Toronto Blue Jays' Miguel Castro throws against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning of American League baseball action in Toronto on Thursday, April 23, 2015.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Miguel Castro still earned the save, but not before surrendering a three-run home run off the bat of Manny Machado in the ninth inning that cut a four-run Toronto Blue Jays lead to a tenuous one.
Toronto wound up hanging on to win 7-6 over the Baltimore Orioles after the 20-year-old Dominican, who speaks very little English, regrouped to get a fly out off the bat of pinch hitter Steve Pearce before striking out Ryan Lavarnway for the final out at Rogers Centre on Thursday night.
Afterwards, Toronto manager John Gibbons said he took his young charge aside and essentially gave him a fatherly pat on the head, telling his closer there would be nights like this.
"It got a little hairy there at the end," Gibbons said. "Castro came in, got the save. Gave up the big home run but he still closed it out, that's part of it. I told him, you're going to give up home runs, that's what happens in the big leagues."
Gibbons waited a beat or two, like a finely-tuned comedian, before adding: "I don't think he knew what I said."
Although his command of English is precious, Castro's ability to hurl a fastball at speeds closing in at 100 miles an hour does not require any translation.
Having never thrown above the level of Double-A prior to this season, Castro continues to defy the odds after being a surprise addition to the 25-man roster out of spring training for the Blue Jays.
And then to move, almost seamlessly, into the closer's role after Brett Cecil stumbled in that spot in the first week of the season is like adding a cherry on top of the dessert.
Gibbons said that Castro's effort on Thursday might not have looked all that pretty, but who cares. The Blue Jays still got the win, and swept away a tough American League East rival in three games in the process.
"But the key is to get that final out with the lead which he's done," Gibbons said. "I don't know if this is his fourth or fifth save, for a 20-year-old kid that's pretty remarkable. He's held up nicely to this point.
"The job was kind of up for grabs, he's taken it and run with it. We still have to be conscious of his work load, that's very important. But I'm proud of the kid."
Gibbons said it is one thing for a rookie to come in and pitch in the sixth or seventh inning. It is a lot different, the manager said, doing it in the ninth inning and doing it successfully.
The save was the fourth of the year for Castro.