Bats Absent, Jays Lose

Orioles 4 Jays 2

Today’s game was brought to you by the numbers 5-3. A quick look at the boxscore shows the Jays had zero flyouts. 15 groundouts and no flyouts. Trying to pull outside pitches will do that to you.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but crappy hitting and defense cost us again. If you only score 2 runs, you aren’t going to win very often.

It started ok. We got a couple of runs in the first, George Springer started the game beating out an infield single and Vlad hit a home run that only reached 43 feet at its highest point. Just crushed on a line.

And we had the bases loaded with one out in the 3rd, but Matt Chapman hit into a double play.

From there until the end of the game? One hit, a Santiago Espinal bunt single, and he gets thrown out at second on a botched hit and run. I’m not a fan of the hit and run, and truly not a fan of it down two runs. But I guess John figured he had to do something/anything, and so he did.

Alek Manoah started well. He gave us four scoreless innings, allowing just a single and two walks.

Things changed in the fifth. There were two fly outs and then two that flew out of the park. Suddenly we were tied.

And then the Orioles got two more in the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle lined out hard at Espinal (perfect positioning). Terrin Vavra walked. After a ground out, Ramon Urias singled to center and Jackie Bradley Jr. dropped the ball trying to rush the throw. I don’t think he had a play at the plate but the drop put the runner on second. Another walk and Alek was pulled. I thought a couple of batters too late, but your mileage might vary.

Alek finished with 5.2 innings, 4 hits, 4 earned, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts in 107 pitches.

Anthony Bass gave up a single to right. Teoscar made a nice throw home, but Alejandro Kirk couldn’t handle the short hop, and we were down by two.

After that Bass, Cimber and Phelps gave us a scoreless inning each (closing the barn door).

Two runs aren’t going to win many games. They have to get hitting again. We’ve been near the top of the league in runs scored all season, but lately we just aren’t doing it. Tonight, 7 hits, just 1 one walk, 8 strikeouts, and one double play.

Espinal had 3 hits and Vlad had 2. Kirk (with a walk), Chapman (3 strikeouts and a double play), Hernandez (2 strikeouts), Bichette and Bradley had 0 fors.

John just said, in the post-game, that the ‘worst-case scenario’ on the hit and run was runners on first and second, no outs. Ummm no that’s clearly not the worse case.

Jays of the Day? Vlad (.116). He also had an error on a play where should have let the ball go through to Espinal, giving us an easy 4-3 out. Instead he ranged over and misplayed the ball. If he came up with it cleanly, I’m not sure they would have got the out.

Suckage: Manoah had the number (-.130) and Chapman (-.162) who looks lost at the plate. And let’s give one to Bradley for the drop and Kirk for the -.090 and the miss of Teoscar’s throw.

Tomorrow we have a day game (and Tom planned to go out). 3:00 Eastern. Ross Stripling (5-3, 3.16) is back. Austin Voth (3-1, 5.34) gets to aim at the outside of the plate all day.

Just win tomorrow, please.