Another bullpen meltdown saw the Blue Jays drop their third straight, losing 8-3 to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. Here’s what you need to know:
Anthony Santander belted his club-leading fifth home run of the season in the top of the eighth, breaking a 2-2 tie, and the Jays put things in the hands of their bullpen aces, Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman, for the final six outs.
Garcia started the bottom of the eighth by walking Zach Neto, who quickly stole second. Nolan Schanuel followed with a bunt and Alejandro Kirk was able to pounce on it and make a perfect throw to third, but it went off the glove of Ernie Clement and into short left field, allowing the tying run to score.
Hoffman entered the game with two on, one out and the game still tied and surrendered a go-ahead RBI single to Logan O’Hoppe, a three-run home run to Yoan Moncada and a solo shot to Jo Adell.
107.9 off the bat from Yoán Moncada!
— MLB (@MLB)
It's a 5-run 8th for the
When the smoke cleared, the Angels had plated half a dozen in the inning and the Jays were done.
pc28will face off against the mercurial pitcher on Wednesday night in Anaheim during their West Coast road trip.
pc28will face off against the mercurial pitcher on Wednesday night in Anaheim during their West Coast road trip.
Fastballs
Cleaning up
Each team’s clean-up hitter did their job in the first inning, with the Jays’ George Springer and the Angels’ Taylor Ward both belting a two-run homer.
It was Springer’s fourth home run of the season, moving him temporarily into a tie with Santander and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the team’s home run lead.
Ward’s round-tripper was his seventh of the season.
Not foolhardy at all
With runners at first and second and two out in the sixth, rookie Mason Fluharty came in to face Moncada and got the switch-hitter to hit a lazy fly ball to centre to end the inning.
Fluharty came back out for the seventh and retired Luis Rengifo and Adell before handing things over to Dillon Tate. The 23-year-old has faced 25 right-handed hitters in his big-league career and not one of them has gotten a hit.
Nice job, new guy
Jose Urena, signed as a free agent on Sunday, made his Jays debut as Tuesday’s starting pitcher.
The right-hander gave up that first-inning homer to Ward but shut the Angels down from there, pitching into the fifth and allowing just a pair of singles from that point.
John Schneider says “you trust everybody,” but the Jays aren’t doing enough to warrant that trust.
John Schneider says “you trust everybody,” but the Jays aren’t doing enough to warrant that trust.
Mailbag
Over on Bluesky, lagolfer112 found me @wilnerness and asked: “How do the Jays expect guys like Barger and Roden to make it at the MLB level if they don’t get regular playing time?”
I don’t have an issue with neither young left-handed hitter starting against lefty Tyler Anderson on Tuesday, but the Jays appear to be giving Addison Barger plenty of runway that he has yet to really earn while getting close to a tipping point with Alan Roden.
Barger’s power is tantalizing for a team that’s last overall in the majors in home runs, which is why he had started five games in a row, but he’s reached base only once, with a walk, over that span.
Roden is mired in an 0-for-27 and has only made three starts since April 23. The Jays are doing him no favours by having him watch from the bench. If they can’t get him in the lineup and get him going he should be playing every day in Buffalo.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation