The best thing about this game is that it’s over.
On Saturday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second game of a three-game series, losing 4-2 to bring their record to 13-15.
Let’s get this out of the way now, the Blue Jays as they currently stand, are not going to be a playoff team. Hell, they’re going to be sellers at the deadline if they continue to play the way they have been this season.
The Dodgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, again, with a Freddie Freeman sac fly. Over the next three innings, the Dodgers would add an additional three runs, two in the second and one in the fourth.
Toronto showed a little bit of fight in the bottom of the seventh, as Davis Schneider doubled in Danny Jansen to make it a 4-1 game, but the game was all but over in the first inning. They added an additional run in the bottom of the ninth, as Schneider reached on an error and was driven in by Cavan Biggio.
Something has to be done. The bats just clearly aren’t good enough and haven’t been since the internal regression of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, and seemingly Bo Bichette. While it’s nice that Daulton Varsho is playing like the player the Jays traded for, there is a clear gap between good teams and the Blue Jays.
So what do you do? Make a big trade to shake up the core? Do you fire the coaching staff, specifically the hitting coaches? Is John Schneider on the hot seat? Do the Blue Jays need a new general manager?
Whatever it is, something needs to change, and fast. This team is going to be a lottery team rather than the contender they were supposed to be in year six of Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Things worth mentioning…
The Blue Jays struck out a season-high 15 times in this game, with Guerrero Jr. and Justin Turner both striking out twice. Daulton Varsho and Cavan Biggio each had two strikeouts as well. Every starter had at least one strikeout. Not great.
Danny Jansen had a positive game, as he walked twice of the three walks the Jays had. Of the three hits the Jays had, Davis Schneider had one, Biggio had one, and Guerrero Jr. had one.
Toronto hasn’t had a lead in 37 innings, according to our very own Ethan Diamandas. Yikes.
Despite the mind-numbing bats pitching wasn’t all that bad for the Jays this afternoon.Yusei Kikuchi finished with a line of 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, which isn’t great, but acceptable. Yimi García didn’t allow a run in his 1.1 innings of work, bringing his season ERA to 0.71.
Up next: The good news is this series will end on Sunday, as the Jays will host the final game of three against the Dodgers at 1:37 PM ET. Kevin Gausman will be on the mound for the Jays.
me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
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