing the moment because of the importance of every Blue Jays game as September looms. There was the home side batting in the eighth inning of another Loonie Dog Tuesday at the ballpark. The Jays were threatening to come back from a three-run deficit in a game they needed to win – if not desperately, then certainly urgently. That they ended up losing 5-4 to the sub-.500, but ever-improving Nationals may come back to haunt them at season’s end.

With one out and trailing by three runs, DH Alejandro Kirk doubled into the left field corner, leaving two runners on and bringing the tying run to the plate. The Nats’ pitching coach went out to discuss how to pitch to Daulton Varsho, giving plenty of time for strategy to be discussed among the Jays coaches in the dugout.

Earlier in the day, the club had promoted infielder Mason McCoy from AAA-Buffalo. At 28-years-old, he was available for his major-league debut, even if as a pinch-runner for the lead-footed Kirk, perched at the t…