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| Luis De Los Santos drove in his first career run in an 8-4 loss to the A's |
After a tough 1-0 loss yesterday, the Blue Jays were going for their 11th series win and 7th season series win. Genesis Cabrera was reinstated from the paternity list. Yerry Rodriguez was optioned to AAA-ball. Chris Bassitt got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. George Springer was back in RF after the half day off as DH yesterday (Vlad got the half day off as DH with Spencer Horwitz at 1B). Davis Schneider was in LF and Luis De Los Santos was at the hot corner. Ernie Clement was at SS and Leo Jimenez got the start at 2B. Could the Blue Jays notch their 11th series win and 7th season series of the season? Here is tonight's game tecap.
Game Highlights:
- The A's opened the scoring in the top of the 1st as Brent Rooker singled scoring Lawrence Butler. Spencer Horwitz was charged with a throwing error on the play.
- A batter later, JJ Bleday whacked a 2-run blast to right-center and into the A's bullpen
- Three batters later, Zack Gelof hammered a 2-run bomb to dead center; also scoring Seth Brown
- Four batters later, Butler singled scoring Daz Cameron
- The A's added a run in the top of the 4th as Bleday singled home Butler
- The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Daulton Varsho hammered a solo bomb off the baseing of the 2nd deck
- Chris Bassitt pitching line: 4IP 8H 7R (all earned) 2BB 5K 86 pitches (51 for strikes)
- The A's added a run in the top of the 6th as Rooker doubled scoring Max Schuemann
- The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom of the 8th as Luis De Los Santos doubled scoring Spencer Horwitz. It was De Los Santos' first career RBI.
- A batter later, George Springer singled scoring Davis Schneider and De Los Santos
- JP Sears pitching line: 7IP 3H 3R (all earned) 3BB 4K 97 pitches (62for strikes)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s hitting streak ended at 22 games. He was 0-4 today.
- Final score: A's 8 Blue Jays 4
My Take:
- Chris Bassitt was lit up for 7 runs on 8 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5. It looked like he wouldn't even get out of the 1st inning. The A's had scored 3 runs before he got his 1st out. By the time the inning mercifully ended, the A's had scored 6 runs on 6 hits, a walk and a hit batter. He did manage to retire 7 in a row before the A's scored once more on him.
- The bullpen gave up a run on 4 hits while walking two and striking out 4 over the last 5 innings. None of the relievers retired every batter they faced.
- Well, it was fun while it lasted. Vlad's hitting streak came to an end. His impatience at the plate did him in today. Vlad swung at the 1st pitch in 2 of his at-bats today. Had he demonstrated a bit more patience, he might be looking at a 23 game hit strreak. Guerrero Jr. can be a very streaky hiter, capable of getting red hot and then frustrating days like today where he kills the baseball but a grounder right at an infielder.
- Good for Luis De Los Santos and collecting his 1st career RBI. George Springer showed he can still hit with a 2-run RBI single.
- The Blue Jays were 2-4 with runners in scoring position
- This was the final game against the Oakland A's. Next year the team will temporarily move to Sacramento and play as The Athletics until theyO move to their permanent home in Las Vegas in 2027. Blue Jays fans should not take the team for granted. I've seen several calls on social media for fans to simply not show up and for the owners to sell the team. In all likelihood, if Rogers ever did sell the team it would be to an American owner, who would have an easier time convincing MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to move the Blue Jays down south and become the second of the 4 big leagues to have strictly american teams. As it is, the Blue Jays are and will have a difficult time attracting marquee free agents to sign in Toronto, Instead, the fans should voice their displeasure at home games by booing the team off the field after lacklustre efforts like the last 2 games and not buy from the team store. Maybe delay buying season tickets until fans know what the team will look like in 2025. The last thing they should do is not show up at all. That's what the A's fans did and now they will not have a team in 6 weeks.
- For the last fun fact from the A's and Blue Jays, here are some comparatives of the success of both franches
- World series: A's (last 1989) 9 Blue Jays 2 (last 1993)
- AL MVPS: A's: 12 (7 as the Oakland A's - last one was Miguel Tejada in 2002); Blue Jays 2 (last: Josh Donaldson in 2015)
- AL Cy Young: A's: 5 - last Barry Zito in 2002; Blue Jays 5 - last Robbie Ray in 2021
- AL Rookie of the year: A's 7 - last Andrew Bailey in 2009; Blue Jays 2 - last Eric Hinske in 2002
- no-hitters: A's 10 (last Sean Manaea April 21, 2018) Blue Jays 1 (Dave Stieb September 2, 1990
- longest winning streak: A's:20 games (August 13-September 1, 2002); Blue Jays: 11 games (6 times; last August 2-13, 2015)
- Up next, the Blue Jays hit the road for another west coast swing as they take on the LA Angels for the first time this season. The Blue Jays took 4 of 6 in the season series last year and outscored the Angels 33-28. Bowden Francis starts against Angels righty Davis Daniel
