Another Game, Another Loss

Blue Jays 3 Yankees 5

Is there a Groundhog Day thing going on? Every game seems to be similar and frustrating.

Today? Well we loaded up the bases, with no outs, in the first, but only scored 1 run. And that was basically the high point of the game.

Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Jose Berrios, who was just cruising along, gave up a weak infield single to Anthony Rizzo, a soft ‘line’ single to center, and then a Yankee Stadium special fly ball home run to right field by Gleyber Torres. 361 feet, this one would have been a home run in 6 other parks.

An unlucky inning, but that’s been the way things have been going.

We did get a second run in the sixth inning. Teoscar reached on an infield single (called out on the field, fixed on review). An out later, Alejandro Kirk singled him to third, and Matt Chapman hit a sac fly. But that is where it ended.

The Yankees got two more in the bottom of the 6th. With one out, Berrios gave up a walk and a double. Trevor Richards came in and gave up a 2-run single before getting out of the inning.

We did have a shot in the bottom of the ninth. Santiago Espinal doubled, and pinch-hitter Vinny Capra walks (against Yankees’ closer Aroldis Chapman). Springer hit a sac fly (but that really didn’t help us). Bo Bichette hit a ball a mile but foul. Not much foul, but foul enough. I thought for a moment we had a lead. Unfortunately, that’s as close as we got. Bo ended up with a strikeout, and Vlad popped out.

There are some good signs. Bo went 3 for 5 with a double. He was hitting the ball hard. Alejandro Kirk was 2 for 4, both doubles (the two hardest-hit balls of the game, 109 and 107 MPH). And.....well, I guess that was all good signs.

Of note:

• Vlad was upset after a strikeout and broke his bat over his knee. He was 1 for 4 and was hit by pitch (I wanted Tallion tossed from the game, but no such luck).
• Bo, on second base, didn’t notice a wild pitch that should have sent him to third. When he saw the pitch wasn’t hit, he turned back to walk back to second. One of those mistakes that shouldn’t happen.
• Kirk going from first to second on a ground ball, for some reason, didn’t slide and wasn’t able to stick to the base. Should be sliding into second anytime there might be a play there.

Jay of the Day: Bo (.106 WPA). Kirk was close, but that’s not considering the mistake on the bases. And Vinny Capra was close too, but getting a JoD for taking a walk as a pinch hitter doesn’t seem right.

Suckage: Berrios (-.258, not fair really, two soft hits and a Yankee Stadium home run), Gurriel (-.141, for an 0 for 4, again unfair, he hit a ball 397 feet to left field that would have been a home run in most parks in the league), Springer (-.120, 0 for 3, walk) and Vlad (-.105, 1 for 4).

It would be nice to pull out of this slump. Bo and Kirk seem to have remembered how to hit. Now we just need the rest of them. Teoscar, Lourdes, and Chapman hitting some would help. Vlad getting a bit more consistency would help too.

It is hard not to be grumpy at the way the team is going, but it is a long season and there will be bad stretches. I’m hoping there will be good stretches too.