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As if the Blue Jays wanted one other physique blow to a season plummeting towards all-time low, it got here in opposition to one of many few persistently dependable items of the struggling staff on Tuesday evening.
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And identical to that, issues went from unhealthy to brutal in a humiliating 10-1 blowout loss to the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies.
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Whereas not a lot ought to shock individuals now given the Jays’ present kind, the most recent non-competitive drubbing added to the shock issue because the hosts pounced on ace Jose Berrios, who entered the competition with the very best ERA within the American League.
And now a staff that GM Ross Atkins promised would profit from inner enchancment and supervisor John Schneider insists will likely be higher any day now has seen its file drop to 16-20 and has misplaced 5 of its previous six and 10 of 13.
Oof.
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If the Maple Leafs’ normal abbreviated playoff run was deflecting some consideration away from the Jays’ unpleasant struggles, they now not have that defend as a weekend house collection looms in opposition to the Minnesota Twins squad that bounced them from the playoffs final fall.
Barring a sudden flip for the great, it might get ugly across the renovated Rogers Centre as a disgruntled fan base could also be nicely be rising weary (or worse) from the developments that adopted the meek playoff exit to the Twins.
Simply the place that flip goes to return from is getting harder to think about because the Jays proceed to labour on the plate, are combating accidents of their bullpen and are nonetheless looking for a dependable fifth starter.
The loss on this mini two-game set at Citizen’s Financial institution Park in opposition to the scorching Phillies ensures that the Jays will go 5 collection and not using a win, having dropped their earlier 4 units.
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Shedding to the Phillies (26-11) isn’t any disgrace because the Nationwide League East leaders have now received seven in a row, however the grim actuality for the Jays is that discovering a pathway out of this mess received’t come simply.
Together with Wednesday’s matinee in opposition to the Phillies, their subsequent seven video games — that includes collection in opposition to the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles — are in opposition to opponents who previous to Tuesday’s play have been a mixed 32 video games above .500.
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The Jays? Not a lot.
In reality, they’re off to their worst begin since 2019 and are nicely off the 21-15 tempo they have been at by means of 36 video games in an 89-win season in 2023.
The extra in style sliver of hope publicly emanating from the staff centres on the assumption that the group is best than its efficiency to date, a proven fact that might be true however much less convincing with every misplaced.
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And even when (if?) issues flip round for the Jays, every loss on this present funk piles onto the problem forward, one which will likely be arduous to sort out with out greater than a modest sizzling streak or two. As hitters proceed to wrestle and pitching points stay unsolved, trigger for optimism turns into extra muted.
The Jays have been sporting it arduous of late, no extra so than on Tuesday when Schneider — infamous for some epic umpire encounters in his minor-league days — misplaced it on third base ump Paul Clemons after the fourth and was tossed.
Whereas Schneider clearly had a beef with Clemons’ “no swing” name on the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, we’re pondering the supervisor’s eruption ran deeper than that. We noticed it on the weekend when struggling shortstop Bo Bichette was ejected for slamming his helmet to the bottom.
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And who might blame them? With every passing loss, the warmth rises on the gamers, the supervisor and the entrance workplace of a staff that has clearly misplaced its manner.
GAME ON
A part of what has made the Phillies such a juggernaut this season is that they not often path early in video games. When a Nick Castellanos RBI double introduced in a run, it was the thirty eighth first-inning run they’ve scored in 37 video games. Not precisely a great begin for his or her opponents, who’re mainly the other and it bought ugly … Bryce Harper wasn’t the one Phillies batter to go deep off of Berrios. Latest minor-league call-up Kody Clemens added a two-run homer within the second and drove in one other run on a fourth-inning triple … The lone Jays run got here within the seventh inning when an Isiah Kiner-Falefa groundout scored Danny Jansen from third … With Berrios’ evening ending early, the Jays cycled by means of 5 relievers, however with none pitching greater than 1 1/3 innings that shouldn’t be a difficulty for the Wednesday contest.
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AROUND THE BASES
Former Jays starter Aaron Sanchez, signed a minor-league cope with the membership on Monday and has reported to Buffalo, the place he’s tentatively scheduled to begin for the triple-A Bisons on Friday. For now, contemplate the transfer minor-league pitching depth because the 31-year-old right-hander faces an uphill battle to return to the massive leagues … Sticking with the razor-thin Jays pitching scenario, the expectation is that Alek Manoah will make his first house begin since 2024 with a Rogers Centre task in opposition to the Twins on Sunday … Additionally in Buffalo, a would-be Blue Jays bat continues to supply: Extremely ranked prospect Orelvis Martinez banged out his ninth house run of the season for the Bisons on Tuesday.
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