Game #112 - St. Louis Cardianals (55-57) @ Toronto Blue Jays (52-60) - game recap

 

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.

Game #111 - St. Louis Cardinals (54-57) @ Toronto Blue Jays (52-59) - game recap

 

Kevin Gausman threw 5.2 solid innings in a 5-1 win over the Cardinals

After a win last night, thanks to a late clutch hit off the bat of Luis Urias, the Blue Jays were looking to extend the win streak to 3 games and notch their 13th series win and 5th season series win of the season. Kevin Gausman made what is likely to be his last start in a Blue Jays uniform with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. Davis Schneider was in LF and Myles Straw was in LF. Ernie Clement was at SS and Luis Urias got the start at 2B. Could the Blue Jays extend the win streak to 3 games and notch their 13th series win and 5th season series win of the season? Here is today's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd as George Springer doubled scoring Davis Schneider
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 4th on a sac fly by Luis Urias that scored Ernie Clement
• The Cardinals got one back in the top of the 6th as Masyn Winn doubled scoring Ivan Herrera
• Kevin Gausman pitching line: 5.2IP 9H 1R (earned) 1BB 4K 94 pitches (65 for strikes)
• Quinn Mathews pitching line: 5IP 6H 2R (both earned) 3BB 3K 97 pitches (63 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 7th as Springer doubled scoring Andres Gimenez
• A batter later, Alejandro Kirk singled scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Springer
• Final score: Blue Jays 5 Cardinals 1

My Take:

• Kevin Gausman fired 5.2IP giving up a run on 9 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4. Not his best start in a Blue Jays uniform but not his worst either. He certainly helped his trade value today, showing prospective teams he can pitch and minimize the damage when he doesn't have his best stuff working. 
• The bullpen pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up 2 hits walking 2 and striking out 2. Tyler Rogers retired every batter he faced.
• Offensively, Alejandro Kirk (2 RBI), George Springer (2RBI, run scored) Luis Urias led the way.
• Every starter except Kazuma Okamono reached base at least once and all but Okamoto and Davis Schneider had a hit
• Alejandro Kirk was unsuccessful on the only ABS challenge of the day 
• The Blue Jays were 3-11 with runners in scoring posittion. 
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to extend the win streak to 4 games and complete their 2nd sweep and 1st season series sweep of the season. Max Scherzer starts against Cardinals righty Michael McGreevy

Game #110 - St. Louis Cardianals (54-56) @ Toronto Blue Jays (51-59) - game recap

 

Luis Urias knocked in a pair of runs in a 3-1 comeback win over the Cardinals

After an off-day yesterday, the Blue Jays opened a brief weekend home stand against the Cardinals as they began a stretch of 17 straight days of games (due to making up JAune 21st's rainout in Chicago next Thursday). The Blue Jays swept the season series last year, outscoring the Cardinals 20-15. Brayden Fisher was reinstated from the Bereavement leave list and Adam Mackowas optioned to AAA-ball. Jesus Sanchez was reinstated from the 10-day IL (and got the start in LF) and Yohendrick Pinago was optioned to AAA-ball. No trades yet. Dylan Cease got the start with Brandon Valenzuela behind the plate. Vlad was back in the lineup at 1B after missing Wednesday's game with right hamstring tightness. Kazuma Okamoto was back at the hot corner and Ernie Clement got the start at 2B. Could the Blue Jays extend the win streak to 2 games and start the August long weekend with a win? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the 5th as Jordan Walker singled Nathan Church
• The Blue Jays tied it in the bottom half of the inning as Kazuma Okamoto doubled scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
• Dylan Cease pitching line: 6IP 3H 1R (earned) 3BB 7K 96 pitches (57 for strikes)
• Kyle Leahy pitching linec" 6IP 6H 1R (earned) 1BB 3K 98 pitches (61 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays took the lead in the bottom of the 8th as Luis Urias singled scoring George Springer and Daulton Varsho
• Louis Varland threw a scoreless 9th for his 24th save of the season
• Final score: Blue Jays 3 Cardinals 1

My Take:

• Dylan Cease followed up his complete game 1-hitter with a solid start where he gave up a run on 3 hits while walking 3 and striking out 7. While he dealt with base runners in most innings, he was able to pitch his way out of jams. The torque he gets in his windup really helpsas minimize the batters opportunity to figure out what type of pitch is coming their way.
• The bullpen threw 3 scoreless innings, giving up a pair of hits while walking none and strikng out 4. Jeff Hoffman, who could be on the move at the trade deadline Monday, retired every batter he fsced. Hoffman would likely welcomr s change of scenery. Hoffman was credited with the win.
• Offensively, Kazuma Okamoto and Luis Urias, who came off the bench to pinch hit for Davis Schneider, came up with clutch hits to lead the Blue Jays to victory.
• Brandon Valenzuela was unsuccessful on the only ABS challenge of the day.
• The Blue Jays were 2-10 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to extend the win streak to 3 games and notch their 14th series win and 15th series win of the season. Kevin Gausman is scheduled to start against Cardinals lefty Quinn Mathews but that could change if he is traded or a deal is close around game time.

Game #68 Toronto Blue Jays (38-30) @ St Louis Cardinals (36-32) - game recap

 

Bo Bichette drove in the winning run on a sac fly in a 5-2 comeback win over the Cardinals

After eking out a win yesterday,  the Blue Jays were looking to extend the win streak to 3 games and complete their 4th series sweep and 3rd season series sweep. Nathan Lukes was placed on the 7- day concussion IL and Will Robertson's contract was selected from the AAA-roster and added to the MLB roster. Eric Lauer got the start with Tyler Heineman behind the plate. Alejandro Kirk served as DH. Vlad was back in the lineup and at 1B after the compete day off yesterday. George Springer was in the field in RF after DH'ing yesterday. Ernie Clement was at the hot corner and Davis Schneider got the start at 2B. Could the Blue Jays extend the win streak to 3 games and complete their 4th series sweep and 3rd season series sweep of the season? Here is today's game recap. 

Game Highlights:

• The Cardinals opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st as Wilson Contreras singled scoring Masyn Winn 
• The Cardinals added a run in the bottom of the 2nd as Yohel Pozo whacked a solo blast to left
• The Blue jays got one back in the top of the 3rd as Bo Bichette singled scoring Tyler Heineman 
• Three batters later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scored on a sac fly by George Springer 
• The Blue jays added a run in the top of the  4th on a sac fly by Bichette that scored Myles Straw 
• A batter later, Guerrero Jr. singled scoring Jonatan Clase 
• Eric Lauer pitching line: 4.1IP 4H 2R (both earned) 1BB 4K 72 pitches (50 for strikes)
• The Blue jays added a run in the top of the 5th as Ernie Clement smacked a solo blast to left
• Matthew Liberatore pitching line: 5IP 8H 5R (3 earned) 1BB 4K 90 pitches (59 for strikes)
• Yariel Rodriguez threw a perfect 9th for his 1st save of the season 
• Final score: Blue Jays 5 Cardinals 2

My Take:

• Eric Lauer battled through 4.1 innings, giving up a pair of runs on 4 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4. He made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt in the 1st inning and was taken yard in the 2nd inning.  He hit a batter in the 3rd inning. Lauer wasn't super efficient today. At least tomorrow is an off-day
• The bullpen threw 4.2 shutout innings, giving up 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 7. Yariel Rodriguez, who got the save, and Braydon Fisher retired every batter they faced.
• With Nathan Lukes and Anthony Santander both on the IL, the Blue Jays outfield depth will be tested. George Springer will see reps in RF and maybe CF. Myles Straw and Jonatan Clase will platoon in CF and Clase could see time in LF, along with Alan Roden and Davis Schneider. Addison Barger could start in RF.
• The offense continues to get timely hits. They erased the 2-run deficit in the 3rd inning on an RBI single from Bo Bichette, who drove in what was the winning run on a sac fly an inning later, and a sac fly by George Springer, who has been a pleasant surprise this season. Vlad scored the game-tying run and drove in the 1st insurance run in the 4th inning. Ernie Clement went yard in the 5th to put the game away.
• The Blue Jays were 2-10 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, after an off-day tomorrow, the Blue Jays resume the road trip in Philadelphia. The Blue Jays won  of 3 in Toronto a week ago, outscoring the Phillies 14-10. Kevin Gausman starts against Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez 

Game #66 Toronto Blue Jays (36-30) @ St Louis Cardinals (36-30) - game recap

 

Alejandro Kirk drove in the winning run in a 5-4 comeback win over the Cardinals in 10 innings

After dropping a game yesterday after another subpar start from Bowden Francis, the Blue Jays were looking to start the week with a win as they continued the road trip in St. Louis. The Blue Jays swept the season series last year, outscoring the Cardinals 14-7. Ace Jose Berrios got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. George Springer was in the field in RF after DH'ing yesterday (Bo Bichette got the half day off as DH today with Ernie Clement at SS. Davis Schneider was in LF and Jonatan Clase was in CF. Could the Blue Jays start the week with a win? Here is tonight's game recap. 

Game Highlights:

• The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 1st as George Springer doubled scoring Addison Barger
• The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 2nd as Bo Bichette singled scoring Ernie Clement 
• Andre Pallante pitching line: 6IP 7H 2R (both earned) 1BB 3K 95 pitches (60 for strikes)
• Jose Berrios pitching line: 6.2IP 4H 0R 2BB 1K 89 pitches (54 for strikes)
• The Blue jays added a run in the top of the 7th as Alejandro Kirk hammered a solo bomb just over the wall in desd center
• The Cardinals got one back in the bottom of the 8th as Wilson Contreras singled scoring Victor Scott II
• A batter later,  Ivan Herrera belted a3- run jack to left; also scoring Masyn Winn and Contreras
• The Blue jays tied it up in the top of the 9th as Jonatan Clase drilled a solo bomb to dead center
• The Blue Jays took the lead in the top of the 10th as Kirk doubled home Addison Barger
• Jeff Hoffman threw a perfect 10th for his 16th save of the season
• Final score: Blue Jays 5 Cardinals 4 (10 innings)

My Take:

• Jose Berrios fired 6.2 shutout innings, scattering 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 1. The most important stat was the innings pitched after another subpar start from Bowden Francis.  Spencer Turnbull has been recalled and he has built up enough to handle roughly 80 pitches. Trouble is, Turnbull didn't looked great in his appearances in the minors and his velocity is in question.  Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt need to pitch their best every turn and that is asking a lot. 
• The bullpen gave up 4 runs on 3 hits while watlking 1 and striking out 6 over the last 3.1 innings. Gutsy move by John Schneider to run Yariel Rodriguez out for another inning after ge blew the save in the 8th inning. Rodriguez was credited with the win. 
• The veterans did the damage offensively tonight. George Springer and Bo Bichete had RBI hits the first two innings and catcher Alejandro Kirk went deep in the 8th inning and doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning
• The Blue Jays will have a tough decision to make as to who is sent down when Anthony Santander returns to the lineup. Both Jonatan Clase, who hit a game-tying home run in the 9th, and Davis Schneider have shown they deserve the roster spot
• The Blue Jays were 3-9 with runners in scoring position. 
• Up next, the Blue Jays go for 2 straight wins and their 11th series win of the season. Chris Bassitt starts against Cardinals righty Miles Mikolas 

Game #150 St. Louis Cardinals (74-75) @ Toronto Blue Jays (72-78) - game recap

 

Nathan Lukes drove in the winning run in a 3-2 win over the Cardinals

After a solid win over the Cardinals on the backs of 7 strong innings from ace Jose Berrios and a 4-run rally in the 6th and Vlad's 500th career RBI, the Blue Jays were looking to extend the win streak to 3 games and complete their 3rd series sweep of the season. Yariel Rodriguez got the start with Brian Serven behind the plate. Vlad got the half day off as DH with Spencer Horwitz at 1B. George Springer got the complete day off with Addison Barger in RF. Nathan Lukes was in CF and Davis Schneider was in LF. Luis De Los Santos was at the hot corner and Leo Jimenez was at 2B. Could the Blue Jays extend the win streak to 3 games and complete their 3rd sweep of the season? Here is today's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the 5th as Jordan Walker doubled scoring Ivan Herrera
• Yariel Rodriguez pitzhing line: 4.1IP3H 1R (earned) 1BB 2K 62 pitches (41 f or strikes)
• The Blue Jays took the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Davis Schneider whacked a 2-run blast to left-center; also scoring Spencer Horwitz
• Miles Mikolas pitching line: 5IP 3H 2R (both earned) 0BB 4K 72 pitches (54 for strikes)
• The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the 7th as Lars Nootbaar smacked a solo blast to right
• The Blue Jays retook the lead in the bottom of the 8th as Nathan Lukes doubled scoring George Springer 
• Chad Green pitched a scoreless 9th for his 17th save of the season
• Final score: Blue Jays 3 Cardinals 2

My Take:

• Yariel Rodriguez battled through 4.1 innings, giving up a run on 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out 2. Boy was Rodriguez hot on the bench at being pulled after throwing just 62 pitches. He retired 9 of the first 11 batters he faced. The Blue Jays are obviously being very careful with his usage in his final starts of the season with his last start either coming at the end of the road trip or the beginning of the final homestand. This is understandable with the Blue Jays having four pitchers already (Alek Manoah, Rickey Tiederman, Landen Maroudis and Brandon Barriera). The Blue Jays can ill-afford to lose another prospect pitcher to a long-term injury.
• The bullpen threw 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3. Chad Green, who had blown three saves in a row, was shaky, giving up a pir of singles but he escaped the jam without allowing a run. Zack Pop was the only reliever to retire every batter he faced
• Offensively, Davis Schneider (2-run HR) and Nathan Lukes (RBI single) did rhe damage 
• The Blue Jays were 0-4 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, after  an off-day/travel day tomorrow, the Blue Jays start their final road trip of the season in Texas. They swept the Rangers at the end of July, ooutscoring the Rangers 20-11. Nathan Eovaldi starts for the Rangers. The Blue Jays haven't set their rotation for the series yet.

Game #149 St. Louis Cardinals (74-74) @ Toronto Blue Jays (71-78) - game recap

 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in his 500th career run in a 7-2 come-from-behind win over the Cardinals

After a walk off win on an RBI single off the bat of Alejandro Kirk yesterday, the Blue Jays were going for 2 straight wins, 15 series wins and 9 season series wins. Jose Berrios got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. George Springer was back in the field after DH'ing yesterday (Spencer Horwitz served as DH today). Nathan Lukes was in CF  and Joey Loperfido was in LF. Addison Barger was at the hot corner, Ernie Clement was at SS and Davis Schneider was at 2B. Could the Blue Jays make it 2 straight wins, 15 series wins and 9 season series wins? Here is today's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the 3rd as Jordan Walker belted a solo jack to left-center
• The Blue Jays tied it up in the bottom half of the inning as Davis Schneider whacked a solo blast to the opposite field in right-center
• Joey Loperfid left the game prior to the top of the 5th with a sore adductor muscle
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 6th on a fielder's choice hit by Ernie Clement that scored Nathan Lukes. Cardinals SS Masyn Winn was charged with a throwing error 
• A batter later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scored on a groundout hit by Alejandro Kirk. 
• A batter after that, Addison Barger singled scoring Spencer Horwirz
• A batter later, Schneider singled scoring Clement
• Kyle Gibson pitching line: 5.1IP 4H 5R (1 earned) 3BB 1K 95 pitches (55 for strikes)
• Jose Berrios pitching line: 7IP 2H 1R (earned) 2BB 4K 97 pitches (62 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the 7th as Guerrero Jr. singled scoring Lukes. It was the 500th career RBI for Vlad
• Three batters later, Kirk singled home Guerrero Jr.
• The Cardinals got one back in the top of the 9th on a ground out hit by Jose Fermin that scored Alec Burleson
• Final score: Blue Jays 7 Cardinals 2

My Take:

• Jose Berrios threw 7 strong innings, giving up a run on 2 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4. He retired the first 8 batters he faced and the final 7 batters he faced. Berrios will be part of the core of this franchise for the next several years and likely the ace of the staff too.
• The bullpen gave up a run on a hit whhile walking none and striking out 1 over the last 2 innings. Ryan Burr retired every batter he faced
• Unfortunate timing with the injury to Joey Loperfido. It is likely that he will be shut down for the rest of the season with just 2 weeks left in the season. There's no need to rush him and have him make the injury worse, especially with the experience with Bo Bichette that almost cost him the last 6 weeks of the season.
• Several Blue Jays had big days at the plate: Vlad drove in his 500th career run and scored twice, Nathan Lukes scored twice, Davis Schneider drove in a pair including himself on a solo HR, and Alejandro Kirk drove in 2
• The Blue Jays were 4-11 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to extend their win streak to 3 games and complete their 3rd sweep of the season. Yariel Rodriguez starts against Cardinals righty Miles Mikolas

Game #148 St. Louis Cardinals (74-73) @ Toronto Blue Jays (70-78) - game recap

 

Alejandro Kirk drove in a pair of runs in a 4-3 extra innings win over the Cardinals

After an off-day yesterday, the Blue Jays opened up a weekend set against the Cardinals, who won the season series outscoring the Blue Jays 22-15. Kevin Gausman got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. George Springer got the half day off as DH with Addison Barger in RF. Joey Loperfido was in CF and Nathan Lukes was in LF. Vlad was at the hot corner with Spencer Horwitz at 1B. Could the Blue Jays start the weekend with a win? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the 1st as Nolan Arenado singled scoring Masyn Winn
• Two batters later, Alec Burleson scored on a fielder's choice on a ball hit by Thomas Saggese
• The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom of the 4th as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled scoring George Springer 
• A batter later, Natthan Lukes scored on a sac fly by Spencer Horwirz
• Two batters, Alejandro Kirk singled home Guerrero Jr. 
• Erick Feddle pitching line: 5IP 6H 3R (all earned) 1BB 3K 94 pitches (61 for strikes)
• Kevin Gausman pitching line: 7IP 9H 2R (both earned)2BB 3K 104 pitches (70 for strikes)
• The Cardinals tied it in the top of the 8th as Saggese hammered a solo bomb to the second deck in left
• The Blue Jays walked it off in the bottom of the 11th as Alejandro Kirk singled home Guerrero Jr.
• Final score: Blue Jays 4 Cardinals 3 (11 innings)

My Take:

• Kevin Gausman threw 7 solid innngs, giving up a pair of runs on 9 hits while walking 2 and striking out 3. He had a rough start to the game, giving up four consecutive singles and 2 runs in the 1st inning. He then retired 11 straight and made a great play on a line drive to end that inning. Other than the 1st inning, Gausman was able to make the pitches he had to make to escape jams without allowing costly runs.
• The bullpen had mixed results. Genesis Cabrera blew the save by giving up a HR to the first bstter he faced. Tommy Nance gave up a base hit and gave the Blue Jays the chance to walk it off in the 9th. Branden Little and Erik Swanson both had perfect innings with the pressure of the ghost runner. I found it interesting that the Blue Jays opted not to use Chad Green in any of the last three innings. To be fair, he has been struggling lately, but he is a veteran pitcher who has the most experience closing games.
• Offesively, the Blue Jays did most of the damage in the 3rd inning with Vlad driving in one and scoring once. Kirk drove in a pair with Vlad scoring on both occasions.
• The Blue Jays were 5-11 with runners in scoring position
• Up next, the Blue Jays try for 2 straight wins, 15 series wins and 9 season series wins. Jose Berrios starts against Cardinals righty Kyle Gibson

Game #3 - Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) @ St. Louis Cardinals (2-1) - game recap

 

Matt Chapman was 3-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in a 9-4 loss to the Cardinals

After a frustraiting gsme yesterday where the Blue Jays were unable to take advantage of a wild Jack Flaherty, who walked seven batters over five innings, including three in the 1st inning, the Blue Jays were looking to take the rubber match. Newcomer Chris Bassitt got the start and made his regular season debut in a Blue Jays uniform. Bassitt is coming off a solid 2022 season, where he went 15-9 with a solid 3.42ERA over 30 starts for the Mets. Daulton Varsho was in CF and Whit Merrifield was in LF. Santiago Es[inal was at 2B and Alejandro Kirk served as DH. Could the Blue Jays win the first series of the season? Here is today's game recap.

Game #2 - Toronto Blue Jays (1-1) @ St. Louis Cardinals (1-1) - game recap

 

Kevin Gausman threw 6 innings in a 4-1 loss to the Cardinals

After the usual early season built in off day to avoid early postponements due to inclement weather, the Blue Jays were looking ro make it two straight wins to start the season. Kevin Gausman got the start  He is looking to build off a solid first season in Toronto where he went 12-10 with a 3.35ERA over 31 starts. Danny Jansen was behind the plate and Cavan Biggio got the start as 2B. The rest of the lineup was the same as opening day Thursday. Could the Blue Jays make it two straight wins to start the season? Here is today's game recap.

Game #98- St. Louis Cardinals (52-47) @ Toronto Blue Jays (54-44) - game recap

 

Bo Bichette drove in the Blue Jays only run in a 6-1 loss to the Cardinals

After a solid win yesterday on the back of a grand slam by George Springer, the Blue Jays were looking for their 8th straight win, their 5th series sweep and their 8th season series win of the season. Kevin Gausman got the start with Danny Jansen behind the plate. Vlad was back in the field after DH'ing yesterday. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. got the complete day off with Raimel Tapia in CF. Alejandro Kirk served as DH tonight. Cavan Biggio got the start at 2B. Could the Blue Jays make it eight wins in a row? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game #97- St. Louis Cardinals (51-47) @ Toronto Blue Jays (54-43) - game recap

 

George Springer hit a grand slam and scored twice in a 10-3 come-from-behind win over the Cardinals

After an off-day yesterday, the Blue Jays open a 2-game set against the Cardinals, who will be minus Paul Goldschmidt, Austin Romine, and Nolan Arenado due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19. Pitcher Johan Oviedo will also miss the series due to an expired Cuban passport. The Blue Jays and Cardiinals split the two games in St. Louis back on May 23-24. The Blue Jays outscored the Cardinals 11-8. Ace Jose Berrios got the start with Alejandro Kirk behind the plate. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was back in the field after DH'ing Sunday. Santiago Espinal was also back in the field after the complete day off Sunday. Vlad got the half day off as DH with Cavan Biggio at 1B. Could the Blue Jays make it 7 wins in a row? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game #43- Toronto Blue Jays (23-20) @ St. Louis Cardinals (24-18) - game recap

 

Danny Jansen hit a pair of HR and drove in 4 runs in ab 8-1 victory over the Cardinals

After losing on a walk-off grand slam, the Blue Jays were looking for the series split and to snap the 2-game losing streak. Kevin Gausman got the start with Danny Jansen behind the plate. George Springer was back in the field after DH'ing yesterday. Alejandro Kirk served as DH today. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was given another full day off with Raimel Tapia in LF. Could the Blue Jays get the series split and snap the 2-game skid? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game #42- Toronto Blue Jays (22-20) @ St. Louis Cardinals (24-18) - game recap

 

George Springer drove in a pair of runs and scored once in a 7-3 loss to the Cardinals on a walk-off grand slam to Paul Goldschmidt in the 10th inning

After dropping the finale of the series against the Reds and the home stand on a solo shot by Joey Votto in what was likely his final game in Toronto,. the Blue Jays hit the road, beginning with a mini 2-game series in St. Louis that began tonight. It was the first game the Blue Jays played in the NL with the universal DH in effect. Up until this season, pitchers batted in the NL. The last time these two squads met was in 2017 where the Cardinals won 2 of the 3 games and outscored the Blue Jays 19-14. The Blue Jays will not face former teammate Steven Matz, who is on the IL with an injured shoulder, in this series. Ace Jose Berrios got the start. Alejandro Kirk was behind the plate. George Springer got the half day off as DH with Bradley Zimmer in CF. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was back in LF after getting the full day off yesterday. Could the Blue Jays start the week and road trip with a win? Here is tonight's game recap.