Game #32 - Toronto Blue Jays (15-17) @ Minnesota Twins (14-19) - game recap

 

Kazuma Okamoto hit a pair of home runs and drove in 3 runs in a 7-3 win over the Twins

After a loss yesterday from an uncharacteristically bad start by Kevin Gausman and a non-existent offense, the Blue Jays were looking to even the series and avoid their 4th season series loss of the season. Patrick Corbin got the start with Tyler Heineman behind the plate. Lenyn Sosa got the start at 2B. Could the Blue Jays even the series and avoid their 4th season series loss of the season? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd on a fielder's choice hit by Yohendrick Pinago that scored Daulton Varsho and Lenyn Sosa. Twins 1B Josh Bell was charged with a throwing error on the play.
• The Twins tied it in the bottom of the 3rd as Byron Buxton whacked a 2-run blast to left; also scoring Brooks Lee
• The Blue Jays retook the lead in the top of the 4th as Kazuma Okamoto hammered a solo bomb to the second deck in left
• Three batters later, Pinago singled scoring Sosa
• The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the top of the 5th as Okamoto smacked a 2-run blast to left; also scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
• Simeon Woods Richardson pitching line: 4.2IP 9H 6R (4 earned) 1BB 2K 88 pitches (60 for strikes)
• Patrick Corbin pitching line: 5.1IP 6H 2R (both earned) 1BB 4K 79 pitches (53 for strikes)\
• The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 7th as Pinago singled home Okamoto
• The Twins got one back in the bottom half of the inning on a sac fly by Ryan Jeffers that scored Lee
• Final score Blue Jays 7 Twins 3

My Take:

• Patrick Corbin threw 5.1 innings, giving up a pair of runs on 6 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4. He retired 6 of the first 7 batters he faced and, for the most part, he was able to pitch his way out of the jams he got into. If Corbin keeps pitching like thism he'll make the decision  difficult when Shane Bieber is ready to make his 2026 regular season debut. If he has a better attitude than Lauer, he may replace Lauer as the long man out of the bullpen
• Speaking of the bullpen, Jeff Hoffman is still a work in progress. He got himself into a bases loaded jam after giving up 3 hits, but managed to hold it to a run on a sac fly. Tyler Rogers is still ridiculously dominant and is making an early case to be the reliever of the year. Louis Varland may make fans as nervous as Jeff Hoffman did in the closer role.
• Offensively, Kazuma Okamoto is making the fans forget about letting Bo Bichette walk in free agency, Okamoto homered twice and drove in 3 runs and scored 3 runs. Yohendrick Pinago would have had 4RBI if not for a throwing error in the 2nd inning. Good hitting is contagious and the offense is slowly looking like the one thar came inches from winning the Blue Jays 3rd world series 6 months ago.
• Twins catcher Victor Saratini was 3-3 on ABS challenges (overall, the Twins were 3-2). Tyler Heineman was unsuccessful in the Blue Jays lone ABS challenge
• The Blue Jays were 2-10 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to extend the win streak to 2 games. Dylan Cease starts against Twins lefty Connor Prielipp

Game #32 - Toronto Blue Jays (14-17) @ Minnesota Twins (14-18)

 

Game #32 - Toronto Blue Jays (14-17) @ Minnesota Twins (14-18) - game recap

 

Daulton Varsho hit a solo home run in a 7-1 comeback loss to the Twins

After finishing off a floundering Red Sox team yesterday thanks to an all around team effort, the Blue Jays hit the road for their first 4-game series of the season in Minnesota. The Twins won the series in Toronto a couple of weeks back, outscoring the Blue Jays 19-16. Ace Kevin Gausman got the start with Brandon Valenzuela behind the plate. George Springer was back in the lineup as DH after being activated off the IL yesterday. Yohendrick Pinango was in LF. Could the Blue Jays extend the win streak to 3 games? Here is tonight's game recap. 

Game Highlights

:

• The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 4th as Daulton Varsho hammered a solo bomb to right
• The Twins took the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Ryan Jeffers belted a 2-run jack to left-center; also scoring Trevor Larnach
• The Twins added a run in the bottom of the 6th as Byron Buxton whacked a solo blast to left-center
• Four batters later, Austin Martin singled scoring Larnach
• Kevin Gausman pitching line: 5.2IP 4H 4R (all earned) 2BB 2K 94 pitches (58 for strikes)
• Bailey Ober pitching line: 6IP 4H 1R (earned) 2BB 2K 88 pitches (57 for strikes)
• The Twins added a pair of runs in the bottom of the 8th as Josh Bell singled scoring Jeffers and Buxton
• Three batters later, Bell scored on a sac fly by Luke Keaschall
• Final score: Twins 7 Blue Jays 1

My Take:

• The two starters had very similar pitching lines with both Gausman and Ober giving up 4 hits, walking 2 batters and striking out 2. The difference was two of the hits against Gausman went over the wall for 3 runs (Ober was also taken deep, but for just one run). Ober made it through 6 innings and Tommy Nance needed to get the last out of the 6th inning. Gausman threw a few more pitches (94 while Ober needed only 88 pitches to get 18 outs). Gausman also threw an extra pitch, 58 for strikes. You can tell when Gausman isn't pitching with his best stuff when the strikeout count is low.
• The bullpen gave up 3 runs on 2 hits and a walk over the last 2.1 innings. All three runs against were charged to Mason Fluharty, who wasn't helped by the defense that committed 2 errors in the inning. Tommy Nance and Joe Mantiply both retired every batter they faced with Nance striking out 3 batters.
• Varsho went deep and that was abour it for the offense. George Springer had a third of the Blue Jays hits, singling twice.
• The Twins were 1-1 in ABS challenges and Brandon Valenzuela lost the Blue Jays only ABS challenge
• The Blue Jays were 0-2 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to even the series and avoid their 5th season series loss of the season. Patrick Corbin starts against Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson.

Game #31 - Toronto Blue Jays (14-16) @ Minnesota Twins (13-18)

 

Game #31 - Boston Red Sox (12-19) Blue Jays (14-16) - game recap

After eking out a victory thanks to some outstanding work from Trey Yesavage and the bullpen with Vlad and Kazuma Okamoto providing the offense with some clutch hitting, the Blue Jays were looking to extend the win streak to 2 games and notch their 4th series win of the season. George Springer was activated off the 10-day IL and Eloy Jimenez was DFA'd. Eric Lauer got the start with Brandon Valenzuela behind the plate. Myles Straw was in LF and Jesus Sanchez was in RF. Yohendrick Pinango served as DH. Could the Blue Jays extend the win streak to 2 games and notch their 4th series win of the season?  Here is today's game recap. 

Game Highlights:

• The Red Sox opened the scoring in the top of the 1st as Willson Contreras belted a solo jack to left-center
• The Blue Jays took the lead in the bottom of the 3rd as Kazuma Okamoto  singled scoring Brandon Valenzuela and Jesus Sanchez 
• Two batters later, Yohendrick Pinango singled scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Okamoto was thrown out at home on the play. 
• The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th as Ernie Clement smacked a 2-run blast to left; also scoring Valenzuela
• Brayan Bello pitching line: 3.2IP 6H 4R (all earned) 2BB 2K 63 pitches (40 for strikes)
• Eric Lauer pitching line: 4.1IP 5H 1R (all earned) 1BB 1K 68 pitches (45 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 5th as George Springer scoring Guerrero Jr 
• A batter later, Daulton Varsho scored on a sac fly by Straw
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 8th as Valenzuela hammered a solo bomb to dead center 
• Final score Blue Jays 8 Red Sox 1

My Take:

• Eric Lauer battled through 4.1 innings, giving up a run on 5 hits while walking 1 and striking out 1. He needs to buy the defense dinner because they made a lot of plays to ball him out.  The Bosox hit a lot of balls hard but the fielders were in position for the most part. The question is whether he'll even have a role as a long man once everyone is back and healthy. Patrick Corbin has outpitched him and the Blue Jays won't have more than 3 lefties in the bullpen against teams who have a lot of left handed bats or switch hitters they'll want to turn around at key points in the ball game.  Not to mention, Lauer didn't exactly do himself any favors by complaining post game about having an opener pitch in front of him.
• The bullpen held the Red Sox to 4 hits and a walk over the last 4.2 innings.  Nice effort by Spencer Miles to pitch the last 2 innings and save Mason Fluharty for next game. Brayden Fisher also deserves a shoutout for escaping the jam Lauer got himself into in the 5th inning
• It was a team effort again offensively with every starter but Andres Gimenez reaching base at least once and all but Gimenez, Daulton Varsho and Myles Straw getting a hit. Nice to see George Springer come off the bench and IL and come through with a base hit right away
• Brandon Valenzuela successfully challenged three ABS calls today
• The Blue jays were 4-4 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays hit the road where they will begin their first 4- game series of the season in Minnesota. The Twins won the series in Toronto a couple of weeks back, outscoring the Blue Jays 19-16. Ace Kevin Gausman starts against Twins righty Bailey Ober.