The End Of All Things: Blue Jays end the 2014 season with a 1-0 shutout loss

Blue Jays 0 Orioles 1

The strange feeling you get at the end of the Blue Jays season should be hitting you anytime now as the team was shut out in the final game of the 2014 campaign. It doesn't feel like it yet, but eventually we'll realize that we're not going to see the Blue Jays playing baseball again for a long time. The actual game was pretty boring if we're being honest and really wasn't the pitching duel that the scoreline makes it out to be.

Both Miguel Gonzalez and R.A. Dickey were good enough, but they pretty much just cruised through the game in quick and hasty fashion. The first action of note came in the second inning when Dalton Pompey was caught leaning at first base and was called out on the pickoff throw by Gonzalez. Yes, that is considered action of note because this game was very dull. The fifth inning saw Jonathan Schoop smash a R.A. Dickey fastball to left field for a solo shot, which was the only run in the game.

The Blue Jays almost answered back in the bottom half when Anthony Gose hit a two-out double, but Jose Reyes was unable to drive him home in the next at-bat. Ubaldo Jimenez came in from the bullpen in the sixth inning after Jose Bautista got on base against Miguel Gonzalez thanks to a fielding error by O's third baseman Ryan Flaherty. Jimenez went on to strike out the side, which surpassed Gonzalez's strikeout total in four less innings.

Kendall Graveman came on for the Blue Jays in the seventh and had a nasty sinker going, but did allow a double to Steve Pearce before getting out of the inning. Skipping ahead to the ninth and Casey Janssen came on for his (likely) last appearance for the team which was a little sad to see. It took six fastballs to retire the side and he came off the field to a nice ovation which he warmly acknowledged.

The bottom of the ninth was all set up for a memorable comeback, but if you've read this far then you know it didn't happen. Edwin Encarnacion led off with a single against Zach Britton and was quickly lifted for pinch runner Juan Francisco. Wait WHAT? Why John Gibbons decided to give Edwin Encarnacion his own send-off is beyond me since it isn't exactly the same situation as Derek Jeter coming out of his last game ever. If it really was necessary to pull Edwin from the game then surely someone faster than Juan Francisco could have been the pinch runner. Maybe even Gibbons himself would have been a better choice to take Encarnacion's spot. It took one pitch for the mistake to be exposed as a hard line drive to first base resulted in a double play before Dalton Pompey struck out on three fastballs to end the game and the season.

The final line for R.A. Dickey was 6.0 innings pitched with one run allowed on two hits and three walks to go along with two strikeouts. His ERA will rest at a 3.71 mark, which is actually a lot better than it felt for most of the year. The team will now watch as 10 of their fellow teams enter the postseason to fight for the title, which is something the Blue Jays have not had the chance to do in 21 years.

Jays of the Day include R.A. Dickey (+.197 WPA) and all of you folks who read, comment, and contribute to the website. I know I speak for all of us at Bluebird Banter when I say thank you for another great year of baseball talk, which really makes all the losing a lot easier to handle. Hopefully next year we'll have a chance to watch and talk about a winning baseball team in the playoffs instead of a consistently mediocre team. Obviously just because the season is over doesn't mean we close up shop around here as the fun part of the offseason gets going pretty soon with all of the contract options and free agency brought into the spotlight. We'll also be following all of the playoff action and trying to figure out which teams we should be cheering for in October.

There's no Suckage Jays for today because it doesn't seem right to call players out on the final game of such a long season. We're not mad, Blue Jays, we're just disappointed.

Source: FanGraphs

The team ends their season with a record of 83-79, which is the best win total they've compiled since 2010, which is also the last time the team broke the .500 mark. The title of today's post is from the Panic! At The Disco song of the same name that seems to fit the depressing mood that comes with the end of another Blue Jays season.