The Toronto Blue Jays are out of the playoffs, for the third time in four years.
It’s been seven seasons without a playoff win. And this after the pundits predicted that the Blue Jays would at least make the World Series.
What a frustrating two games against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was an encapsulation of the Jays’ roller coaster season. During the two-game playoff, the Jays were at the bottom of the ride, with decent pitching, but no offense.
The Twins outscored the Jays 5-1 while leaving 17 base runners on and had only one extra-base hit between the two games. Let’s not talk about the Jays’ base running.
Manager John Schneider said the loss is disappointing.
“As much as we talk about it, we’ve talked about it since February 14th,” he said.
“I think that we can all look each other in the face and say collectively we fell short of executing what we wanted to do. It’s not for lack of information or prep, in that moment that can’t happen,” Schneider said.
Game 2 ended with many Blue jays fans questioning the skipper after his decision on pulling hot pitcher Jose Berrios after 47 pitches.
Berrios pitched three innings of shutout bal, striking out five and only allowing three hits. He started the fourth inning, however, with a walk to rookie sensation Royce Lewis, and was yanked and replaced by Yusei Kikuchi.
Kikuchi came into the game and allowed the next three hitters to reach base — one via walk and two by ground ball singles — before forcing a double play and groundout to end the inning. However, the damage had been done with two runs crossing the plate.
The story was similar in Game 1. That guy, Lewis, did most if not all of the damage, with two home runs and three runs.
Schneider in the post-game press conference said Lewis was the entire Twins’ offence in the first game and Toronto pitcher Kevin Gausman performed better after the homeruns he gave up.
“One guy hit all their RBIs. Yeah they made (Gausman) work but I think he got better as he went on,” Schneider said.
Gausman’s fastball zigged inwards on Lewis when the pitcher admits he should have zagged to the outside edge of the plate.
“I missed my spot by three-and-a-half feet, so good hitters are going to make you pay for that,” he said. “He’s hitting three-hole for a reason, so he’s a good player.”
The Jays’ base running tilted that first game to the Twins when in the top of the fourth Bo Bichette took a risk and ran around third while the ball was still in the infield.
Twins’ shortstop Carlos Correa had to run a bit to retrieve the ball and fired a perfect strike to home plate and getting Bichette out.
Bichette said after the game that he believed he could have been safe, and it was worth taking the risk, defying third base coach Luis Rivera who was telling the runner to stop at third.
“I mean I went because I thought I was going to be safe,” Bichette said.
Schneider said Correa made a great play and his players are trying to spark their offense.
“It’s playoffs, guys are trying to make plays,” he said. “I haven’t looked at it closely, but I think Correa made a hell of a play.”
Rivera retired after the game. Read into that whatever should be read into that.
The Jays’ base running also tilted the second game to the Twins. It all sounds like Groundhog Day.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got caught napping while on second base in the fifth inning.
It was almost like Casey At Bat. It was top of the fifth and the score was 2-0 for the Twins. There were two out with Guerrero on second and George Springer on third. Bichette was at bat with a full count.
Guerrero became the first Jay to be picked off at second during a playoff game. It also became symbolic of the team’s 2023 season.
“We had a few different plans in place,” Schneider said. “You can sit here and second-guess me, second guess anybody, I get that. It’s tough and it didn’t work out for us today or yesterday.”
He said the Jays losing wasn’t because of a lack of information or preparation.
“We have all the confidence in the world in the young group that has come up with us to be in those spots and to make those plays,” Schneider said.