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| Max Scherzer threw 6 solid innings in a 5-1 loss to the Cardinals |
After a huge win after a solid, likely final start in a Blue Jays uniform for Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays were looking to extend the winning streak to 4 games and complete their 2nd series sweep and 1st season series sweep of the season. Max Scherzer got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate.. Vlad got the half day off as DH with George Springer in LF and Kazuma Okamoto at 1B. Ernie Clement was at the hot corner and Andres Gimenez was back at SS. Could the Blue Jays extend the winning streak to 4 games and complete their 2nd series sweep and 1st season series sweep of the season? Here is today's game recap.
Game Highlights:
- The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the 3rd as Lars Nootbaar doubled scoring Nathan Church
- Max Scherzer pitching line: 6IP 4H 1R (earned) 1BB 5K 84 pitches (58 for strikes)
- Matthew Liberatore pitching line: 6IP 1H 0R 1BB 7K 85 pitches (56 for strikes)
- The Blue Jays tied it in the bottom of the 8th as Luis Urias doubled scoring Andres Gimenez
- The Cardinals retook the lead in the top of the 9th as Jose Fermin singled scoring Masyn Winn
- Three batters later, Bryan Torres scored on a throwing error by Urias on a ball hit by Nootbaar
- A batter later, Jordan Walker singled scoring Blaze Jordan and Nootbaar
- Final score: Cardinals 5 Blue Jays 1
My Take:
- Max Scherzer fired 6 solid innings, giving up a run on 4 hits while walking 1 and striking out 5. Scherzer retired 9 of the first 11 batters he faced. The only downside is he was a strikeout short of tying Walter Johnson for 10th in career strikeouts. Some databases put him 2 strikeouts shoet of the mark at the start of the game, but officially, he was 6 strikeouts back on first pitch. Good timing for Scherzer to have a solid start with the Blue Jays likely sellers at the deadline.
- Louis Varland had a very bad day. The Blue Jays closer came into a tied ball game looking to keep the score where it was. He gave up 4 runs (only 1 earned due to a horrible throw by Luis Urias that should have been caught by Kazuma Okamoto at 1B) on 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out none over 2/3 of an inning. Mason Fluharty was the only reliever to retire every batter he faced
- Offensively, it was another anemic effort with 6 total base runners. George Springer tripled with 1 out in the 7th inning. Alejanndro Kirk struck out looking and Ernie Clement meekly popped out to catcher Ivan Herrera. Vlad came up with a chance to send Varland to the mound with a save opportunity but instead grounded out to shortstop to end the inning and rally. In the first 6 innings, they managed a measley 2 base runners against starter Matthew Liberatore.
- The Blue Jays were 3-2 on ABS challenges and the Cardinals were 1-1 on ABS challenges
- The Blue Jays were 1-7 with runners in scoring position
- I'll save my deadline thoughts for tomorrow's recap, but I do want to say that unless the MLB closes the loophole of deferred contracts and implements a hard cap, the Dodgers will just continue to snap up all the free agents they want and grab the best players at the trade deadline. Quite frankly, unless the MLB does something in this almost certain lockout/strike, the Dodgers will challenge the Celtics record of most consecutive championships and even most championships in a decade. At this point, many teams simply cannot compete in this unfair playing field.
- Up next, the Blue Jays hit the road for a bit of an unusual road trip where they play three-game sets iin Houston starting tomorrow and Philadelphia starting Friday with a makeup game in Chicago for the rainout June 21. The Astros took the series in Toronto 6 weeks ago, outscoring the Blue Jays 14-12. At the moment, Shane Bieber is penciled in to start against Astros righty Javier Christian.
