Terrible start for Sanchez, Jays lose to Royals

Royals 7 Blue Jays 6

One misplay can change a game.

Bottom of the second, 2-out, 2 Jays on base, Luke Maile hits an easy popup to right, but Jorge Soler loses the ball in the sun and Luke gets a triple out of it, three runs score and the inning continues. I feel bad for the pitcher, I think it should be an error, but it isn’t. After that Eric Sogard singles Luke home and Justin Smoak homers and the Jays are up 5-1.

But then the top of the third inning Aaron Sanchez gives the 5 runs back. Sanchez, given the big lead, walks the number 9 hitter and walks the leadoff hitter, to start the inning. Throw strikes, make them have to hit to beat you.

The walks were followed by 4 singles (some bad luck, any of those 4 ground ball singles could have been at a fielder for a double play), scoring 4 and, finally, a double play ball that scored the 5th run.

In the fourth inning Aaron gives up a walk and single and that’s his day. He was lucky that Nick Kingham stranded those runners. In all, Aaron went 3 innings, allowed 7 hits (6 singles and a double), 6 earned, 4 walks and 3 strikeouts. June was awful for Aaron.

Kingham, fortunately, gave us some innings, 3.1, allowing 3 hits, 1 earned, 0 walks and 1 k. He gave up a solo homer to Solar.

Joe Biagini pitched 1.2 hitless innings, with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. good to see.

Derek Law, in the 9th, gave up a ground rule double. Then got a ground ball to Freddy Galvis at short, Galvis threw to third, but Sogard didn’t get the tag down in time. But Law got a strikeout and then a strikeout, and they picked the runner off third to end the inning. The runner from first went to steal second, Maile faked a throw to second and the runner on third started for home. Maile threw behind him and just one more throw in the rundown, we were out of the inning.

Other than the 5-run second inning, we only scored once, a second home run from Justin Smoak.

We did have a shot in the 9th. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked, pinch hitting, to start the inning. Maile bunted him to second. I’m not a fan of the but that was one of the spots I don’t think it is an awful idea. They could have pinch hit, but getting the tying run to second in the ninth isn’t terrible. But Eric Sogard popped out to center field (first pitch swinging for a change) and Smoak (who had 2 homers), popped out to third.

We had 8 hits on the day. 2 each for Sogard and Smoak.

Defense cost us too. Royals scored a run in the second. With Cheslor Cuthbert on first, Lucas Duda hit a double to the right field wall. They could have had a play at the plate, but Drury didn’t get the grip on the ball and had to double clutch, and the relay from Biggio was just late.

Jays of the Day: Biagini (.131). Kingham (.100), Vlad (.135, just for the 9th inning walk). I’m also giving one to Smoak for the 2 homers, even though he had a .036. He lost a lot of points for the pop out to end the game.

Suckage: Sanchez (-.524), Biggio (-.125, 0 for 4, 1 k), Tellez (-.123, 1 for 4, 1 k) and Galvis (0 for 3, walk, 2 k).

We had 620 comments in the GameThread. Barraqudie led us to defeat.