Jays Don’t Score, Lose Game 1

Mariners 4 Blue Jays 0

The Jays just couldn’t hit Luis Castillo. Castillo threw 24 pitches at 99 mph or faster. And 5 pitches at 100 or faster. In 7.1 innings we were only able to get 6 hits (and no walks) off him. All of those hits were singles. He was strong early and late, coming out of the game after 108 pitches, the last one hitting George Springer in the hand. It will be interesting to see if Springer can play tomorrow, that pitch got him good.

We had chances:

• Two hits in the second, but a double play ruined the fun then.
• Two two-out hits in the third, but Vlad hit a soft fly-out when we needed more.
• And two two-out singles in the fifth.

But we never got that big hit when we needed it.

Castillo only had 5 strikeouts but he had 7 groundouts and 6 soft flyouts.

Andrés Muñoz came in with one out and one on in the eighth and got out of the inning. He threw a pitch 102.9 mph to Vlad, but mostly used a slider at the bottom of the zone. Muñoz stayed out for the ninth, getting two outs before giving up the Jays' first extra-base hit, a Matt Chapman double.

Alek Manoah had a tough first inning.

He started it off by hitting Julio Rodriguez. An out later, Eugenio Suarez doubled home Rodriguez. And then Cal Raleigh hit a home run. We were down 3-0 before getting to bat.

After that Alek figured things out. He just seemed a little hyped up in the first. Understandable. But when your team doesn’t score, it will buy you a loss.

Alek gave up another run in the fifth and again started off by hitting Rodriguez. A single and a ground out scored him.

Manoah came out after 5.2 and only 79 pitches. I thought he could/should have gone longer. Save some bullpen arms. But I don’t run things.

It is unfair but we expected better from Alek.

Tim Mayza got the last out of the sixth and the first two outs of the seventh. Yimi Garcia got the last out of the seventh. Zach pop got the first out of the eighth, but then gave up a couple of hits and came out of the game. Trevor Richards did a great job stranding runners at second and third with one out.

Richards got the first out of the ninth, then got ripped off on a strike that was called ball four and gave way to Adam Cimber.

Tomorrow we have another 4:00 Eastern start. Likely Kevin Gausman getting the start (unless they decide his finger needs another day, then it will be Ross Stripling). Robbie Ray goes for the M’s.

No Jays of the Day today.

The Other Award goes to Manoah (-.200 WPA), and Hernandez (-.099 for an 0 for 4, 1 k, 1 double play), but he is really a representative of the whole batting order.