Nothing working for Blue Jays’ offence throughout prolonged droop

TORONTO — Yusei Kikuchi positively dialled it up a notch for Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Eight of the 11 hardest pitches he’s thrown this season got here in the course of the six innings of grind the Nationwide League West leaders put him by, together with the highest three. No. 1, a 98.2 m.p.h. fastball, is tied for the fourth-hardest pitch he’s thrown within the majors. At 97.9 m.p.h., Nos. 2 and three weren’t far behind. This was airing it out, outlined.

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But as soon as once more for the Toronto Blue Jays on this more and more troublesome stretch, extra continues to be much less. That 98.2 m.p.h. heater was circled at 119.2 m.p.h. by Ohtani for an RBI single within the second inning, the toughest ball hit by anybody to this point this season and ever by the two-way celebrity. These 97.9 fastballs had been fouled off. One other at 97.8 was pushed 346 ft by Freddie Freeman for a sacrifice fly within the first that opened the scoring.

Kikuchi was removed from alone in going all out.

Daulton Varsho tried to energise the Blue Jays by laying out for a Mookie Betts liner on the sport’s fifth pitch, just for it to the touch inexperienced a couple of ft in entrance of him and skip towards the wall for a triple. Ernie Clement tried to ambush a first-pitch heater from Tyler Glasnow proper after replay prolonged the second by detecting catcher’s interference on Cavan Biggio, solely to roll over it for an inning-ending groundout. Bo Bichette made an important sliding seize and throw to nab Teoscar Hernandez at first to finish the seventh and save a run, however on the plate simply missed crushing Glasnow fastballs within the first and fifth, producing 663 ft of out.

And so it went for the Blue Jays in a 4-2 setback to the Dodgers on Saturday, their fifth straight loss, sixth in seven video games and nineteenth consecutive outing with 5 runs scored or much less.

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Now, credit score old-foe Glasnow for retaining them beneath wraps over six innings earlier than leaving with cramps after Davis Schneider’s RBI double, and do not forget that the ace righty goes to do that to most groups this yr.

Nonetheless, the Blue Jays have scored 9 occasions throughout their present dropping streak and managed simply three hits Saturday. Regardless of two lengthy outs and one other liner proper to Betts at second base, Bichette completed 0-for-4 whereas Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who ripped a double within the third inning to finish an 0-for-8 rut, struck out in his different three at-bats.

No matter method the pivotal duo and their teammates strive proper now — be aggressive and assault early, be affected person and grind — nothing appears to work.

At different factors throughout this prolonged dry spell since they scored eight occasions in a 9-8 loss on the Yankees on April 6, the Blue Jays have created alternatives however not fulfilled them, with solely 26 per cent of their baserunners coming round, fourth lowest within the majors. Glasnow didn’t even give them that, strolling three whereas Biggio reached on the interference.

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The distinction with the Dodgers, in the meantime, was stark, even with Kikuchi pedal-to-the-metal.

They had been prepared for all the things Kikuchi needed to supply, with 4 hits on his fastballs, three on his slider, and one every on his curveball and changeup.

This one will sting for the left-hander all of the extra provided that it was in opposition to Ohtani, who adopted him at Hanamaki Higashi highschool in Iwate, Japan. Kikuchi obtained him on a grounder to second within the first — turning the boos for the slugger from the group of 39,405 into cheers — gave up that laser single within the second after which made him flail at a curveball within the fifth for a strikeout.

By then, although, the harm had been accomplished, Betts’ RBI single within the fourth making it 4-0, with nothing from the Blue Jays till the seventh, when Danny Jansen walked and Schneider’s double put them on the board.

They didn’t threaten once more till the ninth when Schneider reached second on a two-out error by Evan Phillips and Biggio cashed him in with a base hit earlier than Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who needed to pitch the ninth inning of Friday’s 12-2 drubbing, flew out to finish it.