Bats absent, Jays lose

Blue Jays 1 Orioles 7

What’s wrong with the hitters?

There is no way Thomas Eshelman should be no-hitting us for 4.1 innings. But we didn’t have hit until Lourdes Gurriel’s home run with one out in the fifth, which turned out to be our only run. Two singles and an out later Eshelman was out of the game.

But that didn’t help us.

A quintet of Oriole relievers kept us off the scoreboard for the last 4.1 innings, allowing just one more hit.

Four hits in total, Gurriel, Panik (and I was complaining about him DHing), a bunt single from Espinal, and a Biggio single in the ninth. Three of the four hits were in that fifth inning.

Robbie Ray worked very hard for 4.1 innings. He only gave up 2 runs, but that was on 6 hits, 2 walks, and a home run, with 5 strikeouts. He threw 24 pitches in the first inning and really didn’t have a quick inning. He came out of the game after 106 pitches, giving up his second run in the fifth.

Trent Thornton kept it a one-run game to the end of the sixth.

Patrick Murphy pitched a nice seventh but had trouble in the eighth. He gave up a single, double and single, getting just one out.

Jeremey Beasley came in and throw gas on the fire. Single, homer, and a hit batter before getting out of the inning.

Of note, Lourdes Gurriel seemed to have a pain in his side after a swing. He continued to play but then was pinch-hit for in the ninth.

Jay of the Day: Thornton (.161 WPA)

Suckage: Semien (-.141 0 for 4, 3 strikeouts, plus a bit of trouble in the field, a slow turn on a possible double-play ball, and a ground ball that went through him), Bo (-.109), and Ray (-.122).

We had 562 comments in the GameThread. I led us to defeat again.