A Fitting End to an Awful Series

Rangers 9 Blue Jays 2

Not too much good to say about that one.

We did have a lead for a moment. Vlad hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, and we were up 2-1 (our first series lead). That was the high point.

The Rangers scored 2 in the second, and the Jays didn’t score again.

And the Rangers got 1 more in the third.

And 5 in the eighth.

We had 4 hits all game.

There were chances:

• In the third, Nathan Eovaldi walked the bases loaded (around two ground outs). Bo came to the plate. I was yelling at the TV, “Only strikes”. Bo watched the first pitch high and outside (all is good). He chased the season pitch (3 inches below the plate), many swear words. Then, he fouled off a dead-center fastball. Then, he chased a pitch further below the zone and outside—more swear words.
• In the fifth, Bo hit a one-out double (if that could have been two innings earlier...). But Vlad and Davis Schneider struck out.
• In the seventh, Kirk led off with a walk. Santiago Espinal pinch-hit for Kevin Kiermaier (with a lefty in, but the Rangers changed to a righty). Espinal struck out. Then George Springer struck out. Bo walked. But Vlad struck out.

The bottom of the seventh was the last time the Jays were in the game.

In the eighth, Trevor Richards came in. He’s had a rough time of it lately. He faced five batters without getting an out.

Yimi Garcia replaced him, and things did not go better. A bunt back to him, and Yimi looked to third (no play), looked to second (no play), and by then, there was no play at first. A walk brought a run, and a sac fly brought another.

Beyond that, Kevin Gausman wasn’t great. He fought through 4.2 innings, allowing 6 hits, 4 earned, 6 walks (his season high, he walked 5 back at the end of May) and had 5 strikeouts. He also allowed two solo homers, Corey Seager (3 for 4 today, 3 RBI) and Jonah Heim (2 for 5).

The Rangers had 12 hits. and 10 walks.

JoD: Mayza (.080 WPA). He got 4 outs when it was still a game. Kirk had the high mark as a batter (.073 for 2 walks). Let’s give him an honourable mention).

The Other Award: Gausman (-.265) and Richards (-.119). The batters all deserve the honour as well, but let’s pick out Springer (-.075, 0 for 3, walk, 2 k), Schneider (-.075, 0 for 4, 2 k, plus an error at second, it wasn’t called an error, but it was. He also made a nice play starting a double play soon after), Kiermaier (-.071, 0 for 2).

Tomorrow, the Red Sox are in town for the start of three games. The Jays need to win if they want a chance at a playoff spot. It isn’t over, but it sure feels like it is. They have to figure out how to win.