Errors, Walks, Double Plays Cost Jays, They Lose to Rockies

Blue Jays 7 Rockies 8

I hate Coors Field. The pitches don’t move the way they do in other parks, so it is hard to tell if the pitcher is having a bad night or if his pitches aren’t moving the way they should.

That was sort of the night that Yusei Kikuchi had. 4.2 innings, 6 hits, 4 walks (his first 4 walk game since May), and 6 strikeouts in 4.2. He gave up 6 runs, but only 2 were earned.

Ernie Clement made an error to put the leadoff batter on in the second inning. Yusei got a fly out, gave up a single, got a strikeout and then gave up a two-run single. Without the error, no runs score (all going the same way).

In the fourth, Clement made a throwing error on the inning's first batter. Then single, strikeout, ground out. But a double-scored two. The Rockies' first four runs weren’t earned.

It’s too bad. Clement is a good defensive shortstop, but stuff happens.

Then came the fifth inning. Kikuchi got the first two outs. Then, he gave out a couple of walks, which was the end of his night.

Yimi Garcia came in, walked another batter to load the bases, and then gave up a triple to unload them. Suddenly, we were behind 7-5. A single made in 8-5.

For a change, we got our runs early:

• Four in the first: George Springer doubled. Davis Schneider walked, but Vlad followed with a double play. Singles from Merrifield, Kirk, Clement, Varsho and Espinal scored the 4 runs. But, on the Espinal single, Varsho tried to go first and third and was thrown. It wouldn’t be the end of the bad baserunning tonight.
• One in the second on a Kevin Kiermaier home run.

We did have a shot in the ninth. Down by 3:

• Springer walked.
• Schneider tripled. He took a huge chance going for third; he wasn’t safe by much, and we were still down by two. DON’T TAKE A CHANCE.
• Vlad lined out softly to center. I thought it might fall, but the Rockies CF plays shallow.
• Merrifield struck out. Strike three was well inside. Whit was right to take it. But then there was a pitch, earlier in the at-bat, that was clearly a strike, called a ball. We need robo umps.
• Then, with Kirk at the plate, Rockies reliever Justin Lawrence threw a wild pitch, and Schneider came home. He was barely safe. There was no reason at all for him to go home. His run didn’t matter. It was inches from ending the game.
• Kirk walked.
• Biggio walked.
• Varsho was hit by pitch.
• Spencer Horwitz came in to pinch-hit for Mason McCoy. Joe Siddal told us he wasn’t going to chase. He had a good eye. And yes, he has a good eye, but never say a player isn’t going to chase. Guys with the best eyes will chase sometimes. Anyway, he took a ball, then swung at the second pitch in the same spot as the first. Strike two was a foul tip on at the bottom of the zone. He then swung over a pitch below the zone. Game over. That was a tough spot for a guy just brought up.

Seven runs should be enough for a win, even in Coors Field. Errors and walks hurt. Of course, double plays hurt, too. We could have had more runs.

Jays of the Day: Varsho (.160 WPA, 2 for 4), Springer (.151, 1 for 2, 3 walks), and Schneider (.130, 1 for 3, triple, walk).

The Other Award: Garcia (-.400), Vlad (-.319), and Horwitz (-.246). And let’s give one to Clement for the two errors.

Tomorrow it is a 3:00 Eastern start. Kevin Gausman (10-8, 3.30) is the Jays starter, so odds are long on us scoring 7 again. Rockies have TBD listed.