Game, set & match: Jays drop game, swept in series and season series

Blue Jays 3 Athletics 8

If Oakland ends up winning the second wild card, they will likely owe it in significant part to the Blue Jays, who after today have spotted them 7 wins in being swept in the season series. It will be doubly so if the Jays can pull out of their lethargic tailspin and put up a good showing as they head up north to face the team the Athletics are trying to chase down, but at worst it’s a wash.

It was a tough final line for Marcus Stroman, charged with 7 earned runs in 5+ innings, giving up 11 hits and a walk against 6 strikeouts. He was alright in the early going, but couldn’t get out of some jams and gave up multiple runs in alternating innings.

The first two runs came in the 2nd inning, as Stroman allowed a walk and double to start the inning. He almost got out of it unscathed, but Jonathan Lucroy took a two strike breaking ball the other way to drive in both runs. Lucroy was also in the middle of the damage in the two run fourth, doubling to plate a leadoff single and scoring later himself. The three run 6th inning started with three straight singles plating a run and ended Stroman’s afternoon. Danny Barnes allowed a double to cash the two inherited runner charged to Stroman.

That made it 7-0, and was effectively the end of the game. The bullpen managed to allow only one more run, and the Jays plated a single run in the 7th and a pair in the 8th on a home run from Russell Martin (nice to see him hitting). But it was too little, too late. There were other chances to score (1st/2nd none out in the 2nd, to point to the best opportunity), but the Jays couldn’t push anything across on a tough opposing pitcher in Sean Manaea.

Jays of the Day: None numerically, with Yangervis Solarte (+0.085 the high man in WPA. Russell Martin gets one for the 2/3 afternoon with a bomb and a walk. Honourable mention to Randall Grichuk for the two doubles.

Suckage: Stroman (-0.209), Aledmys Diaz (-0.163)

Tomorrow evening the Jays are in Seattle for the annual Canadian takeover of Safeco Field. A 10:05 EDT start with King Felix Hernandez going for the Mariners against...well, I`m sure the Jays will find someone having traded their previous 5th starter John Axford the other day